Social Media

Social Media in Colombia - 2023 Stats & Platform Trends

Last Updated: January 29, 2023
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Welcome! Here at OOSGA, we've combined insights from our partners across various markets and our own hands-on experience to bring you this brief. If you are interested in partnering with us on social media marketing & research within Colombia, let us know!

Outlook

How does social media look like in Colombia?

Along with many other countries in Latin America, Colombian spent their fair share of time on social media at about 3.4 hours per day according to data compiled by GWI. Being the second most populated country  in South America, Colombia is one of the most important countries for social media in the region.

Over the past decade,  there has been a dramatic increase in use of social media as a result of the Colombian government’s program, such as Vive Digital, to provide internet services to low-income households. The COVID-19 pandemic has also pushed more non-traditional people start using social media as a result.

Also, given the regulation and social distancing requirement during the pandemic, many merchants have switched to social media platforms to further engage with their customers. Some, even started selling through these digital platforms. Platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram have seen the most growth given such trends.

 

Table of Contents
Internet Population|% of Population
Mobile cellular subscriptions|Per 100 Peopel

Demographics

How are users distributed in Colombia?

Throughout 2022, on average there are about 41.9 million active social media users in Colombia on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 7.2 % in 2021-22 . This represents about  81.3 % of the total population. These social media users on average spend about 3.77 hours on social media and each on average have accounts on 7.8 platforms.

% of Total Social Media Users|Note: Meta's figure as reference, 2022

Main Drivers Behind Using Social Media?

Source: Survey by GWI. Users in Colombia that are aged 16-64 years old

What Kinds of Accounts Do Users Follow?

Source: Survey by GWI. Users in Colombia that are aged 16-64 years old

The Platforms

What Kinds of Platform is Used in Colombia?

In Colombia, WhatsApp is the most used platforms for the past two years. Facebook has long dominated the spot until the pandemic hit. During the pandemic, many small merchants are switching to WhatsApp, and sometimes Instagram, to further engage with their customers.

Only Stores, a well-known traditional store in Bogota, has been an iconic example of low-budget reinvention among Colombian businesses. Despite its logistical and financial capabilities, the company was not able to open its own website during the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, it created a sales system through WhatsApp where customers can request products and receive photos and videos to make their choices. Merchandise is then delivered to customers by employees on bicycles.

This unique reinvention of Only Stores generated a lot of buzz on social media, raising the visibility of the brand and rekindling the love and loyalty of consumers in Bogota. Zara, is another player to employ WhatsApp in order to maintain contact with consumers and generate sales during the pandemic.

 

Most Used Platforms (% of Internet Users)|Note: 2022
Most Loved Platforms (% of Internet Users)|Note: 2022
Platform Figure (% of Population)|Source: OOSGA Analytics; eMarketer, Napoleon Cat, Facebook, ByteDance, Microsoft | Note: No LinkedIn Data Prior to 2019/8
Explore Social Media in Other Countries

Facebook Overview in Colombia

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 0.98%, there is now around 39.53 million Facebook users in Colombia . With male users account for around 48.65% and female users account for around 51.35%.

Facebook Users | Unit: a Thousand People
Facebook User Growth | % of Population
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People
As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated
User Growth By Age | Unit: % of its Associated Age Bracket
Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country

Instagram Overview in Colombia

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.07%, there is now around 18.7 million Instagram users in Colombia . With male users account for around 44.15% and female users account for around 55.85%.

Instagram Users | Unit: a Thousand People
Instagram User Growth | % of Population
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People
As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated
User Growth By Age | Unit: % of its Associated Age Bracket
Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country

TikTok Overview in Colombia

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.42%, there is now around 16.3 million TikTok users in Colombia . With male users account for around 0.38 and female users account for around 0.62.

TikTok Users | Unit: a Thousand People
TikTok User Growth | % of Population

LinkedIn Overview in Colombia

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.12x, there is now around 11.68 million LinkedIn users in Colombia.

LinkedIn Users | Unit: a Thousand People
User Growth By Age | Unit: a Thousand People

Reference

  • Internet & Cellular Subscription:World Bank, ITU
  • Currency Exchange: Based on IMF data in 2023/1
  • Demographics: UN Population Database
  • Social Media Behavior: GWI, Hootsuite 2022 Digital Report
  • Meta, LinkedIn Data: Napoleon Cat Stats
  • Data Calculation & Regression:OOSGA.org
  • Analysis:OOSGA Analytics
  • Note: The data for monthly platform usage and the data for the most frequently used platforms are sourced from different research, hence there may be discrepancies in the numbers as both are estimated rather than real figure.
Author: Consumer Research

Our CR team is dedicated to keeping a pulse on the ever-evolving demographics and behavior of consumers globally. We stay informed on the latest trends and developments across major economies to ensure that we are providing the most up-to-date insights for our clients

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