Facebook Captures #1 Ranking in Spain for the First Time in February
Reston, VA, April 15, 2009 – Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released an analysis of Facebook’s growth in Europe during the past year. As the popular social networking site has increasingly focused its attention on global expansion and increased penetration across countries and regions, the site has catapulted to the #6 ranked Web property worldwide with 275 million visitors in February, a 175-percent increase versus year ago. One of the global regions that best illustrates Facebook’s growth is Europe, where the site has seen a 314-percent increase to nearly 100 million visitors.
Not only does Facebook have a growing audience, it is also a highly engaged audience with the average user spending three hours per month on the site. One year ago, Facebook usage accounted for 1.1 percent of all minutes spent online in Europe, but by February 2009 that number had increased to 4.1 percent of all minutes. Facebook also accounts for a full 30.4-percent of minutes spent in the social networking category, up from 12.3 percent a year earlier.
Facebook Share of Time Spent in EuropeFebruary 2009 vs. February 2008Total Europe, Age 15+ - Home and Work LocationsSource: Comscore World Metrix
Share of Minutes
Feb-08
Feb-09
Share of Total Internet Minutes
1.1%
4.1%
Share of Social Networking Minutes
12.3%
30.4%
“Facebook has very quickly taken a leading position across most of the European social networking market despite having a strong foothold in just a few European countries one year ago,” said Mike Read, Comscore Managing Director of Europe. “Over the course of the past year, it has climbed the rankings in virtually every market and taken over the top position in several. Most recently, Facebook grabbed the top position in Spain after nipping at the heels of a leading local player for the past several months.”
Facebook Leads in Spain, Most of the Rest of Europe
Facebook has taken a leading position in the social networking category across the majority of countries in Europe in recent months. Of the 17 European countries individually reported by Comscore, Facebook owned the top position in the social networking category in 11 of them. The site’s audience is largest in the U.K. with 22.7 million visitors (up 75 percent versus year ago), followed by France with 13.7 million visitors (up 518 percent) and Turkey with 12.4 million visitors (year ago data not available).
Most recently, Facebook captured the top spot in the Spanish market in February with 5.7 million visitors, representing a dramatic tenfold increase versus year ago. It has also soared in Italy, growing more than 2,700 percent to 10.8 million visitors.
Facebook Growth in EuropeFebruary 2009 vs. February 2008Total Europe, Age 15+ - Home and Work LocationsSource: Comscore World Metrix
Facebook.com
Unique Visitors (000)
Percent Change
Rank in Social Networking Category in Feb-09
Europe
24,118
99,776
314%
1
United Kingdom
12,957
22,656
75%
France
2,217
13,698
518%
Turkey*
N/A
12,377
Italy
382
10,764
2721%
Spain
515
5,662
999%
Germany
680
3,433
405%
4
Belgium
327
2,308
607%
Sweden
1,211
2,298
90%
Denmark
533
2,022
279%
Switzerland
282
1,690
499%
Norway
819
1,479
81%
Finland
555
1,341
142%
Netherlands
236
1,031
337%
2
Austria
112
663
491%
Ireland
203
512
153%
Russia
117
478
309%
7
Portugal
72
193
169%
3
*Turkey is a newly reported individual country in Comscore World Metrix; year ago data not available
The only countries in which Facebook does not hold the #1 or #2 position in the social networking category are Germany, where it ranks fourth, Russia (#7) and Portugal (#3).
About ComscoreComscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.
Ayaan MohamudComscore, Inc.+ 44 (0) 207-099-1775worldpress@comscore.com