Social Media Usage Worldwide: Time Spent Per Country in 2024

ElectronicsHub has published the results of its latest study on screen time in various countries worldwide in 2024. Let's together decipher the part that particularly interests us: time spent on social media.

Data analysts at Electronics Hub have re-examined global screen time in 2024, following the 2023 wave. Utilizing data from DataReportal's Digital Report 2024, they were able to calculate the proportion of time a resident in each country spends on screens (computer, social media, television, etc.) relative to their average waking hours.

Episto's social media survey methodology is based on the time consumers spend on social media platforms. The global average is 2 hours and 15 minutes per day. Notably, significant differences are observed across various markets.

🌎 Strong Affinity for Social Media on the American Continent

South America accounts for some of the highest screen times globally. Specifically, Brazil (21.48%) and Chile (20.20%) exhibit the most significant time spent on social media relative to waking hours, with Colombia (19.96%) and Argentina (18.30%) not far behind.

In Central America, a very similar trend is observed with Mexico (19.36%). However, percentages decrease further north, with the US averaging 14.02% of their waking time on social media, and Canada dropping to 11.51%.

🇪🇺 European Habits: Measured and Homogeneous

In Europe, a trend is observed that is both lower than on the American continent (except for Canada) and remarkably uniform. Time spent on social media ranges from 9.31% in the Netherlands to 12.82% in Romania, with all countries averaging around 11%. The sole exception to this rule is Portugal, which stands out with a higher time spent (14.54%).

🌍 Africa: Between Global Leader and Data Scarcity

Despite a significant lack of data on the African continent, it records the highest time spent globally: South Africa ranks first with a percentage of 22.26%.

In the Middle East, time spent on social media is also observed to be significantly above average, particularly in Saudi Arabia (18.09%) and the United Arab Emirates (17.80%).

🌏 Disparities in Asia & Oceania for Social Media Screen Time

In Asia and Oceania, more fluctuating percentages are observed. In Oceania, the Philippines lead the ranking with 21.03% of waking time spent on social media.

They are followed by Malaysia (16.36%), Thailand (15.09%), India (14.33%), and Russia (14.19%). East Asia, however, records the lowest times globally, with South Korea (6.37%) and, last in this ranking, Japan with 5.11% of waking time spent on social media. ElectronicsHub rightly points out the correlation with the average age of the population, noting that 29.9% of Japanese are over 65 years old.

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With averages – in emerging economies with young populations – that can sometimes exceed 20% of waking time, social media usage now constitutes a significant portion of consumers' activities across various markets.

Ranging from 22.26% of South Africans' time to a modest, yet significant, 5.11% for Japanese users; these ratios clearly demonstrate the ease with which social sampling can reach all consumer types across the globe.

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Source: ElectronicsHub, The Average Time and Usage by Country in 2024, April 15th 2024