Filipinos continue to dominate the digital world, spending an average of 8 hours and 52 minutes a day on the internet, surpassing the global average of 6 hours and 38 minutes, according to the Digital 2025 report by Meltwater and We Are Social.
The report highlights Filipinos’ strong preference for mobile internet usage, with an average of 5 hours and 21 minutes spent on their mobile phones, exceeding the global average of 3 hours and 46 minutes.
These data are part of the Digital 2025 report released by Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, and We Are Social, a socially-led creative agency.
Digital 2025 shows that AI’s momentum is accelerating, social media is increasingly important for brand discovery and ad spend has increased significantly across digital, social and influencer.
Global social media user identities now stand at 5.24 billion, an increase of 4.1 percent over the past 12 months. The typical internet user spends 2 hours and 21 minutes using social media each day.
The report says 98.9 percent of Filipino internet users use chat and messenger services each month, higher than the global average of 94.5 percent.
About 94.2 percent of Filipino internet users use email services each month, also above the global average of 75 percent. About 49.5 percent of Filipino internet users use mobile video calling services each month, higher than the global average of 35.5 percent.
Some 91.3 percent of Filipino internet users use a banking, investment or insurance website or app each month. This is highest globally and exceeds Brazil which comes in second with 74.8 percent and the global average of 37.8 percent.
Comparatively, only 21.7 percent of Filipino internet users use mobile payment services (e.g. Apple Pay, Samsung Pay) each month. Credit card adoption is sluggish where only 8.1 percent of Filipino adults own a credit card.
Nearly 97.6 percent of Filipino internet users aged 16 or older watch online video content each week, ahead of the global benchmark of 92 percent. Filipinos are heavily drawn to online videos and are ranked No. 2 in using them as a source of learning (58.1 percent) and No. 1 in watching vlogs (48.3 percent).
Filipinos also rank No. 1 in the world for playing video games, with 96.6 percent of internet users aged 16 and up playing video games on any device. The global average stands at 83.6 percent.
Filipino internet users aged 16 and up spend three hours and 32 minutes on social media each day, ranked No. 4 globally.
Filipino internet users also actively use about 8.36 platforms each month. This makes them the No. 2 country in the world that uses the most number of social media platforms.
Following influencers on social media is huge in the Philippines, with 44.9 percent of internet users aged 16 and up following influencers or other experts on social media. This makes the Philippines the No. 1 in the world.
Toby Southgate, global group CEO at We Are Social said “Social is where brands can win or lose – it’s central to brand discovery, consumer engagement, and commerce.”
“At the same time, AI is revolutionizing how we search, create, and interact, while influencers continue to shape content trends and consumer behaviors. The opportunities for marketers to drive meaningful engagement have never been broader, but the complexity of digital and social media – evident in our 630+ page report – means there’s no single route to success. To create effective work, brands need to understand the cultural nuances of the online world, and create ideas worth talking about. Those who do will make an impact,” said Southgate.
