Facebook is the most popular social network in the world. It was the first social network to truly go mainstream; and for a lot of people, the first one they ever joined.
You might therefore assume that Facebook’s story is the same globally, but that is not the case.
This blog post will look at how Facebook usage differs around the world in 2020, based on the latest data from Webcertain Search And Social Report 2020.
Countries where Facebook has crushed the competition
There are some countries where Facebook has totally crushed the competition; where its dominance is so strong that it is the only social network that really matters.
The table below shows Facebook’s share of the social media market in countries where it totally dominates the landscape.
| Country | Facebook’s share of the social media market | |
| Bulgaria | 93% | |
| Hungary | 88% | |
| Greece | 88% | |
| Romania | 87% | |
| Spain | 85% | |
| India | 84% | |
| Serbia | 84% | |
| Portugal | 83% | |
| Mexico | 80% | |
Countries with a more balanced social media landscape
There are other countries where Facebook is still most the most popular social network, but it is not so overwhelmingly dominant, and other social networks have decent market shares.
If you are targeting any of these countries, you should try to spread your social media marketing efforts a little more evenly, focusing on the networks that give your business the best results.
| Country | Facebook’s share of the social media market | |
| France | 60% | |
| Slovakia | 60% | |
| Belgium | 58% | |
| Israel | 57% | |
| Italy | 57% | |
| Singapore | 57% | |
| Norway | 56% | |
| Netherlands | 53% | |
| Germany | 52% | |
| Canada | 46% | |
| Taiwan | 44% | |
| United States | 43% | |
| Brazil | 43% | |
| Australia | 42% | |
Countries where Facebook is used differently
You should also be aware that there are some countries where Facebook is used totally differently from what we are used to.
For example, in Japan, Facebook is used as a professional social network, not a personal one. It is used in very much the same way as LinkedIn (which does not have a strong presence in the country), i.e. for job hunting and professional networking.
The same is true of Russia. Facebook is used as a professional social network there too, something that can be partially attributed to the fact that LinkedIn is blocked in the country.
The country where you should not even include Facebook in your strategy
And finally, there is one country where it is not worth investing in Facebook at all: China.
Facebook is actually blocked in China, so it would be a waste of time to even attempt Facebook marketing there. Instead, local social networks thrive in its place, such as WeChat, Weibo and Baidu Tieba, and it is these networks where you should focus your social media marketing efforts.
I hope this blog post has given you an interesting insight into how Facebook’s usage differs around the world. For more in-depth information about international social media trends in 38 countries, you can read the Webcertain Search And Social Report here.
