Share of social commerce buyers worldwide 2023, by country

Thailand and Colombia boast some of the highest percentages of social commerce buyers globally, with 91 percent of online shoppers in each country already making purchases through social media platforms in 2023. China closely followed with a 90 percent adoption rate, trailed by the United Arab Emirates and India.

A new era of online shopping

Social commerce has transformed the online retail landscape in recent years. Between 2018 and 2024, social media sales revenue increased nearly eightfold, reaching approximately 700 billion U.S. dollars. By 2025, social commerce is projected to account for 20 percent of global online sales. While this purchasing channel attracts consumers of all ages, millennials, followed by Gen Z, are the most prominent direct buyers on social media.

China: social commerce pioneer

China's social commerce has experienced rapid growth over the past decade. In 2014, the market's gross merchandise value (GMV) stood at 95 billion yuan. By 2022, this figure had skyrocketed to over 2.7 trillion yuan, showcasing the immense expansion in this sector. This exponential growth is partly attributed to the significant increase in the number of social commerce users. In 2022, China had about 880 million social shoppers, more than double the number recorded in 2016.