Facebook still rules Sri Lanka’s social media, but TikTok is closing in

Facebook remains the most used social media platform among Sri Lankan internet users, holding an 81% share according to the newly released Digital Outlook Sri Lanka 2026 report. YouTube follows at 72%, while TikTok has climbed to 48%, up 6 percentage points from last year. Instagram rounds out the top four at 42%.

The bigger story is the direction of travel. Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram all lost ground compared to 2025, slipping from 83%, 77%, and 49% respectively. TikTok was the standout gainer, suggesting Sri Lankan users are steadily shifting their attention toward short-form video.

Age plays a major role in these patterns. Younger users, particularly those aged 13 to 24, show far higher TikTok engagement than older age groups, while Facebook usage climbs steadily with age, peaking among users over 55. YouTube maintains broad appeal across nearly every age bracket, reinforcing its position as the platform with the widest reach regardless of demographic.

Gender differences are also worth noting. Female users show slightly stronger engagement on Facebook and TikTok, while male users lean marginally more toward X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. The gaps aren’t dramatic, but they’re consistent enough to matter for anyone planning targeted campaigns.

News habits

The report’s second key finding centres on how Sri Lankans get their news, and the trend lines point firmly toward digital and social channels. Social media news pages and profiles are now the leading source of news for 56% of internet users, ahead of television at 48% and mobile apps at 40%. Newspapers trail well behind at 15%, with radio even further down at 10%.

What stands out is that every major channel, including social media itself, saw a decline compared to 2025. Social media dropped from 58%, television from 53%, mobile apps from 41%, newspapers from 29%, and radio from 15%. Rather than consolidating around fewer sources, audiences appear to be fragmenting further, spreading their attention across a wider mix of platforms.

One channel bucking this downward trend is WhatsApp. WhatsApp Channels have emerged as a meaningful news source at 13%, a sign that private messaging platforms are increasingly doubling as information hubs, not just tools for personal communication.

Age analysis reinforces how differently generations consume news. Younger users under 24 rely heavily on social media and mobile apps, while older users, especially those above 55, still lean on television as their primary source. Newspapers retain a modest but ageing readership, concentrated mostly among users 45 and above.

What this means for brands and media planners

Taken together, these two data sets paint a clear picture. Sri Lanka’s digital audience isn’t just growing, it’s diversifying in how it consumes both entertainment and information. A media strategy built purely around Facebook and television, once a reasonably safe default, now risks missing a meaningful and growing slice of the population that has moved toward TikTok, YouTube, and messaging-based news channels.

For advertisers and content creators, the practical takeaway is that platform choice can no longer be a set-and-forget decision. What worked last year may already be losing relevance this year, given how quickly usage patterns are shifting across age groups and platforms alike.

The report’s underlying message is that Sri Lankan digital behaviour is evolving quickly. Staying aligned with it requires more frequent recalibration than most media plans currently allow for.