Global Rise in Social Media User Identities
According to the Digital 2024 October Statshot from We Are Social and Meltwater, the number of global social media user identities has reached 5.22 billion, representing 63.8% of the world’s population. This number grew by 256 million in the past year, marking a 5% annual increase.
Southeast Asia Leads in Social Media Engagement
In Southeast Asia, social media usage exceeds the global average, with 64.3% of the region’s population on social media. Singapore stands out, ranking fourth globally, with 88.8% of its population active on social media platforms.
Time Spent and Platform Diversity in Southeast Asia
Globally, the average daily time spent on social media is 2 hours and 19 minutes, with users typically active on 6.8 platforms monthly. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines leads with users spending an average of 3 hours and 33 minutes daily on social media and engaging with 8.2 platforms each month.
Social Media’s Role in Brand Interaction
Indonesian social media users dedicate 44.3% of their online time to social platforms and are most likely worldwide to interact with brands on social media, with 63.9% seeking out brand information, far above the 49.3% global average.
TikTok’s Unmatched User Engagement
TikTok boasts the highest average time spent per Android user globally, at 34 hours and 15 minutes per month. Users in Vietnam exceed this, spending nearly 10 hours more per month on the platform. YouTube follows in second place globally, with average monthly usage of 29 hours and 21 minutes.
Regional Social Media Trends and Preferences
In Southeast Asia, YouTube usage is high, with Thailand ranking among its most active markets, recording 46 hours and 25 minutes monthly on the app. While Instagram ranks high globally, it has lower engagement in countries like Vietnam and the Philippines, where monthly app sessions are below the global average.
Facebook and Messenger’s Stronghold in Southeast Asia
Facebook is popular across Southeast Asia, with users in Vietnam and the Philippines spending 24 hours and 23 hours per month on the platform, respectively, compared to a global average of 18 hours. The Philippines also sees some of the most active Messenger users, who engage in 768.9 sessions per month on average.
Regional Messaging App Preferences
WhatsApp sees high engagement in Indonesia, with users clocking over 26 hours monthly and engaging in 1,374.3 sessions. In Singapore, Telegram sees high activity, with users averaging 258.6 monthly sessions, above the global 186.6 average.
Additional Digital Highlights from Southeast Asia
Other notable trends include a 2.8% increase in global internet users over the past year, with the average user spending 6 hours and 36 minutes online daily. Gaming remains popular, with the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand among the global leaders in online gaming activity.