Digital 2025: Top digital and social media trends in Singapore

Reports

Our latest report, Digital 2025: Singapore, in partnership with Meltwater, reveals Singapore’s key trends and online behaviours. Here are the top takeaways from the local report.

Singapore’s connected population

There are 5.16 million social media user identities in Singapore, equivalent to 88.2% of the population and 92.4% of individuals using the internet. Across Southeast Asia, social media use versus the total population is 61.5%, and internet adoption is 78.2%.

More platforms, less consumption

Despite declining consumption time, Singaporeans are spreading their social media time across even more platforms. Social media use in Singapore has declined 8.4% year-on-year, with the average time spent dropping to 2 hours and 2 minutes. The average number of platforms used monthly has increased by 4.3% to 7.2.

Social media platforms accounted for six out of Singapore’s top ten most downloaded mobile apps, with Meta’s Threads ranking second after OpenAI’s generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT. TikTok, Telegram, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook continue to be among the most popular app downloads.

TikTok wins the battle for eyeballs and wallets

TikTok continues to capture the greatest share of social media time and consumer spend with its app. Users spend an average of 34 hours and 29 minutes monthly on the platform – equivalent to more than an hour daily. YouTube ranks second for time spent in the app, with users clocking 29 hours and 45 minutes monthly.

Singaporeans favour personal connection

The most visited types of apps and websites by Singaporean internet users are chat and messaging (97%), followed by social networks (95.9%). The primary reason why nearly half (48.5%) use social media is to stay in touch with family and friends.

While Instagram is the favourite social media platform globally, Singaporeans prefer WhatsApp (30.4%). The chat and messaging app is also the most used social media platform, with 80.1% of Singaporeans using it monthly, with an average of 837.8 monthly sessions.

Facebook is still popular

While there has been a proliferation of other platforms on the market, Facebook is still proving popular. It ranks second for Singapore’s favourite (15.3%) and most used platform (71.9%). Despite its share of web traffic referrals dropping 30% year-on-year, it remains the number one referral channel against other social media platforms.

Here for the food and entertainment

Outside of following people they know, Singaporeans love to follow social media accounts for food and entertainment. About a quarter (24.7%) follow restaurants, chefs or food personalities on social media. Other social media account types they like to follow include TV shows or channels (22.7%) and entertainment, meme or parody accounts (20.1%). Interestingly, 40% of Singaporeans watch music videos and more than a quarter (27.6%) watch comedy, meme or viral videos online each week.

Social media ad spend continues to grow

The total ad spend in Singapore in 2024 grew 7.9% year-on-year to US$2.60 billion, with digital making up approximately three-quarters (74.6%). The total digital ad spend grew 11% to US$1.94 billion. 

Social media makes up more than a quarter (26.3%) of the digital piece of the pie, amounting to US$510 million. This is up 15.9% year-on-year. Separately, influencer advertising also continues to grow as brands invest in the influencer and creator economy. In Singapore alone, influencer ad spend grew 13.6%, amounting to US$106 million.

Growing concern for misinformation online

While reading the news is the third most popular reason Singaporeans use social media, only 11.7% say they follow journalists or news companies. Concern continues to grow, though, for deciphering misinformation and fake content. Nearly three-quarters (71.4%) of Singaporeans say they are concerned about what is real versus fake online.

Interested in learning more? Check out the full Digital 2025: Singapore report, our global report and other country reports here.