Consumer intelligence firm Meltwater and media company We Are Social released Digital 2025, their latest annual report on global digital trends.
It proves that AI adoption is accelerating and social media is becoming more important for brand discovery.
Consequently, advertising expenditure has increased significantly across digital, social, and online influencer spaces.
Toby Southgate, global group CEO at We Are Social said, “To create effective work, brands need to understand the cultural nuances of the online world and create ideas worth talking about.”
Pinoys lead in messaging, online banking, and internet use
Photo Credit: Meltwater
The average Filipino spends 8 hours and 52 minutes on the internet daily.
Consequently, the Philippines exceeds the global average of 6 hours and 38 minutes.
A huge portion of this internet time is spent on mobile phones, lasting 5 hours and 21 minutes.
Again, the Pearl of the Orient outshines the global average of 3 hours and 46 minutes.
Digital 2025 says Filipinos have the highest number of digital communication users:
- 98.9% of Filipinos use chat and messenger services monthly, beating the 94.5% global average.
- 94.2% use email services monthly, exceeding the global average of 75.0%.
- 49.5% contact others via mobile video calling services monthly. Again, it’s higher than the 35.5% global average.
The Philippines ranks first among countries in using online financial services:
- 91.3% of Pinoys use banking, investment, or insurance websites and apps monthly. Consequently, the Philippines is the highest globally. In contrast, Brazil is in second place with 74.8%, and the global average is 37.8%.
- Only 21.7% of Filipinos use mobile payment services like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
Filipinos love online videos and influencers
Photo Credit: Meltwater
Digital 2025 shows most Filipinos prefer online video content:
- 97.6% of Pinoys aged 16 and above watch online video content weekly, which beats the 92.0% global benchmark.
- The Philippines ranks #2 in using online videos for learning, with 58.1% of Pinoys using it for this purpose.
- Pinoys are number one in watching blogs and online music videos globally.
- Filipinos are also #1 in playing video games. Specifically, 96.6% of Pinoys aged 16 and up play on any device, beating the global average of 83.6%.
Lastly, the Philippines tops social media usage records:
- Pinoys aged 16+ spend 3 hours and 32 minutes on social media daily, earning the #4 spot globally.
- They use roughly 8.36 platforms monthly, making the Philippines the #2 country with the most number of social media platforms.
- The Philippines is number one in following online influencers, with 44.9% of Filipinos aged 16+ doing so.
Digital 2025: AI and social media grow further
Photo Credit: Meltwater
Meltwater and We Are Social’s report says the world now has 5.24 billion social media users.
This number represents a 4.1% increase over the past 12 months. Also, the average internet user spends 2 hours and 21 minutes using social media.
Half of all adult social media users visit social platforms to learn more about brands. Here are the top platforms:
- Instagram: 62.3%
- Facebook: 52.5%
- TikTok: 51.5%
Yet, Digital 2025 says YouTube was the “most used” social media platform at the start of 2025.
Its active user base was 16% larger than WhatsApp at #2. With Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, they make up the top five.
Moreover, Instagram tops the chart of the “world’s favorite social platform. WhatsApp ranks second with 16%, and Facebook comes in third with 13.1%.
Digital 2025’s app data shows the rising interest and usage of artificial intelligence.
Unsurprisingly, ChatGPT tops the AI leaderboard, with its mobile app averaging over 25 million active users.
It was also one of the world’s most downloaded apps, earning 8th place in data.ai’s global rankings.
Digital 2025 also revealed these findings:
- The world has over 5.5 billion internet users. Also, it gained 136 million new users in the last 12 months.
- 56% of online adults in the top global economies make online purchases weekly.
- People over the age of 50 account for more than half of all consumer spending. Yet, marketers underserve them across the world’s biggest economies.
- More than 1 in 5 online adults, or 22.1% of the global population, listen to at least one podcast weekly.
- Fewer than 3 in 10 adult internet users worry about how companies use their data. This trend represents a 7.1% decline compared to 2023.
Digital 2025 challenges marketers to boost online impact
Photo Credit: Meltwater
“It’s clear that businesses are investing more than ever in capturing consumer attention,” said Meltwater Chief Strategy Officer Alexandra Bjertnæs.
“With user behavior on social platforms continuing to shift, teams need data to inform decisions about what platforms to prioritize and create strategies for, she added.
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.”
“To create effective work, brands need to understand the cultural nuances of the online world and create ideas worth talking about.”