The Macau Association For Internet Research (MAIR) released its “Internet Usage Trends In Macau 2025” survey on its official website yesterday, which showed that Internet usage has reached 100 percent among residents aged 18-40.
The survey was designed and overseen by MAIR, with fieldwork executed by E-Research-Solutions (eRS). Conducted between March and April via random-digit-dial telephone interviews, the study polled 1,213 Macau residents aged 6 to 84.
The term “netizen” refers to any resident who accesses the internet via devices including but not limited to computers, smartphones, or tablet devices, the survey noted.
The survey reveals that this year 93 percent of local residents are Internet users, marking a 4.0 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels. Smartphone adoption reached 91 percent, similarly reflecting a 4.0 percent increase compared to the pre-pandemic.
The survey further indicates that adult Internet users’ e-government service utilisation rate has surged from 43 percent in 2017 to 81 percent in 2025, with a satisfaction score of 7.3 out of 10. Additionally, online shopping has become ubiquitous, with 81 percent of adult netizens making digital purchases.
The survey reveals that nearly 50 percent of respondents have adopted generative AI, with younger demographics, students, and working professionals emerging as primary user groups. The most frequent applications include information retrieval, research, and Q&A, with weekly usage being the most common pattern. DeepSeek ranks as the most widely used AI tool, followed by ChatGPT.
The survey highlights the rapid adoption of mobile payments, with 89 percent of residents now using this method, a 2.34-fold increase from the pre-pandemic adoption rate of 38 percent. Meanwhile, the survey also pointed out that residents’ security concerns regarding mobile payments have declined by 36 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.
The survey concludes by emphasising the critical need to focus on youth digital literacy development, strengthen cybersecurity education, and establish a robust cybersecurity protection framework.
Netizens look at their phones at a bus stop in the city centre yesterday evening. – Photo: Armindo Neves
