Datapods|Insights

TikTok News Account Following by Age in Germany — 2025

Results as of

Review 2025: Share of 18–24 year-old TikTok users following news is 24.6% +6.8pp vs. 35–44

TikTok News Account Following by Age in Germany — 2025The chart shows the percentage of German TikTok users aged 18+ who follow at least one news or current-affairs account, broken down by age group (18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54). The 18–24 cohort leads at 24.6%, with a clear age gradient declining to 17.6% for 35–44 year-olds. Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals. <cite index="1-10">Among 18-24-year-olds, half regularly consume news on social media platforms</cite>, and <cite index="1-17">TikTok is used by respondents to search for, read, watch, share, or discuss news</cite>. The platform's youth-dominant audience and algorithmic emphasis on short-form video make it a secondary news channel for younger Germans, particularly during high-attention news cycles. <cite index="1-20">TikTok is considered the most dangerous platform (57%) regarding misinformation</cite>, reflecting broader skepticism about news credibility on the app.The chart shows the percentage of German TikTok users aged 18+ who follow at least one news or current-affairs account, broken down by age group (18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54). The 18–24 cohort leads at 24.6%, with a clear age gradient declining to 17.6% for 35–44 year-olds. Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals. <cite index="1-10">Among 18-24-year-olds, half regularly consume news on social media platforms</cite>, and <cite index="1-17">TikTok is used by respondents to search for, read, watch, share, or discuss news</cite>. The platform's youth-dominant audience and algorithmic emphasis on short-form video make it a secondary news channel for younger Germans, particularly during high-attention news cycles. <cite index="1-20">TikTok is considered the most dangerous platform (57%) regarding misinformation</cite>, reflecting broader skepticism about news credibility on the app.
The chart shows the percentage of German TikTok users aged 18+ who follow at least one news or current-affairs account, broken down by age group (18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54). The 18–24 cohort leads at 24.6%, with a clear age gradient declining to 17.6% for 35–44 year-olds. Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals. <cite index="1-10">Among 18-24-year-olds, half regularly consume news on social media platforms</cite>, and <cite index="1-17">TikTok is used by respondents to search for, read, watch, share, or discuss news</cite>. The platform's youth-dominant audience and algorithmic emphasis on short-form video make it a secondary news channel for younger Germans, particularly during high-attention news cycles. <cite index="1-20">TikTok is considered the most dangerous platform (57%) regarding misinformation</cite>, reflecting broader skepticism about news credibility on the app.
Info
Sample size
n = 9,052
Data date
2025
Segment
All segments
Platform
TikTok, Users
Market
Germany

Analysis

One in five German TikTok users aged 18+ follows at least one news or current-affairs account, but younger users drive most of that traffic. The 18–24 cohort reaches 24.6%, declining to 17.6% among 35–44 year-olds—a 7-percentage-point gap that reflects TikTok's core demographic skew. News follows remain a niche behaviour relative to entertainment, yet youth engagement suggests the platform is becoming a secondary news source for younger Germans.

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Methodology

German TikTok users aged 18+ active during 2025, weighted to AGOF online population (16+). News accounts identified via a precision-curated allowlist of 99 outlets including Tagesschau, RTL Aktuell, and other major German and international news brands. Following determined by user-account intersection; 95% bootstrap confidence intervals shown by age group.

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