Social Media

Social Media in Hong Kong - 2023 Stats & Platform Trends

Last Updated: January 12, 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 Hong Kong, let us know!

Outlook

How does social media look like 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.

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

Demographics

How are users distributed in Hong Kong?

Throughout 2022, on average there are about 6.5 million active social media users in Hong Kong on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 3.7 % in 2021-22 . This represents about  88.1 % of the total population. These social media users on average spend about 1.88 hours on social media and each on average have accounts on 7.1 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 Hong Kong that are aged 16-64 years old

What Kinds of Accounts Do Users Follow?

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

The Platforms

What Kinds of Platform is Used in Hong Kong?

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

LinkedIn Overview 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 | 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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