Penetration rate of social media in Malaysia 2016-2024

As of January 2024, about 83.1 percent of the Malaysian population were active social media users. This was an increase of 4.6 percent compared to 2023, in which the social media users amounted to approximately 78.5 percent of the total population in Malaysia. Among all social media platforms available there, Facebook was the leading social media platform. 

Facebook’s popularity in Malaysia

The most popular social media platforms among users in Malaysia were Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and LinkedIn. Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has become the most widely used social media platform among social media users in Malaysia. Nevertheless, it was projected that Facebook's popularity would fade with the rise of newer social media platforms, and its penetration rate in Malaysia would decrease to 68 percent in the coming years. Moreover, considering the continual growth of interest in other social media platforms, it is estimated that the number of Facebook users in Malaysia would be at approximately 23.5 million in 2024, down from nearly 25 million in the year before. 

Social media addiction

Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction relating to individual’s attachment to social media. The symptoms of this type of addiction includes mood swings caused by what the individual is experiencing on social media. Regardless of the platform used, most Malaysians felt that social media contributed to the state of their happiness and thought that it was difficult for them to quit using social media.