China is the world’s largest social media market. In 2011, active users on blogging platforms, social-networking sites, and microblogs reached a staggering 260 million, a recorded increase of more than 28 percent on the previous year. In 2011, around 50 percent of all Chinese who accessed the internet, or 19 percent of the total population, were users of social networking sites. How people in China access social media is also changing, with 60 percent of all social media activities taking place via mobile devices.

With 560 million registered users, Qzone was the largest social networking site in China in 2011. Tencent weibo and Sina weibo, Chinese equivalents of Twitter, had around 300 million users and were the second and third largest social media sites in China respectively.

Around 70 percent of social network users who in China were aged below 30, they accessed social media sites at least once a week, as of 2011. The main reasons given for accessing social media were: keeping in touch with friends, followed by playing games, uploading photos and videos, as well as posting and tracking comments.

More information on social networks can be found here.

Overview of the most important facts:

Number of social network users in China from 2009 to 2014

Leading social media websites by number of registered users in China in 2012

Number of users of social networks for professionals in China in 2012

Ranking of the most valuable social media brands in China as of 2012

Photo: istockphoto.com / hronos7

• • Overview
  • Leading social networks
• • User demographics and behavior
  • Microblog