Facebook has a new record, after one billion people used the near-ubiquitous social network in a single day.

“We just passed an important milestone,” chief executive and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg declared in a post on the site last Friday.

“One in seven people on Earth used Facebook to connect with their friends and family.

It is the first time one billion people had used Facebook in a single 24-hour period, though the site reports to have close to 1.5 billion active users.

In an earnings update released last month, Facebook claimed is monthly active user count had surged 13 per cent in the past year, now up to 1.49 billion.

The company reports that its active mobile user count rose to 1.31 billion.

“When we talk about our financials, we use average numbers, but this is different,” Zuckerberg said.

“This was the first time we reached this milestone, and it's just the beginning of connecting the whole world.

“I'm so proud of our community for the progress we've made.

“Our community stands for giving every person a voice, for promoting understanding and for including everyone in the opportunities of our modern world.

“A more open and connected world is a better world. It brings stronger relationships with those you love, a stronger economy with more opportunities, and a stronger society that reflects all of our values.”