[2023 Update] Latest Internet and Social Media Trends in Vietnam

“We heard that if I want to attract customers in Vietnam, it is effective to approach them through Facebook, but what is the truth?”

We often receive questions like this when we consult with our clients on promotion and customer attraction.
When implementing measures to attract customers in Vietnam, it is very important to appropriately select media and media that are frequently used by the target audience of the products and services you wish to promote.
However, data on the actual usage of social media and video media in Vietnam is not widely available in Japanese.
Therefore, ALIVE Vietnam has compiled detailed usage data on digital devices and social media/video services in Vietnam as of 2023.

If you’re looking to understand internet and social media usage in Vietnam to guide your promotional activities,
this information will be highly useful for you, so please read through to the end.

*This article is based on the contents of “DIGITAL 2023: VIETNAM”. For more detailed information, please refer to the website of the relevant reference source.

Digital Landscape in Vietnam 2023

First, we will introduce summary data on the spread of the digital environment and social media usage in Vietnam at the beginning of 2023.

• Internet users: 77.93 million (79.1% penetration rate of the total population)
• Mobile phone subscriptions: 161.6 million (164.0% penetration rate of the total population)
• Social media users: 70.0 million (71.0% penetration rate of the total population)

As of early 2023, approximately 80% of Vietnam’s total population were internet users, with about 90% of them using some form of social media.

Population of Vietnam in 2023

As of January 2023, the total population of Vietnam was 98.53 million.
According to survey data, the population increased by 689,000 people (0.7%) from 2022 to 2023.
The gender ratio was 50.6% female and 49.4% male.
Additionally, 39.1% of the population resides in urban areas, while 60.9% lives in rural areas.

Age Distribution of Vietnam’s Population

As of 2023, the median age of Vietnam’s population is 32.7 years.

The distribution of the total population by age group is as follows:

*Due to rounding, the percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Internet Usage in Vietnam in 2023

As of January 2023, there are 77.93 million internet users in Vietnam.
The internet penetration rate in Vietnam reached 79.1% of the total population at the start of 2023.
According to analysis by Kepios, a Singapore-based company, the number of internet users in Vietnam increased by 5.3 million (+7.3%) from 2022 to 2023.

Internet Connection Speed in Vietnam in 2023

According to data released by OOKLA, the expected internet connection speeds in Vietnam are as follows:

Median mobile internet speed: 39.59 Mbps
Median fixed internet speed: 80.27 Mbps

OOKLA‘s data shows that the median mobile internet speed in Vietnam improved by 4.46 Mbps (+12.7%) over the year from 2022 to 2023, while the median fixed internet speed increased by 11.77 Mbps (+17.2%) during the same period.

 

Social Media Statistics in Vietnam in 2023

As of January 2023, there are 70.0 million social media users in Vietnam, representing 71.0% of the total population. Among users aged 18 and over, there are 64.4 million, which accounts for 89.0% of the target population. Of the 77.93 million internet users, 89.8% have used at least one social media platform.

Next, let’s look at the number of users and trends for each social media service in Vietnam.

 

Facebook User Statistics

According to data from Meta’s advertising tools, the number of Facebook users in Vietnam at the beginning of 2023 was 66.2 million.

The advertising reach of Facebook in Vietnam was 67.2% of the total population as of early 2023. However, since Facebook is restricted to users aged 13 and above, this equates to 83.4% of the eligible population.
Among internet users in Vietnam, 84.9% use Facebook.
The gender distribution of Facebook users is 50.2% female and 49.8% male.

Trends in Facebook user growth and decline in Vietnam

According to data from Meta’s proprietary tools, the potential advertising reach of Facebook in Vietnam decreased by 4.2 million users (-6.0%) from 2022 to 2023.
Additionally, in recent months, the number of users reachable through Facebook ads in Vietnam declined by 3.5 million (-5.0%) from October 2022 to January 2023.

*The above figures are derived from estimated advertising reach and differ from the monthly active user numbers reported by Meta in its investor earnings releases. The company’s advertising planning tools include the following disclaimer:
“Estimated audience sizes are not representative of monthly or daily active users or engagement. Estimates are not designed to match census data or other sources and may vary due to factors such as multiple accounts held by a single user across Meta services, the number of temporary visits by multiple people at specific times or locations, and demographic data reported by Meta users.”

YouTube User Statistics

According to the latest data from Google Ads resources, the number of YouTube users in Vietnam at the beginning of 2023 was 63.0 million, which corresponds to 63.9% of the total population.
*These figures are derived from estimated advertising audience sizes and differ from monthly active user numbers.

When considering only internet users in Vietnam, 80.8% are YouTube users. The gender distribution among YouTube users is 49.5% female and 50.5% male.

 

Trends in YouTube user growth and decline in Vietnam

According to data published by Google Ads’ official planning tools, the estimated reach of YouTube ads in Vietnam increased by 500,000 users (+0.8%) from 2022 to 2023.
Additionally, in recent data, the number of users reachable through YouTube ads also increased by 500,000 (+0.8%) from October 2022 to January 2023.

 

Instagram User Statistics

According to data from Meta’s advertising tools, the number of Instagram users in Vietnam at the beginning of 2023 was 10.35 million.
The advertising reach of Instagram in Vietnam was 10.5% of the total population as of early 2023.
However, as Instagram, like Facebook, is restricted to users aged 13 and above, this means that 13.0% of the eligible population uses Instagram.
Among internet users in Vietnam, 13.3% use Instagram.
The gender distribution among Instagram users is 62.5% female and 37.5% male.

Trends in Instagram user growth and decline in Vietnam

According to data published by Meta’s proprietary planning tools, the estimated advertising reach of Instagram in Vietnam decreased by 1.3 million users (-11.2%) from 2022 to 2023. Additionally, recent data shows that from October 2022 to January 2023, the audience size for Instagram ads in Vietnam decreased by 450,000 users (-4.2%).

 

TikTok User Statistics

According to data from ByteDance’s advertising resources, the number of TikTok users aged 18 and over in Vietnam at the beginning of 2023 was 49.86 million.
*TikTok’s advertising tools only collect audience data for users aged 18 and over.

The data indicates that TikTok ads reached 68.9% of Vietnam’s population aged 18 and over at the start of 2023.
Among internet users in Vietnam, 64.0% use TikTok. The gender distribution among TikTok users is 49.7% female and 50.3% male.

Trends in TikTok user growth and decline in Vietnam

According to ByteDance’s proprietary advertising planning tools, the estimated advertising reach of TikTok in Vietnam increased by 9.9 million users (+24.9%) from 2022 to 2023. However, recent data shows a decrease of 1.2 million users (-2.4%) from October 2022 to January 2023.
*Since TikTok’s advertising tools only publish data for users aged 18 and over, changes in TikTok’s advertising reach may not align perfectly with changes in the overall number of TikTok users.

Facebook Messenger User Statistics

According to data from Meta’s advertising resources, Facebook Messenger ads reach 52.65 million users in Vietnam as of early 2023.
The latest figures from the company show that Facebook Messenger’s advertising reach rate in Vietnam is 53.4% of the total population at the beginning of the year.

Since Facebook Messenger, like other Meta services, is restricted to users aged 13 and above, this equates to 66.3% of the eligible audience.
Among internet users in Vietnam, the reach rate is 67.6%.
The gender distribution among Facebook Messenger users is 51.0% female and 49.0% male.

Trends in Facebook Messenger user growth and decline in Vietnam

According to Meta’s proprietary planning tools, the potential advertising reach of Facebook Messenger in Vietnam decreased by 1.4 million users (-2.5%) from 2022 to 2023.
On a quarterly basis, the audience size for Facebook Messenger ads in Vietnam decreased by 1.7 million users (-3.0%) from October 2022 to January 2023.

LinkedIn User Statistics

According to data from LinkedIn’s advertising resources, the number of LinkedIn members in Vietnam at the beginning of 2023 was 5.2 million.
*Since LinkedIn’s advertising tools publish audience reach data based on total registered members, direct comparisons with user numbers based on monthly active users from other social media services are not applicable.

Based on the advertising reach data, LinkedIn’s audience in Vietnam at the start of 2023 corresponds to 5.3% of the total population.
Additionally, since LinkedIn is restricted to users aged 18 and above, the usage rate among the 18 and over population in Vietnam is 7.2%.
When considering only internet users in Vietnam, the advertising reach rate is 6.7%.
The gender distribution among LinkedIn users is 51.6% female and 48.4% male.

Trends in LinkedIn user growth and decline in Vietnam

According to LinkedIn’s planning tools, the potential advertising reach of LinkedIn in Vietnam increased by 1.0 million users (+23.8%) from 2022 to 2023.
On a quarterly basis, the audience size for LinkedIn ads in Vietnam increased by 500,000 users (+10.6%) from October 2022 to January 2023.

Twitter User Statistics

According to data from Twitter’s advertising resources, the number of Twitter users in Vietnam at the beginning of 2023 was 4.1 million, which corresponds to 4.2% of the total population.
*These figures are derived from estimated advertising audience sizes and differ from monthly active user numbers.

Since Twitter restricts its usage to users aged 13 and above, this means that 5.2% of the eligible population uses Twitter.

Among internet users in Vietnam, 5.3% are Twitter users.
The gender distribution among Twitter users is estimated to be 28.8% female and 71.3% male.
*Twitter estimates gender based on profile information and user behavior on the platform, so these figures are approximations.

Trends in Twitter user growth and decline in Vietnam

According to data from Twitter’s advertising planning tools, the potential advertising reach of Twitter in Vietnam increased by 1.3 million users (+43.9%) from early 2022 to early 2023. However, the reach of Twitter ads in Vietnam remained stable from October 2022 to January 2023.
*It’s worth noting that figures reported by Twitter’s planning tools may fluctuate significantly over short periods.

Summary

In this overview, we have discussed the latest data for 2023 regarding digital devices and services in Vietnam. How did you find the information?

Here is a summary of the user numbers and usage rates for each social media service:
*TikTok’s data availability is limited to users aged 18 and over, which differs from usage restrictions.

It is well known that Facebook has a large user base in Vietnam, but YouTube and TikTok also have significant numbers of users.
This indicates that video-based promotions are likely to be an effective strategy.

When conducting promotions, selecting the right media is crucial for reaching the appropriate target audience.
While the number of users is important, it is also vital to choose media where the characteristics of the product align with the interests and preferences of the users. Additionally, keeping up with the latest information about media that are likely to see growth or decline in user numbers is essential.

At ALIVE Vietnam, we thoroughly understand marketing data for the Vietnamese market to design effective communication with potential customers and develop promotional strategies. We build web design and production based on these strategies.

If you are looking to execute promotions based on reliable data to achieve tangible results,
we would be delighted to assist you at ALIVE Vietnam. We will carefully listen to your challenges and needs and provide the most suitable proposals.

Thank you for reading to the end.
>> Contact ALIVE Vietnam for marketing consultation
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*Data source: “DIGITAL 2023: VIETNAM”