Usage of Facebook’s core app across some of its major markets decreased, while the company’s other platforms Instagram and WhatsApp gain traction, research by AudienceProject found.

The study of approximately 13,000 respondents in the US, UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, found use of Facebook had been substantially declining over the past two years.

In a statement, the market research company noted the idea Facebook is a “must-use platform has declined significantly in almost all countries”.

The study showed that up to a third of Facebook’s existing users have considered stopping using the platform altogether, and people under the age of 25 years old ranked the highest for those that wouldn’t have a problem living without using it.

However, the usage drop seems to have affected only the Facebook’s core social media platform. The research showed Instagram and WhatsApp were seeing a rise in uptake, as they have “a narrower scope and are based on more personal instant interactions”.

The data also highlighted a steep rise in usage for photo-sharing platform Instagram since 2017, especially in the US, UK and Nordics, while messaging app WhatsApp was considered “the most indispensable app” in the UK, Germany and Finland.