Social media usage worldwide: time spent by country in 2024

ElectronicsHub has published the results of its latest study on global screen time across different countries in 2024. Let's dive into the part that particularly interests us: time spent on social media.

The data analysts at Electronics Hub have reexamined global screen time habits in 2024, following up on their 2023 study.Using data from DataReportal's Digital 2024 report, they calculated the time residents of each country spend in front of screens (computers, social media, television, etc.) relative to their average waking hours.

Episto's social media survey methodology leverages this data on consumer time spent across social platforms. Globally, the average time spent is 2 hours and 15 minutes per day, though notable differences can be observed between individual markets.

🌎 A strong appetite for social media on the American continent

South America accounts for some of the highest screen times in the world. Notably, Brazil (21.48%) and Chile (20.20%) record the highest percentages of waking hours spent on social media, while Colombia (19.96%) and Argentina (18.30%) are not far behind.

Central America shows a very similar trend, led by Mexico at 19.36%. However, these percentages drop further north, with the US spending an average of 14.02% of its waking hours on social media and Canada falling to 11.51%.

🇪🇺 European habits: measured and uniform

Europe displays a trend that is both lower than in the Americas (with the exception of Canada) and remarkably uniform. Social media usage ranges from 9.31% in the Netherlands to 12.82% in Romania, with most countries hovering around 11%. The lone exception is Portugal, which stands out with a higher average of 14.54% of waking hours spent on these platforms.

🌍 Africa: between the global champion and data gaps

Despite significant data gaps across Africa, the continent hosts the global leader in usage: South Africa ranks first worldwide, with residents dedicating 22.26% of their waking hours to social platforms.

The Middle East also records social media usage well above the global average. This trend is particularly evident in Saudi Arabia (18.09%) and the United Arab Emirates (17.80%).

🌏 Disparities in Asia & Oceania for time spent on social media

In Asia and Oceania, highly fluctuating usage rates are observed. Within this broader region, the Philippines tops the chart, with residents spending 21.03% of their waking hours on social media. It is followed closely by Malaysia (16.36%), Thailand (15.09%), India (14.33%), and Russia (14.19%). In sharp contrast, East Asia records some of the lowest screen times globally, with South Korea at just 6.37% and Japan sitting at the very bottom of the ranking at a mere 5.11%. ElectronicsHub notes a clear correlation here with the average age of the population, highlighting that 29.9% of Japanese citizens are over 65 years old.

With averages in emerging economies with younger populations frequently exceeding 20% of waking hours, time spent on social platforms represents a massive portion of daily consumer activity. Ranging from South Africa's global high of 22.26% to Japan's modest 5.11%, these ratios clearly demonstrate the scale and ease with which social media sampling can reach diverse consumer segments across the globe.

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