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Social Media in Hong Kong - 2023 Stats & Platform Trends

Last Updated: October 30, 2023
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How is social media in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is known for its strong economic sectors, including finance and trade, as well as its port and tourism industries. Due to its historical ties to the west, the economy, politics, and culture of Hong Kong are closely connected to those of the west. Additionally, many people in Hong Kong are fluent in English as a result of its past as a British colony and a well established education system that focuses a lot on english education.

This leads to the internet economy in Hong Kong being closely connected to the West. However, in recent years, an increasing number of mainland Chinese people have been moving to the city to establish businesses, which has also led to a growing presence of Chinese social media platforms in Hong Kong.

Despite the recent implementation of the national security law and increasing control by the Chinese government, Hong Kong is still relatively free and open. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that regulations and control are strengthening over time.

Historical Internet Penetration
Unit: % of Total Population
Cellular Subscription %
Unit: per 100 People

Social Media's User Demographics in Hong Kong

Given the latest survey available, in Hong Kong there are about 6.5 million active social media users (Log in at least once in a month) in 2022. This is about 88.1 % of the addressable  demographics. Also, Throughout 2021 to 2022, the number of users has grown 3.7 %.

Social Media User Demographics
Note: Meta's figure as reference, 2022

Key Drivers of Using Social Media in Hong Kong

Source: GWI. Users aged 16-64 years old

Key Accounts Followed For Users in Hong Kong

Source: GWI. Users aged 16-64 years old

What Platforms are Users in Hong Kong Typically on?

The social media landscape in Hong Kong is one of the most varied in the world. As Hong Kong is often considered a bridge between China and the rest of the world, the social media platforms used by people in Hong Kong reflect this diversity.

As data can tell, almost 90% of people use platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. And they use those apps to connect with their friends and family. However, WeChat, Line, and Signal is also quite popular. In our observation, people use WeChat primarily for business purposes as many companies with business ties to China use WeChat as the primary channel for communication.

There is also a significant user base for Signal in Hong Kong with about 40% using it, which is likely due to the fact that people in Hong Kong place a high value on privacy for both political and cultural reasons. This is also the case for Telegram, with many people switching to these two platforms specifically for privacy concerns.

However, as Hong Kong continues to integrate further with China, it is expected that Chinese social media platforms will gain more influence in the city despite the fact that Chinese-made technology is not widely accepted historically.

Most Used Platforms, 2022
Unit: %
Most Liked Platforms | 2022
Unit: %

How's Facebook Doing in Hong Kong?

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1%, there is now around 6.14 million Facebook users in Hong Kong . With male users account for around 43.24% and female users account for around 56.76%.

Facebook Users as a % of Population in Hong Kong
Unit: %
Facebooks Users in Hong Kong
Unit: '000 Thousands
Facebook User Penetration in Hong Kong
Unit: % of Total Population
Facebook User By Age Group in Hong Kong
Note: As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated|Unit:'000 People
Facebook User Age Penetration in Hong Kong
Note: Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country|Unit: %

How's Instagram in Hong Kong?

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.09%, there is now around 3.46 million Instagram users in Hong Kong . With male users account for around 42.89% and female users account for around 57.11%.

Instagram Users as a % of Population in Hong Kong
Unit: %
Instagram Users in Hong Kong
Unit:'000 People
Instagram User Penetration in Hong Kong
Unit: % of Total Population
Instagram User By Age Group in Hong Kong
Note: As legal restriction, figure of 13-17 is often underestimated(underreported) and 18-24 is overestimated|Unit:'000 People
Instagram User Age Penetration in Hong Kong
Note: Number may exceed 100% as multi-accounts holders or fake accounts prevail in the country|Unit: %

How's TikTok in Hong Kong?

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of %, there is now around TikTok users in Hong Kong . With male users account for around  and female users account for around .

TikTok Users as a % of Population in Hong Kong
Unit:'000 People
TikTok User Penetration in Hong Kong
Unit: %

How's LinkedIn in Hong Kong?

With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.15x, there is now around 2.77 million LinkedIn users in Hong Kong.

LinkedIn Users as a % of Population in Hong Kong
Unit: %
LinkedIn Users in Hong Kong
Unit:'000 People
LinkedIn User By Age Group in Hong Kong
Unit:'000 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: CR Team

Our consumer research practice tracks what customers spend and how they make decisions across major economies in the world.

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