Blog > Marketing > Ranking of The Most Popular Social Media In Southeast Asia

Ranking of The Most Popular Social Media In Southeast Asia

Jayson 21 Nov 2023 11:10

Southeast Asia has a young population that tends to be addicted to social media. This also allows Internet celebrities and KOLs to have a huge fan base in the region. Therefore, the importance of social media marketing in the Southeast Asian market is self-evident.

This article will summarize for you the most popular social media in Southeast Asian countries


1. Philippines

Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram are the more popular social media in the Philippines.




In January 2023, there were 84.45 million social media users in the Philippines. The number of social media users in the Philippines is equivalent to 72.5% of the population, but be aware that social media users may not represent unique individuals.

More broadly, in January 2023, 99.2% of the Philippines' internet user base, regardless of age, used at least one social media platform. At that time, 53.5% of social media users in the Philippines were female, while 46.5% were male.


2. Vietnam

Facebook and Zalo are the more popular social media in Vietnam.



In January 2023, the number of social media users in Vietnam was 70 million. The number of social media users in Vietnam is equivalent to 71.0% of the total population as of early 2023, but social media users may not represent unique individuals. At the same time, data shows that as of the beginning of 2023, the number of users aged 18 and above using social media in Vietnam was 64.4 million.

Data released by Meta shows that at the beginning of 2023, Facebook had 66.2 million users in Vietnam. But Facebook's potential ad reach in Vietnam fell by 4.2 million (-6.0%) between 2022 and 2023.

Zalo is an instant chat and dating software launched by Vietnam's VNG company. It was officially launched in December 2012 and quickly attracted a large number of Vietnamese users. Today, Zalo's scope of use has expanded to the United States, Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia and other countries.



3. Malaysia

WhatsApp and Facebook are the more popular social media in Malaysia.



In January 2023, there were 26.8 million social media users in Malaysia. As of early 2023, the number of social media users in Malaysia is equivalent to 78.5% of the total population, and 24.8 million users aged 18 and above use social media, equivalent to 99.8% of the total population aged 18 and above. Data shows that 89.3% of Malaysian Internet users aged 16 to 64 use WhatsApp every month, while Facebook's figure is 84.4%.

Data released by Meta shows that Facebook had 20.25 million users in Malaysia at the beginning of 2023. And between 2022 and 2023, Facebook's potential ad reach in Malaysia decreased by 1.5 million (-6.7%).



4. Indonesia

Whatsapp and Instagram are the more popular social media in Indonesia.



In January 2023, there were 167 million social media users in Indonesia. Data published in Meta inventory shows that Facebook had 119.9 million users in Indonesia at the beginning of 2023.

Facebook's potential ad reach in Indonesia decreases by 10 million (-7.7%) between 2022 and 2023. Data published in the Meta advertising tool shows that Instagram had 89.15 million users in Indonesia at the beginning of 2023. The company's most recently revised figures show that Instagram's ad reach in Indonesia was equivalent to 32.3% of the population at the start of the year.



5. Thailand

Facebook and LINE are the more popular social media in Thailand.



In January 2023, the number of social media users in Thailand was 52.25 million. As of early 2023, the number of social media users in Thailand was equivalent to 72.8% of the total population. Data shows that there are 49.4 million users in Thailand aged 18 and above using social media, equivalent to 84.8% of the total population aged 18 and above.

Meta data shows that Facebook had 48.1 million users in Thailand at the beginning of 2023. Facebook's potential ad reach in Thailand fell by 2 million (-3.9%) between 2022 and 2023.

LINE is an instant messaging software launched by NHN Japan, a subsidiary of South Korean Internet group NHN. There are more than 400 million registered users worldwide. There are more than 250 kinds of "chat emoticons" in LINE, giving users an additional tool to express their mood when using Line. 90.7% of Thai Internet users aged 16 to 64 use LINE every month.