The global average for smartphone ownership is 59%.
According to a new report published by Pew Research Center on June 19, since 2015, smartphone ownership in developing countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Philippines and Vietnam is growing substantially.
Specifically, by spring 2017, smartphone owners accounted for 53% of all respondents in Vietnam, a significant increase from 35% in 2015. Among the 39 countries studied, South Korea had the biggest percentage of smartphone ownership with 90% of respondents saying they own one. Israel and Australia are not far behind with 83% and 82% of respondents owning smartphones, respectively.
Among countries with emerging economies, Lebanon tops the list in terms of smartphone ownership with 80%, followed by Jordan (76%) and Chile (72%).
The report also highlighted that while social media use continues to increase in emerging and developing countries, it has plateaued for developed countries. Vietnam's social media users account for 53% of the population as of 2017, compared to 38% in 2015.
However, the digital divide still exists. The internet penetration rate is high in North America, the majority of Europe and some parts of the Asia-Pacific, yet remains low in sub-Saharan Africa and India.
In Vietnam, 88% of people from 18 to 36 years old either use the internet occasionally or own a smartphone while only 38% of the 37 and older age group only are active social media and smartphone users. Education is also a dividing factor: 90% of more educated people are active on social media compared with only 47% of active social media users in the less educated demographics.
