WhatsApp Usage Surges 40% Globally Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
A new Kantar survey shows WhatsApp leads a massive surge in social media usage as people stay home during the COVID-19 crisis. Despite increased time spent on these apps, users still largely distrust them for critical pandemic news.
A new survey from Kantar reveals that WhatsApp experiences a 40% increase in usage globally as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps people at home. The study, which surveys over 25,000 consumers across 30 markets, shows that this growth escalates from a 27% bump in the early days of the crisis to a 51% jump in countries currently in the later phases. In hard-hit nations like Spain, WhatsApp usage skyrockets by 76% as users rely on the app to stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues.
The 18 to 34 age group drives the largest growth across all messaging platforms, with WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram each seeing over a 40% increase from this demographic. Other social media apps also benefit significantly from the shift to digital communication. Facebook overall grows by 37%, while Chinese platforms WeChat and Weibo see a combined 58% climb in usage as the pandemic disrupts daily routines worldwide.
Despite the massive surge in app engagement, consumers largely distrust social media platforms for critical COVID-19 news. Only 11% of respondents consider social media a trustworthy source for pandemic information, compared to 58% who trust national news channels and 48% who rely on government agency websites. These Kantar findings align with Facebook's own internal data, which reports that total messaging across its apps jumps by over 50% and group calls skyrocket by more than 1,000% over the previous month.