73% of Chinese Adults Online Are Using WeChat

Social media is prevalent among Chinese internet users ages 16-64; nearly 85% have a Qzone account (the most popular social network in China) and roughly half (50%) are monthly active users on the service. Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo also have membership levels of 75% and higher, according to recent research from GlobalWebIndex.

In addition, Chinese internet users are also finding ways to access officially banned sites like Facebook and Google+, including using mobile to bypass restrictions.

84% of Chinese internet users have a Qzone acct
Top social networks among Chinese internet users [GlobalWebIndex]
In terms of social apps, WeChat has rapidly become a dominant force in China, according to GlobalWebIndex. Around 73% of Chinese adults online have used WeChat in the last month — that’s an incredibly high percentage of active users.

And it continues to grow: according to the report, it was the fastest rising app between Q1 2013 and Q1 2014, and “could easily become the first non-US social platform to enjoy the type of global coverage previously achieved only by names like Facebook.”

73% of China's online population using WeChat
Monthly active users of major social apps among Chinese internet audience

Will Google+ and Facebook ever expand their reach in China (despite national restrictions), or will the country continue to be dominated by local social networks and apps?

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