The social media space has grown tremendously over the past five years. Since 2018, more than 1.9 billion people started using social media platforms to connect with others and share videos, photos, opinions, and experiences. Today, 4.9 billion people, or 60% of the world’s population, use at least one social media platform, and the biggest part of this massive user base comes from Asia.
According to data presented by OnlyAccounts.io, Asia hit more than 2.9 billion social media users this year, three and a half times more than the Americas and four times more than Europe.
China, India, and Indonesia Lead in Monthly Active Users, but Filipinos Spend the Most Time on Social Media
Over the past years, Asia-Pacific has grown a much stronger social media presence than the United States or Europe, as internet connection and smartphones became more available to people in the region.
However, Asian consumers have passed the point of using social media to connect with others. Today, millions of people in the region use social media platforms to shop, review, and search for available products. The influencing culture has also boomed, with celebrities endorsing products and promoting trends. Some use it for online gaming, while others only for business and work. The surge in the use of social media platforms has turned Asia into the world’s largest social media market.
With over 2.9 billion social media users, Asia stands high above the Americas and Europe. According to Statista Market Insight, the Americas hit close to 820 million users in 2023, or three and a half times less than Asia. The European market counts even less users, 681 million as of this year.
Although social media consumption in the entire Asia-Pacific region has grown dramatically, China, India, and Indonesia lead the way in monthly active users. Statistics show China hit nearly one billion social media users in 2023, double India’s user count, which came second with 467 million users.
And while the two countries have the most active social media users, people in the Philippines spend the longest time on social media daily, ranking higher even than the global average. Statista data showed that Filipinos spent an average of three hours and 38 minutes daily using social media platforms. Consumers from Indonesia followed with an average of three hours and 14 minutes. Japan was on the other side of this list, with an average of 47 minutes spent on social media per day.
Facebook Holds 65% of the Social Media Market in Asia, 4x more than Instagram
While Asian platforms are rising throughout the region, Facebook remains the key player in the market. According to StatCounter data, the Asia-Pacific accounts for an astronomical number of Facebook’s monthly active users. At the same time, the platform holds nearly 65% of the social media market in the region, far more than any other social media platform.
Instagram ranked as the second-largest platform with a four times smaller market share of 16.7%. Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest follow, with 8.8%, 7.7%, and 1.5% shares, respectively.
Statistics show LinkedIn and Reddit were the region’s least used social media platforms, with 0.2% and 0.13% shares as of August.
