Landscape of Digital Marketing in Myanmar 2026

Myanmar’s digital marketing environment in 2026 is shaped by increasing internet access, a predominantly mobile-first audience, evolving social media usage, and a steady rise in digital advertising investment, despite ongoing economic and political challenges. Between 2024 and 2026, the data indicates consistent, incremental growth in both internet and social media adoption, prompting brands to shift more budget toward search, social, and mobile channels as consumers continue to integrate digital platforms into their everyday lives.

Internet penetration 2024–2026

According to the World Bank and other connectivity benchmarks, Myanmar’s internet user penetration stood in the high-50 percent range in 2023, providing the baseline for growth through 2024–2026. DataReportal estimates that Myanmar had approximately 33.4 million internet users at the beginning of 2025, representing around 61 percent of the population and reflecting an increase of about 2 percent in users year over year from January 2024 to January 2025.

Fixed broadband adoption has also continued to expand. World Bank data shows more than 1.5 million fixed broadband subscriptions by 2023, indicating steady improvements in residential and workplace connectivity that enable more data-intensive digital experiences and remote working. Despite this progress, mobile access remains the dominant mode of internet usage in Myanmar, with 4G network coverage projected to reach near-universal population coverage by the mid-2020s based on connectivity forecasts.

Mobile‑first usage and speeds

Myanmar’s digital usage is firmly mobile-first, with the majority of users accessing the internet via smartphones rather than desktop devices. Mobile networks underpin everyday activity across social media, entertainment, and online commerce. DataReportal indicates that median mobile download speeds declined significantly year over year into early 2025, while fixed-line speeds improved by roughly 30 percent. This points to a growing infrastructure divide, where a subset of users benefit from faster home connections while many remain limited by mobile network performance.

Insights from Internet Society Pulse and other infrastructure assessments also underscore continued instability in network quality, shaped by regulatory actions, periodic shutdowns, and fluctuations in operator investment. For marketers, these conditions directly affect channel strategy and creative execution. In practical terms, lightweight, mobile-optimized assets—such as short-form video and low-bandwidth formats—are likely to outperform data-heavy, high-definition experiences for most users through 2026.

Social media penetration 2024–2026

DataReportal estimates that Myanmar had approximately 19.6 million social media user accounts in early 2025, representing about 36 percent of the population, with the total continuing to rise from 2024 onward. Local and regional market assessments point to a strong recovery in active social media usage between 2023 and 2024, including one agency’s estimate of year-on-year engagement growth of more than 25 percent, as users increasingly turn to digital platforms for news, entertainment, and online shopping.

By late 2025, global platform planning tools and Myanmar-specific analyses indicate further expansion of advertising audiences on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. This growth reflects not only an increase in users but also improvements in ad products and data visibility within the market. As a result, by 2026, over one-third of Myanmar’s population can be reached through at least one major social platform, although effective reach in certain areas remains limited by connectivity challenges and regulatory conditions.

Platform mix and user behavior

Facebook continues to be the dominant platform in Myanmar by sheer user scale, with estimates placing its active user base at around 18.5 million in late 2024 and early 2025. Despite ongoing political pressure and periodic access restrictions, the platform still serves as the primary hub for identity, news consumption, and commerce for a significant portion of the population, particularly among older users and mass-market segments.

At the same time, platforms such as TikTok and Telegram have expanded rapidly, especially among younger and more urban audiences, fueled by the popularity of short-form video, music-driven content, and community-based channels. Instagram has also maintained consistent growth, supported by expanding adoption and improving visibility through Meta’s advertising tools.

indicating nearly 10 percent growth in potential reach between late 2024 and late 2025, signaling a more visual, lifestyle‑driven audience that is attractive for fashion, beauty, and F&B brands.​

Key social platforms at a glance

These platform dynamics indicate that by 2026, marketers can no longer depend on Facebook alone and must adopt multi-platform strategies to effectively reach younger and higher-value audiences. Success will increasingly depend on adapting creative formats and messaging to each channel, ranging from community-oriented content on Facebook to creator-led video storytelling on TikTok and more polished, visually curated executions on Instagram.

Digital ad spend levels and structure

Statista and other market forecasts suggest that Myanmar’s total digital advertising spend will reach approximately USD 280–290 million in 2025, expanding at an annual growth rate of about 7 percent despite broader economic headwinds. Search advertising accounts for the largest share of this market, with projected spend of roughly USD 160–170 million in 2025, underscoring the critical role of intent-based traffic for e-commerce, service providers, and app-driven businesses.

Social media advertising represents another substantial portion of digital spend. Statista estimates social ad investment in Myanmar at close to USD 100 million in 2025, with consistent year-on-year growth expected through 2026 as more small and medium-sized enterprises adopt paid social strategies and platforms roll out additional ad formats. Smaller segments, including digital classifieds and contextual advertising, remain comparatively limited in scale but are forecast to expand in the latter half of the decade as the country’s digital ecosystem continues to develop.

Ad spend by channel and trend

Search platforms command the largest share of digital advertising budgets due to their strong measurability and direct connection to high-intent user behaviors, such as product discovery, local service searches, and price comparisons. In practical terms, this results in substantial investment in search campaigns, shopping ads, and app-install activity, particularly across sectors such as travel, education, fintech, and online marketplaces.

Although social media advertising budgets are smaller than search in absolute value, they are increasingly deployed as part of full-funnel strategies that integrate awareness, engagement, and conversion objectives. This is especially evident in the use of retargeting and direct-response formats. Influencer and creator marketing budgets—partially captured within, and partially outside, traditional “ad spend” classifications—are also expected to expand at high single-digit annual rates. One market analysis projects influencer-related spending in Myanmar to grow from the high-teens to the mid-20s million USD range between 2024 and 2028.

Mobile advertising and device split

Myanmar’s mobile-first consumption patterns are driving an increasingly mobile-weighted advertising mix, with mobile formats expected to account for a growing share of total digital ad revenue through the latter part of the 2020s. Market projections indicate that by 2028, close to half of Myanmar’s digital advertising revenue will be delivered on mobile devices, reflecting user behavior that prioritizes smartphones for social networking, messaging, gaming, and online shopping.

This trend requires marketers to develop campaigns expressly for mobile environments, emphasizing vertical video, small-screen composition, and thumb-friendly interactions rather than adapting desktop-centric assets. It also accelerates the adoption of ad formats that blend naturally into mobile content feeds, including native in-feed placements, Stories, Reels, and skippable video units across platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

Forecasting 2026: users and spend

Based on the approximately 2 percent year-on-year increase in internet users between 2024 and 2025, Myanmar is likely to reach the mid-30 million range of internet users by 2026 if current growth trends persist. This would place overall internet penetration in the low- to mid-60 percent range, depending on population assumptions. Social media user identities, which were just under 20 million in early 2025, are also expected to rise into the low-20-million range by 2026, supported by strong growth in TikTok and Instagram advertising audiences during 2024–2025.

Digital advertising investment is forecast to continue its gradual expansion beyond the mid-2020s. By 2026, Myanmar’s total digital ad market is therefore likely to sit slightly above its 2025 level, with incremental growth led primarily by search and social channels. Even as overall marketing budgets face constraints, many businesses are shifting spend from offline to digital due to its superior measurability, lower barriers to entry, and stronger capability to reach fragmented audiences in an uncertain operating environment.

Strategic implications for 2026

For brands operating in Myanmar, the 2026 digital environment calls for a diversified yet disciplined channel strategy: search to capture high-intent demand, Facebook for scale and community engagement, TikTok for attention and virality, and Instagram for lifestyle and brand positioning. Effective plans will need to prioritize mobile-first creative execution, data-led optimization, and cost-efficient formats, particularly for SMEs that must maximize impact while working within tight budget constraints.

At the same time, ongoing uncertainty around infrastructure and policy requires marketers to build resilience into their strategies. This includes maintaining alternative channels, strengthening owned assets such as websites and email databases, and developing cross-platform communities to reduce dependency on any single platform. Overall, the 2024–2026 evidence suggests that Myanmar’s digital marketing ecosystem, while still maturing, is becoming more sophisticated, offering clear opportunities for brands that can navigate local connectivity conditions, cultural nuances, and evolving consumer behavior effectively.

Emerging key trends 

Several major forces are reshaping how brands in Myanmar will plan and execute digital marketing in 2026, building on patterns that became clear during 2024–2025. These shifts span platforms, content formats, and budget allocation, favoring marketers who prioritize authenticity, mobile‑first execution, and data‑informed decisions grounded in local market conditions, creating strong opportunities for digital marketers who can specialize in multi‑platform strategy, social commerce funnels, and creator‑led campaigns.

Moving beyond Facebook-only strategies

One of the most significant changes is the gradual move away from Facebook as a single-channel strategy toward a broader platform mix that includes Telegram, TikTok, and VPN-accessed platforms such as Instagram. Local agencies note that Telegram has quickly evolved into a key space for social commerce and brand communities, while TikTok has emerged as the primary channel for short-form video engagement among younger audiences. Instagram, despite access limitations, continues to attract a concentrated urban following, particularly for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands targeting more affluent consumers.

By 2026, brands that continue to rely exclusively on Facebook are likely to see declining reach and engagement, especially among Gen Z and younger millennials who spend more time on TikTok and within Telegram groups. Effective strategies will link platforms together—for example, using TikTok to drive discovery, Telegram to nurture interest and facilitate conversion, and Facebook or Instagram to reinforce credibility and brand storytelling.

Growth of creator and influencer marketing

Creator and influencer marketing is becoming a critical channel for trust-building and reach in Myanmar’s fragmented media environment. Statista-based estimates referenced in local analyses suggest influencer-related spending could grow from roughly USD 18 million in 2024 to around USD 25 million by 2028, representing high single-digit annual growth. Agencies consistently report that micro-influencers with follower bases of 5,000 to 30,000 often outperform celebrities because their content feels more authentic and closely tied to real communities.

In 2026, this trend will encourage brands to invest in longer-term partnerships and always-on creator programs rather than isolated sponsored posts. The most effective approaches will combine TikTok creators, Facebook page operators, and Telegram group admins, giving creators flexibility to adapt tone, language, and humor so branded messages feel like genuine recommendations rather than traditional advertisements.

Expansion of social commerce and payment integration

Social commerce is expected to continue expanding as consumers grow more comfortable purchasing through live streams, direct messages, and community-based channels. Digital landscape reports indicate that e-commerce in Myanmar is still growing despite economic pressures, supported by wider use of digital payments and alternative shopping models. Telegram and TikTok are central to this evolution, with Telegram channels functioning as curated storefronts and TikTok content acting as a discovery and demand-generation engine.

By 2026, leading marketers will design end-to-end social commerce funnels, from TikTok-style discovery videos to order capture via Telegram chatbots and payment through local wallets or bank transfers. This will require closer coordination between marketing, operations, and logistics to ensure that customer expectations set by content are matched by smooth ordering, reliable delivery, and responsive support.

Renewed focus on SEO, content, and owned media

Another notable shift is the renewed importance of SEO and owned media as sustainable, cost-effective growth drivers in a market where paid advertising can be volatile and increasingly expensive. SEO analyses for Myanmar in 2025 highlight growing search behavior as internet penetration and mobile usage rise, with more consumers researching products, services, and education options online before purchasing. With internet penetration projected to reach the mid-60 percent range by 2026, the long-term value of search-optimized websites and content is set to increase.

Local specialists recommend prioritizing mobile optimization, fast-loading pages, and Burmese-language SEO tailored to local search behavior rather than generic keyword strategies. Brands that integrate search-driven content, email databases, and first-party data with social and influencer traffic will be better positioned to withstand platform disruptions and escalating ad costs.

Data-led, budget-efficient execution

Finally, ongoing economic and regulatory uncertainty is pushing marketers to become more disciplined and performance-focused in how they allocate digital budgets. Industry outlooks predict continued growth in the digital sector through 2031, but within constraints that reward efficiency and measurable outcomes. As a result, brands in 2026 are likely to adopt structured approaches such as testing new platforms with small budgets, scaling only proven creatives and audiences, and using analytics tools—even basic ones—to track metrics like ROAS, CAC, and retention.

This environment favors continuous experimentation: validating creatives organically on TikTok before investing in paid media, trialing small influencer collaborations before committing to long-term contracts, and comparing performance across Facebook, Telegram, and search to refine channel mix. The marketers most likely to succeed in Myanmar in 2026 will blend creative thinking with rigorous measurement, using increasing connectivity and platform diversity to build resilient, multi-channel digital ecosystems.

Conclusion

Overall, the digital marketing landscape in Myanmar 2026 is defined by rapid but uneven growth, with mobile-first consumers and fragmented platforms creating both complexity and opportunity. Brands that deeply understand local behavior, navigate regulatory and infrastructure constraints, and invest in data-driven, content-led strategies will be best positioned to capture long-term advantage in this evolving market.