The study, from Global Web Index, indicates that in 2014, 13% of internet users globally aged 16-64 owned a wearable, rising to 19% in 2019, the report finds.
Since 2014, wearable owners are increasingly less likely to support attitudes which suggest they’re concerned about status.
The research tracked three attitudes over 5 years and comparing what percentage of wearable owners and non-wearable owners agree with the following: (1) I like to keep up with the latest fashions; (2) having the latest technological products is very important to me; and (3) I tend to buy the premium version of a product.
In 2014, 13% of internet users globally aged 16-64 owned a wearable, rising to 19% in 2019, the report finds.
When this is broken down by region, we can see that Asia Pacific is the most concentrated region for wearables, with 22% of internet users owning such a device.
The top three countries for wearable ownership are all found in Asia, with China leading the pack at 28%, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong – both at 25%.
Asia Pacific has been notably ahead of the curve for wearable ownership since 2014. In addition, North American wearable ownership has seen a 122% growth – with 20% of internet users in North America now owning a wearable.
Despite North America being second to China in terms of unit sales, it remains the world’s most valuable market – reaching US$2.0 billion in Q2 2019.
What’s also particularly intriguing is the accelerating growth of the market in Europe since 2016. This transatlantic growth should come as little surprise after considering that the Apple watch was first released in April 2015.