Smartwatches are revolutionising the tech industry as the multifunctional device does more than simply making and answering calls.
According to research by Watch Faces, over a fifth (22.5 per cent) of the world’s internet users now own a smartwatch, amounting to a total of 1.2 billion people globally — a nine per cent rise from the year before.
The popularity of smartwatches differs widely between nations, with some exhibiting more significant adoption rates than others. Notably, the United Arab Emirates ranks highest, with over a third (33.4 per cent) of its internet users (roughly 3.1 million people) owning a smartwatch device.
The Czech Republic ranks second, with 31.6% of its internet users (approximately 3 million people) owning a smartwatch, followed closely by Hong Kong at 30.6 per cent or an estimated 2.1 million smartwatch users.
Smartwatch adoption in India is 29.1 per cent , equivalent to 201.4 million users, given the country’s population.
Meanwhile, Poland rounds out the top five countries with the highest smartwatch adoption rate. There 28.8 per cent of internet users, or around 10.6 million people, own one.
The United States also has a higher than average smartwatch ownership rate of 26 per cent among internet users, equating to approximately 80.9 million people. Whereas its neighbor Canada has a slightly lower smartwatch ownership rate of 21.8 per cent.
However, Japan, Morocco, and Ghana have the smallest smartwatch adoption rates among internet users. Despite boasting an 83 per cent internet penetration rate in 2023, only 8.6 per cent of Japanese internet users own a smartwatch. This is surprising given Japan’s reputation as a tech-savvy nation and a major player in the electronics industry. The number in Morocco stands at 6.4 per cent, while in Ghana, it is just 5.9 per cent.
Internet users aged 25 to 34 are the leading adopters of smartwatch technology, with 27.2 per cent of females and 26.9 per cent of males owning one.
Notably, the global interest in smartwatches shows no signs of cooling down. According to our previous research, tech giants like Apple are enjoying a significant demand for their smartwatches. In 2022, Apple dominated the smartwatch market with 50 million units sold.
