Despite a national ban, China is Facebook’s second-largest market
10%
Facebook may be banned in China, but new research shows that it’s still the company’s second-largest market, bringing in 10% of its global revenue.
Published | Photo by Reuters/Dado Ruvic
According to New York-based research firm Pivotal, China accounts for $5 billion of Facebook’s yearly revenue. Much of it comes from advertising sales.
For added transparency, Facebook is disclosing billing addresses for advertisers. Despite Facebook being banned in China since 2009, Chinese companies use Facebook to target customers worldwide.
The number of Chinese brands and agencies specializing in marketing for Facebook audiences is also growing, says research agency R3, especially for smartphones, gaming apps, and e-commerce.
Facebook’s had many starts and stops as it’s tried to secure a launch in China, but the company’s been busy with substantial legal problems, executive shuffling, and improving content moderation.
All those problems aside, Facebook is still making money hand over fist—and ad revenue from Chinese brands reaching beyond their local markets seems poised to increase, with or without the ban.
Facebook’s monthly users continue to grow
