The Influence of Influencers

Most people trust the opinion of their social circle when making purchasing decisions. As data from Statista Consumer Insights shows, many also trust the friendly people who freely share their lives with us on social media and at least feel like our acquaintances: influencers.

Influencers currently yield the biggest power over people’s purchasing decisions in Brazil, South Africa, China and India, according to the survey which is representative of the countries’ online populations. While influencers' sway has only become larger in Brazil and India, it has recently decreased in China, but stayed on a high level nonetheless.

In most other countries, the trend to follow influencers' lead when deciding on a purchase gained traction. France and Austria as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Japan were among the countries paying influencers little mind, even though their following was growing in these nations also. Among Europeans, Brits were most "under the influence", at 29 percent saying that they had made a purchase because a celebrity or influencer advertised the product.