Study: Indonesians bank big on social media for news consumption

 Latest data from YouGov Global Profiles, has revealed that more than two in three consumers in Indonesia and Vietnam use social media as a source of news – depicting the highest among a global survey of 28 markets. When analysed by age, consumers aged 18 to 33 years made up the majority of those who use social media as a source of news in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Philippines. 

Consumers in the Philippines (63%) are the next most likely in APAC to catch up on news through their social media feeds, followed by those in Malaysia (56%), Taiwan (56%) and Singapore (55%). In contrast, consumers in Australia are the least likely in the region to use social media as a source of news (33%).

While in most other markets, consumers aged 18-33 years are the age group that make up the largest proportion of those who use social media as a source of news, in Thailand consumers aged 34-49 years are the largest group. Consumers the ages of 50-65 years use social media as a source of news are largest in Hong Kong, followed by Thailand in this part of the region.

What’s happening around the world?

In EMEA, just under two in three consumers in South Africa (64%) use social media as a source of news, ahead of more than half in Egypt (62%), United Arab Emirates (UAE) (55%), Poland (54%) and Saudi Arabia (51%).

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In contrast, around just one quarter of consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) (25%) and France (24%), and less than one-fifth of those in Germany (18%) use social media as a source of news, which is the lowest in the region. 

At more than half, consumers in Brazil (54%) are the most likely in AMERS to catch up on news via social media. The next two highest markets in the region, Mexico (43%) and Canada (36%) are below the global average in the proportion of consumers who use social media to follow the news. Meanwhile, less than a third of consumers in the United States (USA) (31%) turn to social media to keep abreast of the news.

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