Facebook to reach one billion users by end of summer

Facebook is set to reach one billion active users by August of this year, according to research from iCrossing. Facebook, comfortably the world’s largest social network, currently has in excess of 800 million active users.

iCrossing’s projections are based on a process of linear regression on Facebook user numbers from the end of 2008 onwards. Their estimates predict that Facebook currently has around 850 million active users, will reach 900 million by the end of March and eventually the one billion milestone by the end of August.

While Facebook growth has become stagnant in early-adopting countries like the United Kingdom and United States recently, growth in developing countries like Brazil and India is strong. In the past nine months alone, Brazil has gained 17 million users and India 14 million.

With the percentage of Facebook penetration in countries like Brazil and India low, 16% and 3% respectively, compared to 47% in the United Kingdom for example, growth potential is very high.