The 14th annual Global Media Intelligence (GMI) Report is a reference guide to consumer media habits in 49 countries worldwide. It’s a deep dive into time spent with media, traditional and digital media adoption, and digital device ownership across seven regions: North America (including the US and Canada), East Asia and Oceania (including China), South and Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. This report highlights key trends at a global level, including time spent figures that show a state of global “peak media,” increased smart TV ownership, Gen Z’s embrace of influencer content, and smart device ownership.

Key Question: How do consumer habits and media consumption patterns compare around the world?

Key Stat: All worldwide time spent with media categories saw declines in H1 2024 except mobile, which was flat.

What’s Inside

The GMI Report includes poll results from 49 countries worldwide exploring all forms of media consumption. Consumer research firm GWI conducted the polling of internet users in H1 2024 for the following metrics:

• Average time spent with media  
• Video-on-demand (VOD) viewers  
• Social media/messaging users  
• Digital audio listeners  
• TV viewers
• Traditional media users  
• Vlog/influencer viewers  
• Creator/influencer membership site users 
• Device ownership  
• Smart TV owners  
• Smartphone and tablet owners 

Executive Summary

• Globally, time spent with media peaked last year. In H1 2024, 10 of the 11 media categories measured in the GMI Report saw slight declines YoY. Only average time spent with mobile devices maintained its engagement level. Time spent with media is still strong, but there is evidence that it’s hit a ceiling; there is a limit to the amount of time consumers can commit to media in all its forms.
• Smart TV ownership increased in most regions and countries. The majority of TVs shipped worldwide now come with built-in internet connectivity. This means the quality of advertising has increased on the largest screen in the home.
• Gen Z respondents showed heavier interest in influencer content than any other age group. This year, respondents were asked for the first time if they followed influencer videos and if they followed influencers on paid platforms. In some regions—notably in Asia and Latin America—at least a third of the respondents reported engaging with influencer content.
• Device ownership, especially those that are nice-to-have and nonessential, was higher in wealthier countries. We compared GMI rankings with GDP-per-capita data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and found clear associations between device ownership and relative wealth.