Big majorities in the 11 emerging and developing countries surveyed either own or share a mobile phone, and in every country information technology is much more mutual to own one's ain phone than to share it with someone else. In 7 of these countries, one-half or more now use smartphones – and smartphone use is especially common amid younger and more educated groups.

Meanwhile, access to tablets or computers is rarer. In just one state – Lebanese republic – does a majority (57%) have access to a working desktop, laptop or tablet computer in their household, and mobile devices play a prominent part in how people admission the internet and their social networks in many of these nations.6

Majorities of adults own a mobile phoneMajorities of adults in each of the eleven emerging and developing countries surveyed report owning their own mobile phone. Ownership levels are highest in Vietnam, where nearly all adults (97%) own a mobile device, although about ix-in-ten or more also own one in Jordan, Tunisia, Republic of colombia, Republic of kenya, Lebanon and South Africa. Ownership is everyman in Venezuela, India and the Philippines, merely even in these countries most seven-in-x adults own a mobile device.

Meanwhile, an 11-country median of 11% say they do not own a mobile telephone, which includes a median of 7% who say they regularly utilise someone else's telephone.7 But overall, telephone sharing is relatively rare in near countries – ranging from simply i% in Vietnam to a high of 17% in Venezuela. (Throughout this report, phone owners and phone sharers volition exist grouped together and referred to as "mobile phone users.")

Sharing tends to be more common amidst adults with lower levels of didactics.8 And in Republic of india – where women are less probable than men to ain their own mobile phones – significantly more women (xx%) than men (v%) study sharing a device with someone else.

Mobile phone ownership varies by age, gender and education

Across these 11 countries, mobile phone ownership (as singled-out from phone sharing) tends to vary by several demographic traits, including educational attainment, gender and age.

In all countries surveyed, adults with a secondary instruction or higher are more than likely to ain their own mobile phone than are those with less than a secondary didactics. These educational gaps in ownership range from but 3 pct points in Vietnam to 35 points in the Philippines.

Majorities of both men and women own mobile phones in all of the countries surveyed. Merely ownership rates among women vary significantly across the countries, from a low of 56% in India to a high of 96% in Vietnam. Exterior of India – where men are 28 per centum points more probable than women to own a mobile phone – gender gaps in ownership in other countries are either relatively small-scale (such as the 8-point differences in Republic of kenya and Lebanon) or nonexistent, as in the case of Vietnam and the Philippines.

Most of those ages 18 to 29 study owning their own mobile phone in almost all countries surveyed. However, a slightly smaller share of younger Venezuelans – but still a majority at 65% – say they ain a mobile phone. A majority of those l and older also report owning a mobile phone in near of the 11 countries surveyed. Only in the Philippines practise fewer than half of the oldest age group own a telephone (46%). Overall, younger people are more probable than older adults to ain a phone in the Philippines (41 percent points), Lebanon (27 points), India (25 points) and United mexican states (24 points).

For more than on how telephone ownership and use varies past age, gender or education levels, run across Appendix C.

Telephone users cite multiple reasons for sharing, rather than owning, a mobile device

Cost and loss of device are most-cited reasons why people share phonesAcross the countries surveyed, the vii% median of those who share, rather than ain, a mobile phone cite a number of reasons for why they share their phones. About four-in-ten phone sharers in Kenya (42%), Venezuela (xl%) and Tunisia (38%) say they share a telephone primarily considering they cannot afford their own device. Some other half of Venezuelan sharers say they at present share a phone considering their ain telephone was lost, broken or stolen, as practise about iv-in-ten Colombians (41%) and Kenyans (41%). Not needing to use a mobile phone regularly is a unremarkably cited reason for sharing a phone in India (39%) and the Philippines (29%).

In India, a sizable portion of phone sharers also proper name another reason for sharing rather than owning their ain device: They think phones are too complicated to utilize (26%).

Smartphones are generally the most common blazon of mobile device

Smartphones, or phones that can connect to the net and run apps, are the most prevalent type of mobile device in nine of the 11 countries surveyed: A majority of adults (median of 53%) study using a smartphone. Usage is highest in Lebanon (86%) and Hashemite kingdom of jordan (85%), and lowest in India (32%).

Some general features and capabilities tin can help distinguish between the three broad types of mobile phones:

  • Basic phones are generally the most technically express – and most affordable – mobile phone option. These phones typically but accept the ability to make vocalisation calls or send text letters and cannot access the cyberspace or download apps.
  • Feature phones typically fall between smartphones and basic phones in terms of connectivity and price. These devices tin access the internet and may offer some of the same features every bit smartphones, such equally the power to admission social media platforms. Nonetheless, they have fewer advanced capabilities than smartphones and typically do not support apps.
  • Smartphones are the most advanced – and more often than not most expensive – blazon of mobile telephone. These devices can connect to the internet, run a variety of apps and offer many of the aforementioned capabilities of a traditional computer.

Respondents to this survey were asked a series of questions to determine the type of mobile device they own or share with someone else. Those who indicated that their phone is a smartphone are classified as smartphone users. Those who said their mobile phone tin connect to the cyberspace – but that it is not a smartphone – are categorized equally feature phone users. And those who said their phone is not a smartphone and cannot access the cyberspace are considered to accept a basic telephone. Responses to each of these private questions tin can be found in the topline and more information on the combined measures tin be found in Appendix B.

Bones and feature phones are less popular overall, but some countries stand out for their high usage of these less digitally connected phones. In India almost half of adults (47%) say they employ a bones mobile phone that cannot connect to the internet. Sizable shares in Kenya (xl%), Tunisia (37%) and Venezuela (36%) also written report using a basic phone.

Across emerging economies, smartphones – rather than basic or feature phones – are often the most widespread type of mobile device

Characteristic phones are generally the least common devices in the countries surveyed, with few adults (median of iv%) saying they own or share a device that tin can connect to the internet merely is not a smartphone. But characteristic phones – which offering some of the same features as smartphones, but typically cannot support apps – are popular in Mexico, where ane-third of adults say they use this blazon of device. Virtually one-in-five Kenyans (21%) and Colombians (17%) also utilize feature phones.

Smartphone use is far more than common among younger and more educated adults

Wide age gaps in smartphone use across countries surveyedYounger adults lead the way in smartphone use in each of the countries surveyed. Across all eleven countries, those under 30 are much more likely to utilize a smartphone than those ages fifty and older. However, usage rates among 18- to 29-year-olds differ essentially past land, from nine-in-ten or more than in Lebanon, Jordan and Vietnam to fewer than half of Kenyans nether 30 (46%).

Lebanese republic and Jordan – where smartphones are widespread – stand out for existence the only countries where a majority of adults ages 50 and older as well written report using smartphones. Nonetheless, older Lebanese and Jordanian adults are far less likely than their younger counterparts to use a smartphone.

More educated adults are more likely to use smartphonesPeople with higher levels of education are also more likely to use smartphones. In each land surveyed, a majority of those with a secondary pedagogy or more use smartphones. The educational activity gap is most pronounced in India, where more educated people are 41 points more likely to utilise a smartphone.

In six of these countries, men are somewhat more than likely than women to use smartphones. This gap is largest in India, where 40% of men use smartphones compared with 23% of women.

While smartphone users are by and large younger and more than educated, the reverse is true of basic phone users: People who use these more than technically express devices tend to exist older and take lower levels of education.

Feature telephone use doesn't consistently vary by age or education. Withal, in Mexico – where one-third of the population uses a feature phone – women (38%) are more likely than men (27%) to report using this type of device.

Facebook and WhatsApp are the virtually widely used social platforms

Among the vii online social media platforms and messaging apps asked almost on this survey, a median of 62% apply Facebook. Facebook is most popular in Jordan and Lebanon, where virtually seven-in-ten adults say they currently use it. Although India has the smallest pct of Facebook users (24%) of the countries surveyed, the country also has the largest net number of agile Facebook users in the world.

Respondents were asked virtually their use of seven different social media platforms and messaging apps. These platforms were called based on 3 criteria: loftier usage rates, input from local survey organizations and to capture a range of different types of sites with distinctive features. The vii platforms included are:

  • Facebook, a social networking platform founded in 2004. Equally of the release date of this report, its interface is available in over 100 languages.
  • WhatsApp, a messaging platform launched in 2009. The service allows users to transport text messages and other media, as well every bit make phone and video calls. WhatsApp'due south interface is bachelor in up to 60 languages.
  • Twitter, a social networking and microblogging platform founded in 2006. The Twitter interface is available in 47 languages.
  • Viber, a messaging and voice over platform founded in 2010. Its interface is bachelor in 39 languages.
  • Instagram, a photo- and video-sharing platform founded in 2010. Instagram's interface is available in upward to 36 languages.
  • Snapchat, a multimedia messaging platform founded in 2011. Its interface is bachelor in 22 languages.
  • Tinder, a mobile dating platform founded in 2012. It is available in over 40 languages.

For purposes of this report, people who employ any i of these seven social media platforms or messaging apps are classified as "social media users." Responses to each of these individual questions can exist found in the topline (link), and more data on the combined measures can be establish in Appendix B.

The messaging application WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook in 2014, is also one of the near widely used digital platforms, with a median of 47% proverb they employ it. Every bit with Facebook, WhatsApp is most popular in Jordan and Lebanon, where almost eight-in-ten or more say they currently employ information technology. The messaging app is least popular in the Philippines and Vietnam, where very few adults employ it – 4% and 2%, respectively.

Employ of the other platforms included in the survey is less widespread. A median of xx% say they use the photo-sharing application Instagram – which is too owned by Facebook – while 10% or fewer study using Twitter or the messaging and photograph-sharing app Snapchat. Merely 4% of adults in these countries say they use the Viber messaging app, and no more than iii% in whatsoever country employ the dating app Tinder.

But some platforms are more than popular in particular countries. For instance, about one-third of Lebanese adults (34%) say they currently use Instagram. The messaging app Viber is most popular in Lebanese republic and Tunisia, where about one-in-five adults report using information technology. And Jordanians stand up out for their use of the photo-messaging app Snapchat (24%).

Compare the rates of social media platform and messaging app usage in 11 countries around the world

% of adults who say they currently utilise …

Country Facebook WhatsApp Instagram Twitter Snapchat Viber Tinder
Colombia 63% 71% 25% 11% 7% 2% 2%
Bharat 24% 29% 7% 4% 2% 1% 1%
Hashemite kingdom of jordan 71% 78% 28% 8% 24% viii% one%
Kenya 35% thirty% 12% 10% 6% iv% 2%
Lebanon 68% 84% 34% 12% 18% 19% 2%
Mexico 62% 67% 20% 14% 10% 3% 3%
Philippines 58% 4% 10% vii% 6% vi% one%
Due south Africa 47% 57% 13% 12% 5% 2% 1%
Tunisia 55% 14% 23% vii% 7% 18% 2%
Venezuela 64% 47% 29% 21% 5% two% 2%
Vietnam 63% 2% 11% 3% 2% 8% 1%
Facebook WhatsApp Instagram Twitter Snapchat Viber Tinder
MEDIAN 62% 47% 20% 10% 6% four% two%

In most countries, each of these social media and messaging services are more than likely to exist used by younger adults. For example, while 91% of Vietnamese 18- to 29-yr-olds say they currently use Facebook, 23% of the land's 50-and-older population uses the site. In about of the other countries surveyed, in that location are also large age gaps in WhatsApp usage.

Younger people are far more likely to use Facebook, WhatsApp

Educational gaps in usage are too pregnant for most of these services, with people who accept a secondary education or higher being more likely to use them. In Vietnam, for example, a large majority of more educated adults (85%) utilise Facebook, compared with 52% of those with less than a secondary education.

Majorities of adults in most countries use at to the lowest degree i social media platform or messaging awarding, only relatively few use three or more

In most countries, majorities use social media and messaging servicesIn most of the 11 countries analyzed, a bulk of adults study using at to the lowest degree ane of the seven social media platforms or messaging apps included in this survey. This blazon of online activeness is especially common in Lebanon, Hashemite kingdom of jordan, Colombia and Mexico, where about three-quarters or more apply at least one of these services.

Kenya and India are the only countries where a majority of adults exercise not use at least one of these social media or messaging services.

Although it is common to employ at least 1 of these platforms, relatively few adults (median of 20%) say they currently use three or more than social media platforms or messaging apps. This level of utilize is most common in Lebanon and Jordan, where nearly four-in-ten say they use three or more than of these apps (42% and 38%, respectively). Well-nigh three-in-ten say the same in Venezuela (31%), Colombia (29%) and United mexican states (27%). People in Bharat (9%), the Philippines (9%) and Vietnam (v%) are the least likely to study using three or more of these apps.

In most emerging economies surveyed, few adults say they use three or more social media platforms

Among people who use only ane social media platform or messaging app, Facebook and WhatsApp are most mutual

Facebook, WhatsApp are most popular apps for people who only use one social media or messaging serviceFor adults who only use one of the social media platforms or messaging apps included in this survey, two services dominate: Facebook and WhatsApp. Single-platform users rarely written report using any of the other five services included in the survey.

The dominant platform among this group of people who just use ane service varies by land: Facebook is most mutual among single-site users in the Philippines, Vietnam, Tunisia, Venezuela and Republic of kenya. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is most common amid such users in United mexican states, Republic of colombia, Hashemite kingdom of jordan, South Africa, Republic of india and Lebanon.

Kenya is the only country where a sizable share (14%) of these single-site users are using something other than Facebook or WhatsApp – in this case, mostly Snapchat (8%).

Internet utilise is common beyond most of the nations surveyed

In most emerging economies surveyed, a majority of adults go onlineThis survey defines an "cyberspace user" as anyone who says they employ the internet, who uses at to the lowest degree ane social media platform or messaging application, or who owns or shares a feature telephone or smartphone. Majorities of adults in every country surveyed except India are net users.

Net employ is most widespread in Jordan and Lebanon, where 87% of adults in each country get online. About viii-in-ten adults as well go online in the Latin American countries of Mexico (81%), Republic of colombia (80%) and Venezuela (77%).

India has the smallest share of internet users of the countries surveyed: Just 38% of Indians use the internet. However, a majority of Indians ages xviii to 29 (55%) go online, as exercise a majority of Indians with a secondary degree or more (67%).

The definition of an cyberspace user used in this study seeks to capture the many means in which people are likely to become online. In improver to asking people direct whether they use the internet, people are also classified as internet users if they:

  • Use any of the vii major social media or messaging services included in the survey (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Viber and Tinder).
  • Use a smartphone or feature phone that can connect to the cyberspace.

Responses to each of these individual questions tin can be found in the topline (link), and more than information on the combined measures tin be institute in Appendix B.

Younger people are more likely to use the internetLike patterns regarding historic period and education are institute in the other x countries surveyed: Younger and more than educated people are more probable to go online.

In eight of these countries, gender differences in internet utilise are either nonexistent (in the case of Colombia, the Philippines, Venezuela and Vietnam) or modest (in the example of Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico and South Africa). These differences are most prominent in Republic of india, Kenya and Tunisia, although majorities of both men and women in Tunisia and Kenya get online. In India, 46% of men and just 29% of women utilise the net. To some extent, these gender gaps in internet apply coincide with differences in smartphone apply, as men in both countries are more likely to utilise smartphones than women.

For more on how use of the internet and of specific social media platforms and messaging apps vary by historic period, gender or pedagogy, run into Appendix C.

Home figurer or tablet access is relatively rare in most countries

Most people do not have access to a home computer or tablet

In most of the countries surveyed, relatively few people (median of 34%) take access to a desktop computer, laptop or tablet in their household. The exception is Lebanese republic, where a majority of adults (57%) say they have admission to such a device. Every bit with nigh other measures of technological connectedness, those who are younger and more than educated are generally more likely to have access to a computer or tablet at home.

Anywhere from 28% (in Republic of india) to 52% (in Jordan) of adults in these countries use the net in some fashion but practise non have a computer or tablet at home. And a median of 27% of adults in these countries say they do not take a tablet or estimator at dwelling only do accept a smartphone, ranging from a depression of 18% in Venezuela to a high of l% in Jordan.

In most countries, roughly four-in-ten or more go online without access to a computer or tablet at home