Pakistan is one of the leading countries in the world in YouTube video viewing, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman told the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom.
Presenting figures on social media usage, he said 96 million Pakistanis currently use YouTube, and 560 million videos are watched on the platform in the country every day.
YouTube was officially founded on February 14, 2005. Co-founder Jawed Karim uploaded its first video, “Me at the zoo,” on April 23, 2005. The 18-second video has received more than 372 million views.
The platform now has approximately 2.58 billion active users, up from 2 billion in 2019. Around 42.8 percent of global internet users access YouTube monthly. It is available in more than 100 countries and supports 80 languages.
India has the largest YouTube audience, with an estimated 500 million users, followed by the United States with 254 million. Globally, more men than women use the platform. YouTube ranks fourth among the most-used social media platforms, behind Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Individual content creators earn an estimated $1.61 to $29.30 per 1,000 views, depending on various factors.
The PTA chairman said TikTok has 100 million users in Pakistan, while 150 million Pakistanis watch and upload videos on the app. On WhatsApp, he said the platform has 100 million users in the country. Pakistanis make one billion calls and send 12 billion messages on the app every day, he added.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, who also addressed the meeting, said social media and artificial intelligence (AI) have sharply increased data consumption in Pakistan.
She said no spectrum auction had been held since the government led by Nawaz Sharif, leaving the country with 4G services. The present government has since held a 5G spectrum auction, she said. According to the minister, 1.8 million people now use 5G in Pakistan, and the service is being introduced in 24 cities.
The minister said steps were being taken to improve telecom services, noting that service disruptions have several causes. She said theft was one of them, with entire towers, diesel and generators being stolen.
