In 2022, around 89 percent of the New Zealand population were active social media users. The social media penetration rate has continued to increase, in-line with the growing digitalization of the country. While not the most active country in the Asia Pacific region, New Zealand still ranked in the top ten in terms of social media penetration out of countries from Asia Pacific.

How are Kiwis using social media?

Most of the population use social media on a mobile device. With increasing smartphone usage and accessibility, current global trends look set to establish the standard for mobile-only social media usage in the near future. In fact, many social media services are better experienced on a mobile device.

An average of one hour and 51 minutes per day were spent on social media by internet users in the country in 2020. This is much lower than the approximate four hours per day spent by online users in the Philippines.

Which social media are the most popular?

The most popular social networks in the country included YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. YouTube and Facebook dominated the market, both with over 70 percent penetration rates. Facebook was popular among all age groups, with the highest number of Facebook users in the 25 to 34-year age group. Instagram has gained popularity with younger generations in the country.

A survey conducted in May 2022 among New Zealand shoppers revealed that younger consumers were the most influenced to purchase products they had seen on a social media platform, with over 65 percent of Gen Z respondents having bought a product they had seen on social media in the last month. In comparison, only seven percent of baby boomers reported purchasing a product they had viewed on social media in the last month.

Australia and New Zealand Digital Transformation Digital Transformation Market Report is Segmented by Type (Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Extended Reality (XR), Iot, Industrial Robotics, Blockchain, Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing, Cybersecurity, Cloud and Edge, Computing, and Others (digital Twin, Mobility, and Connectivity), by End-Users (Manufacturing, Oil, Gas and Utilities, Retail & E-Commerce, Transportation and Logistics, Healthcare, BFSI, Telecom and IT, Government and Public Sector, Others Others (Education, Media & Entertainment, Environment Etc). The Market Sizes and Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value in USD for all the Above Segments.

Facebook use in New Zealand is most prevalent amongst 25 to 34 year old people, with 850,000 people in this age group using the platform as of January 2018. Of this number, there is an even gender split between male and female users. There is also a slight bias towards female users across most other age groups, the exception being 18 to 24 year old’s: ten percent of users in this age group are male and nine percent are female.

One of the most popular social media networks

Facebook is one of the most popular social media networks in New Zealand with around three quarters of the population being active users. It ranks second only to YouTube, which in 2018 had an additional one percent using it actively. Instagram and Pinterest were the next most popular in the same year, both with around 30 percent of the population using them.

Social media penetration

In New Zealand, social media penetration overall has steadily been increasing over the last few years. As of 2018, it is just under three quarters of the population, with just over two thirds of active users accessing it on mobile devices.

The number of social media users in Australia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 2.1 million users (+8.55 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 26.68 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of social media users in countries like Fiji and New Zealand.

The number of Instagram users in Australia was forecast to continuously decrease between 2024 and 2028 by in total 1.5 million users (-13.94 percent). According to this forecast, in 2028, the Instagram user base will have decreased for the sixth consecutive year to 9.27 million users. User figures, shown here with regards to the platform instagram, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Instagram users in countries like New Zealand and Fiji.

The number of LinkedIn users in Australia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2028 by in total 0.5 million users (+3.74 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the LinkedIn user base is estimated to reach 13.89 million users and therefore a new peak in 2028. Notably, the number of LinkedIn users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here with regards to the platform LinkedIn, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of LinkedIn users in countries like Fiji and New Zealand.

The Australia and New Zealand digital transformation market is projected to reach AU$67.55 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 26.74% from 2025 to 2033. Key drivers of this growth include the increasing adoption of cloud computing, the proliferation of connected devices, and the need for businesses to improve operational efficiency and customer engagement. The market is segmented by type, end-user industry, and company. By type, the market is divided into analytics, extended reality (XR), IoT, industrial robotics, blockchain, additive manufacturing/3D printing, cybersecurity, cloud and edge computing, and others (digital twin, mobility and connectivity). By end-user industry, the market is segmented into manufacturing, retail and e-commerce, transportation and logistics, healthcare, BFSI, telecom and IT, government and public sector, and others (education, media). Major companies operating in the market include Accenture, Google, Siemens, IBM, Microsoft, and SAP. Recent developments include: June 2024: Tompkins Robotics announced that Primary Sight, a provider of supply chain technology solutions in Australia, became Tompkins Robotics ANZ. Bringing Primary Sight into the Tompkins Robotics organization marked a significant milestone as it continued to expand its global footprint and enhance its service offerings., May 2024: The state government allocated USD 6 million to the University of Adelaide's Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML). This funding aimed to bolster AIML's initiatives, particularly in enhancing domestic artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. With this financial injection, AIML planned to not only grow its industrial AI program but also to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in crafting AI-driven offerings. Additionally, the funds facilitated the recruitment of top-tier talent to the state.. Key drivers for this market are: Increase in the adoption of big data analytics and other technologies in Australia And New Zealand, The rapid proliferation of mobile devices and apps. Potential restraints include: Increase in the adoption of big data analytics and other technologies in Australia And New Zealand, The rapid proliferation of mobile devices and apps. Notable trends are: The IoT Segment is Expected to Occupy the Largest Market Share.

The number of Facebook users in Australia was forecast to continuously decrease between 2024 and 2028 by in total 1.5 million users (-9.94 percent). After the eighth consecutive decreasing year, the Facebook user base is estimated to reach 13.62 million users and therefore a new minimum in 2028. User figures, shown here regarding the platform facebook, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Facebook users in countries like Fiji and New Zealand.

The number of Youtube users in Australia was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.4 million users (+2.6 percent). After the fifth consecutive increasing year, the Youtube user base is estimated to reach 15.81 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. User figures, shown here regarding the platform youtube, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Youtube users in countries like Fiji and New Zealand.

The internet penetration rate in New Zealand is relatively high, following global trends of internet usage. Around 94 percent of the population in New Zealand were active internet users in 2021, a share that had increased from the previous year.

Unlimited broadband, unlimited possibilities

New Zealanders require large amounts of data for their everyday living; from communicating via social media platforms, purchasing goods online as well as for entertainment. Supporting this massive data requirement, most of the broadband connections across the country had unlimited data caps in 2018. New Zealanders required not only large amounts of data, but also fast internet connections. Almost half of the broadband connections across the country had download speeds falling between 24 and 50 megabits per second in the same year.

Staying connected

Copper wire connections accounted for the largest share of connection types, with fiber optic following closely behind. Fiber optic connections have been increasing their share of the market since the government implemented the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) initiative in 2011. This program aimed to bring fiber network internet access to 87 percent of the population by 2022, a move that would support New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses in their fast-growing internet needs, allowing Kiwis to stay connected with the rest of the world.