TikTok viewership surges in Taiwan, especially among young people: report

Taipei, Jan. 4 (CNA) Nearly half of Taiwan's population has watched TikTok content, with usage growing fastest among people aged 16 to 25, according to a report released by the National Communications Commission (NCC) last month.

The NCC's 2025 Communications Market Report showed that 47.5 percent of respondents said they had watched TikTok content, a sharp increase from 18.7 percent in 2019.

Growth was most pronounced among those aged 16 to 25, with the share of TikTok viewers in this age group surging from 24 percent in 2019 to 72.5 percent in 2025.

More than 80 percent of people aged 16 and older reported watching content on online video-sharing platforms, highlighting the public's growing reliance on such services, the report said.

YouTube remained the most widely viewed platform, with viewership consistently exceeding 95 percent across survey years. In addition to TikTok's rapid rise, the proportion of users who had watched content on Xiaohongshu rose to 20.6 percent in 2025, up from 17 percent a year earlier.

In terms of social media and messaging account ownership, TikTok ranked fifth overall, with 23.8 percent of respondents reporting having an account on the platform.

LINE had the highest account ownership rate at 98.2 percent, followed by Facebook (82.4 percent), YouTube (68.6 percent) and Instagram (47.8 percent), the report said.

The NCC said the findings point to a growing dependence on social media and online platforms among children and young people.

To address youth online safety, the NCC said it has commissioned the Institute of Watch Internet Network (iWIN) to handle complaints, promote filtering tools and prevent minors from accessing harmful content.