What we see from these rising numbers is that growth and profitability can very much go hand-in-hand. Businesses are adapting to the evolving demands of the digital landscape and the changing behaviors of Southeast Asian consumers. As the focus is shifting from rapid growth to sustainable profitability, innovation continues to thrive.
Strides in e-commerce and gaming
That innovation is particularly evident in two areas: video commerce and mobile gaming. Creators in Southeast Asia have helped drive e-commerce growth significantly through their use of live shopping. In fact, video commerce in the region accounts for 20% of the total e-commerce GMV — which has itself grown 15% since last year. And when it comes to gaming, Southeast Asia’s developers are driving an outsized share of the global gaming market with 12% of all global mobile game downloads in 2024. Gaming content has surged as a result, with more creators and uploads than any other consumer category. As the report shows, the region’s developers are building for a global audience.
A global hub for AI
The 2024 report shows compelling evidence of Southeast Asia’s inherent strengths in AI. Its young, digitally plugged-in population has a strong appetite for AI-powered products and services. In fact, AI-related searches in Southeast Asia grew 11 times from 2020 to 2024 and three of its countries — Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia — rank in the top 10 countries globally that searched most for AI.
