To provide context, Myanmar's total population in January 2024 was 54.78 million people.
The population grew by 394,000 or 0.7% over the previous year.
In terms of gender, 50.3% of Myanmar's population was female and 49.7% was male.
Over two-thirds (67.7%) of the population lived in rural areas, with 32.3% in urban areas.
The median age in Myanmar was 29.7 years old.
0-4: 8.1%
5-12: 13%
13-17: 8.1%
18-24: 11.6%
25-34: 15.9%
35-44: 14.8%
45-54: 12.3%
55-64: 9.1%
65+: 7.1%
Yes, digital marketing is a trending field in Myanmar. However, it's important to note that digital marketing in Myanmar is still evolving. There might be limitations on infrastructure and internet speeds in some areas. Here's a breakdown of why:
Mobile phone penetration in Myanmar has skyrocketed in recent years. With almost everyone having access to the internet through their phones, digital marketing offers a powerful way to reach a vast audience.
Consumers in Myanmar are increasingly turning to online platforms for shopping, research, and entertainment. This shift in behavior makes digital marketing essential for businesses to connect with their target audience.
Traditional media like newspapers and television may not have the same reach as digital platforms in Myanmar. Digital marketing allows businesses to bypass these limitations and connect with potential customers directly.
However, it's important to note that digital marketing in Myanmar is still evolving. As of today, March 18, 2024, the internet access situation in Myanmar remains concerning.
Reports indicate ongoing internet shutdowns in specific regions, particularly in areas with ongoing conflict or resistance. Sagaing Division, for example, has experienced repeated internet blackouts.
The cost of internet access has reportedly increased in Myanmar, making it less affordable for some citizens. This can further limit access to information and communication tools.
This report looks at how digital technology was used in Myanmar in early 2024, based on data from DataReportal.
But as a Burmese I would love to add some local insight for this report. I will write it as a separate blog post here.
In January 2024, there were 24.11 million internet users in Myanmar. This means 44.0% of the total population used the internet. However, the real number may be higher than reported, as there can be delays in collecting and analyzing internet usage data.
According to Ookla data, in early 2024 the typical mobile internet speed in Myanmar was 23.31 Mbps. The typical fixed broadband internet speed was 19.84 Mbps. Mobile internet speeds slowed a bit compared to 2023, decreasing by 1.90 Mbps or 7.5%. But fixed broadband speeds increased by 0.85 Mbps or 4.5% over the previous year.
There were 18.50 million social media users in Myanmar in January 2024. This represented 33.8% of the total population.
However, the numbers may count some people more than once if they have multiple accounts. The methodology for counting social media users also changed recently.
Between early 2023 and 2024, the number of social media users in Myanmar grew by 4 million or 27.6%.
Looking just at adults aged 18+, there were 18.50 million social media users in Myanmar in early 2024, equal to 47.7% of the adult population.
Overall, 76.7% of Myanmar's internet users used at least one social media platform in January 2024.
In terms of gender, 47% of social media users in Myanmar were female and 53% were male.
Facebook remained the biggest social media platform in Myanmar. In early 2024, Facebook had 18.50 million users in the country.
However, Facebook recently revised how it reports user numbers, so the 2024 numbers may not be directly comparable to previous years.
Between 2023 and 2024, the number of people in Myanmar that advertisers could reach on Facebook grew by 4 million or 27.6%.
But in just the last quarter of 2023, Facebook's advertising audience decreased slightly by 700,000 users or 3.6%.
Facebook's total user base is not the same as the advertising audience numbers reported. The advertising reach equals 33.8% of Myanmar's total population.
Since Facebook requires users to be 13+, the advertising reach represents 42.8% of people in Myanmar old enough to use Facebook.
The advertising audience on Facebook in Myanmar consisted of 47% women and 53% men in early 2024.
Instagram Usage in Myanmar
Instagram had 1.75 million users in Myanmar at the start of 2024, equaling 3.2% of the total population.
Since Instagram also requires users to be 13+, the user base represents 4% of people old enough in Myanmar.
Instagram's user base in Myanmar grew by 350,000 or 25% between 2023 and 2024.
However, growth stalled in the last quarter of 2023, with no increase in the last three months of the year.
56.7% of Instagram's advertising audience in Myanmar was female and 43.3% was male.
The report estimates TikTok had around 16.65 million users aged 18 and over in Myanmar in early 2024.
TikTok's advertising tools only provide data for adult users 18+, so the total user base including teens is likely even higher.
TikTok's adult user base equaled 42.9% of people aged 18+ in Myanmar in early 2024.
And TikTok's advertising reach represented 69% of Myanmar's total internet user base.
In terms of gender, 44.7% of TikTok's adult users in Myanmar were female and 55.3% were male.
It's important to note that advertising audiences do not necessarily match a platform's overall user base.
In early 2024, the messaging app Facebook Messenger had 13.95 million users in Myanmar that advertisers could target.
This represented 25.5% of Myanmar's total population, and 32.3% of users 13+ eligible for Messenger.
Messenger's user base equaled 57.9% of total internet users in Myanmar.
47.6% of Messenger's advertising audience in Myanmar was female and 52.4% was male.
The number of people advertisers could reach on Messenger grew by 2.7 million or 23.5% between 2023 and 2024.
However, the quarterly numbers showed a decrease of 1.1 million or 7.3% in the advertising audience in late 2023.
Again, ad audience figures can differ from a platform's overall user base.
According to LinkedIn's ad tools, around 900,000 people in Myanmar were registered members on the professional network.
This equaled 1.6% of Myanmar's total population and 2.3% of people old enough (18+) to use LinkedIn.
LinkedIn's total members represented 3.7% of Myanmar's entire internet user base.
The gender split was 49% female and 51% male members in early 2024.
Between 2023 and 2024, LinkedIn added around 130,000 new members in Myanmar, increasing its presence by 16.9%.
The last quarter saw moderate growth of 4.7% or 40,000 new members.
But it's unclear if these increases in total registration correlate to higher active usage on LinkedIn.
As of January 2024, there were 64.28 million active mobile subscriptions or connections in Myanmar.
This enormously high number equating to 117.4% of the total population is because many people use multiple mobile connections.
The total number of mobile connections grew slightly by just 56,000 or 0.09% between early 2023 and 2024.
This data provides an overview of how digital technology like the internet, mobile phones, and social media platforms were used across Myanmar in early 2024.
While showing areas of significant progress, the report also notes some potential limitations in the data and methodologies used to calculate adopter numbers.
Overall, Myanmar exhibited a vibrant digital landscape in 2024, with internet and social media usage continuing to grow rapidly, despite some emerging signs of slower growth or stagnation toward the end of the covered period.