---
title: GlobalWebIndex Research on Mobile Messaging
date: 2014-11-24 12:31:04
permalink: https://lesterchan.net/blog/2014/11/24/globalwebindex-research-on-mobile-messaging/
author: Lester Chan
categories:
  - Technology
tags:
  - GlobalWebIndex
  - research
  - WeChat
---

[Global Web Index](https://www.globalwebindex.net/) is a market research company specialising in online consumer behaviour. They recently did a mobile messaging survey and the study revealed that WeChat now has the youngest demographic out of all competing social communications apps, with a third of its global active user base being 16 – 24 years old. WeChat has also experienced significant growth with an active user base increase of 156% globally, and a staggering 499% in Singapore between Q1 2013 to Q3 2014.

[![WeChat Presentation - Singapore](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8570/15817399006_cdc90610eb_c.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8570/15817399006_737e2cc60a_o.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")

Thanks to China market, globally, WeChat has a 23% share of the Internet population using the service, 3% more than Facebook Messenger while in APAC, WeChat command a 38% share while Facebook Messenger share is half of it at 16%.

[![WeChat Presentation - Singapore](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/15843239025_ae2e5113ef_c.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/15843239025_443f46d0fb_o.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")

[![WeChat Presentation - Singapore](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8611/15223568013_2f745b443b_c.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8611/15223568013_9c3261af7d_o.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")

So why do people use WeChat in Singapore? 83% says they use it to stay in touch with what their friends are doing while 55% use it to share photos or videos with others.

Personally, I think it is country specific. If I want to chat with my China or Hong Kong friends/relatives, I use WeChat. If I want to chat with my friends in Thailand, I will use LINE and for the rest of my friends, I just use Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger.  
Some interesting perspectives:

[![WeChat Presentation - Singapore](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7546/15657458397_bacfe15753_c.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7546/15657458397_499b307c03_o.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")

- Singapore leads the global figures for tablet ownership at 60%
- Indonesia and Malaysia are the world’s most active Facebook markets
- Over 95 million Chinese internet users visited Twitter last month
- APAC has 2.5x the number of bloggers as the rest of the world combined

Top 3 social network sites in Singapore:

[![WeChat Presentation - Singapore](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8631/15223568713_3deb547c2a_c.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8631/15223568713_64ef938a7d_o.jpg "WeChat Presentation - Singapore")

1. Facebook – 92%
2. YouTube – 69%
3. Google+ – 64%

[![A](https://farm9.static.flickr.com/8675/15223569253_c10bbdb769_c.jpg "A Flickr gallery by Lester Chan (@lesterchan)")](https://www.flickr.com/photos/lesterchan/albums/72157649401487365 "A Flickr gallery by Lester Chan (@lesterchan)")