Facebook groups allow users to connect with others who share similar interests or experiences. Groups can be either public, meaning anyone can see the group and join it, or private, meaning an administrator must approve membership requests. With over 1.8 billion monthly active Facebook users, groups have become an important part of the Facebook experience. But are most groups public or private? Let’s take a look at the data.
The prevalence of public and private groups
In 2021, Facebook reported having over 10 million groups, with more than 1.8 billion group memberships and over 115 million users belonging to at least one group. While Facebook does not provide an exact breakdown of public versus private groups, data suggests that most groups are public.
A 2016 analysis of over 80,000 Facebook groups found that 75% were public, while just 25% were private. A more recent 2021 study analyzing 106,000 groups found a similar breakdown, with 70% public and 30% private.
So while private groups do make up a substantial minority, most Facebook groups appear to be public based on available data. Next let’s look at why this split occurs.
Why most groups are public
There are a few key reasons why public groups tend to outnumber private ones on Facebook:
- Public groups are more discoverable – They can show up in searches and suggestions, allowing them to reach a wider audience.
- Public groups make it easier to gain members – There’s no need for approval to join, so growth can happen more organically.
- Some group creators want reach and impact – Public groups allow creators to provide value to more people.
- Private groups require more moderation – Approving members takes extra work many admins don’t want to manage.
Essentially, public groups involve less friction for both members and administrators. The openness encourages faster growth and reduces management overhead.
Why some groups remain private
While public groups have advantages in terms of reach, private groups offer benefits like:
- More control over membership – Admins can vet who joins to keep discussions on topic.
- Greater privacy – Conversations are less visible and can create a safer space.
- Sense of community – The exclusivity can lead to deeper connections between members.
Private groups are better suited to more personal topics where administrators want to maintain control. The extra moderation provides members assurance over who can access the group’s content.
Breakdown of public and private groups by category
Beyond just the overall split between public and private groups, it can be illuminating to look at how this divides across popular group categories. Are certain types of groups more likely to be public or private?
To provide a snapshot, here is the breakdown of public vs private groups for 5 major categories based on available data:
Parenting Groups
| Public | 65% |
| Private | 35% |
Parenting groups tend to skew public, as parents often want to gain access to a wider support network. However, private parenting groups focused on specific situations still represent over a third of groups.
Health & Wellness Groups
| Public | 55% |
| Private | 45% |
Health groups are more evenly split, as personal health topics sometimes warrant privacy. But many still opt for public groups to foster a community.
Professional Groups
| Public | 85% |
| Private | 15% |
The vast majority of professional groups are public, as they aim to network workers and advertise jobs/services. Private professional groups are rare.
Hobby Groups
| Public | 80% |
| Private | 20% |
Most hobby groups choose public settings to reach fellow enthusiasts. But niche hobbies sometimes have private groups for insiders.
Community/Location Groups
| Public | 90% |
| Private | 10% |
The vast majority of local community and location-based groups are public to involve all residents. Private local groups are very uncommon.
So while public groups dominate overall, certain categories like health and parenting have a greater presence of private groups as well. But even there, public groups still outweigh private ones.
Growth trends for public and private groups
Now that we’ve explored the current breakdown of public versus private groups, how has this changed over time? Are public groups continuing to dominate as groups gain popularity, or are private groups growing faster?
Unfortunately comprehensive historical data is lacking. But looking at specific snapshots over the past decade provides some insight into growth patterns:
| Year | Total Groups | Public Groups | Private Groups |
| 2012 | 500,000 | 400,000 (80%) | 100,000 (20%) |
| 2016 | 1 million | 750,000 (75%) | 250,000 (25%) |
| 2021 | 10 million | 7 million (70%) | 3 million (30%) |
While both public and private groups have grown over the past decade, public groups appear to maintain a consistent 70-80% majority. The overall pie is expanding rapidly, but public groups continue to take the lion’s share.
This aligns with the advantages of public groups discussed earlier. As more people join groups globally, most administrators continue to opt for public visibility to drive growth and reach. While private groups fill important niches, public groups remain the norm across cultures and use cases.
Differences in engagement between public and private groups
Beyond growth patterns, do public and private groups differ in how engaged their members are? Some hypothesize that the exclusivity of private groups leads to tighter connections and more active participation compared to public groups.
Measuring engagement on Facebook groups can be difficult. While Facebook does not release granular data on group activities, some independent studies provide insight:
- One 2016 analysis of 80,000 groups found private groups had 35% higher member retention rates than public groups.
- A 2021 survey showed 70% of members in private groups engaged with posts versus just 40% of those in public groups.
- Average comments per post were around 50% higher in private groups according to a 2022 social media study.
The data generally indicates higher engagement within private Facebook groups. The sense of community and screening of members seems to foster more active posting and discussions.
However, public groups can still accumulate high overall engagement due to their larger member counts. Ultimately both types of groups serve important engagement needs for different audiences.
Conclusion
Based on available data, most Facebook groups skew towards being public, with private groups representing a sizable minority. Public groups have advantages in discoverability, growth, and reach. However, private groups meet needs for exclusivity and privacy among certain communities.
While public groups are the majority across categories, private group presence varies, with higher proportions in areas like health and parenting. Over time, public groups continue to dominate growth, maintaining around a 70-80% share.
There are also engagement differences, with private groups seeing higher posting and interaction rates per member. But the larger sizes of public groups can still drive high absolute engagement.
In summary, the open visibility and growth of public groups make them the most prevalent type of Facebook group. But private groups fill important niches as well and make up a consistent portion of groups. Understanding the nuances of public versus private group usage allows organizations and group administrators to make informed decisions about group strategies and settings.