While ecommerce is generally booming around the globe, it’s especially surging in the Asia-Pacific (APAC). Excluding China, the APAC market reached USD 1 trillion in volume in 2024; by 2027, it is expected to reach USD 1.5 trillion.
Using data from a new report, ‘The E-Commerce Data Portrait of Asia Pacific’, here’s a look at key insights for 12 major markets in the region.
55% of ecommerce purchases are made with desktops, in sharp contrast to other markets, in which mobile dominates;
China (55% share) and the US (45% share) are the two top markets for cross-border ecommerce purchases by Australians;
Home and garden products are the top purchase categories for Gen Y, Gen X, and baby boomers in Australia, while fashion is the top category for Gen Z;
52% of the population does not have a financial account of any kind, which is likely why cash on delivery has a 75% share as an ecommerce payment method;
4 in 10 Bangladeshis say that social media/online reviews help them discover new products;
Only 1% of ecommerce purchases in Bangladesh are cross-border.
7 in 10 online shoppers shop at least once per month on a cross-border ecommerce platform;
Hongkongers use digital wallets for 45% of their ecommerce purchases;
Clothing is the #1 product purchased online in Hong Kong’s ecommerce market.
By the end of 2025, India will gain 80 million new online shoppers – on top of the 125 million it has gained in the last 3 years;
1 in 3 Indian ecommerce shoppers are Gen Z (born in or after 1997);
75% of ecommerce purchases in India are made with mobile devices.
20% of ecommerce sales in Indonesia are cross-border;
6 of 10 Indonesian online shoppers made purchases via live shopping in 2024;
Digital wallets are the leading ecommerce payment method among Indonesians, with a 35% share.
The mature Japanese ecommerce market, with 94 million shoppers, will grow at a CAGR of 7% to reach USD 465 billion by 2027;
Only 8 of 100 Japanese shoppers returned a product purchased online, the lowest percentage in a survey of e-shoppers in 18 countries;
Credit cards dominate Japan’s ecommerce market, with 63%, compared to just 15% for digital wallets, and 1% for debit cards.
70% of ecommerce sales in Malaysia are on domestic sites;
6 of 10 Malaysian online shoppers (61%) purchase at least one product or service online every week;
Only 5% of ecommerce purchases in Malaysia are made with cash, while credit cards are the #1 payment method, with a 35% share.
Cash on delivery dominates ecommerce payments in Pakistan, with a 75% share;
80% of ecommerce purchases in Pakistan are made with mobile devices, and electronics/media is the top product category purchased online;
Fast delivery (52%), price (51%), and low-cost/free shipping (51%) are among the top drivers for Pakistani online shoppers.
The average per capita ecommerce spend in the Philippines is USD 273;
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has only a 1% share among ecommerce payment methods, while digital wallets (34% share) are the top method;
69% of Filipino e-shoppers say that fashion products are what they buy most online, considerably ahead of the #2 category, beauty products (50.5%), and food/beverages (36%).
2 out of 3 South Korean e-shoppers are active users of marketplace shopping apps;
With a 58% share, credit cards are, by far, the top ecommerce payment method in South Korea, with digital wallets at #2, with a 24% share;
Food/drinks are the top-selling ecommerce product category in South Korea.
Its ecommerce market is projected to reach USD 58.5 billion by 2027, compared to USD 38.5 billion in 2024;
7 of 10 Thai ecommerce shoppers say they prefer shopping online rather than in physical stores;
Unlike in other APAC markets, bank transfers (40% share) are the most popular payment method for ecommerce purchases.
By 2027, it’s projected that the Vietnamese ecommerce market will gain USD 20 billion in volume to reach USD 44 billion;
Cash on delivery has a dominant 67% share of the ecommerce payment methods used in Vietnam;
Live commerce is estimated to have a market volume of USD 11 billion by 2026 and has an approximate 11% growth rate.
These bulleted points featured here only reflect a small percentage of the data found in ‘The E-Commerce Data Portrait of Asia Pacific’, which PCMI created to serve as a resource for financial services and banking professionals. Besides its practical use as a source to fuel presentations or reports that require market data, the Data Portrait may also offer a basic understanding of multiple markets that can fuel strategic planning or decision-making. To obtain the full report at no charge, please click here.
However, a data compendium isn’t the same as a market analysis that covers opportunities. As a global payments consultancy, PCMI provides both hard data and strategic guidance to help companies maximise their success and minimise their risks in payments markets around the world. You can learn more about the company’s work and contact its team on PCMI’s website.
Tonet Santana is a Senior Consultant for Asia-Pacific at Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI). Tonet is a seasoned leader in payments, with nearly two decades of experience – not only in traditional banking but more recently in emerging new digital payments and technologies in local, regional, and global roles covering more than 100 markets. Having worked in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and New York, Tonet brings a unique viewpoint, a deep understanding of local nuances vis-à-vis regional and global priorities, and a great and profound appreciation of the power of diversity and inclusion.
PCMI is an advisory group focused on the global payments industry, with over 30 years of experience providing market intelligence to corporations, executing more than 500 client engagements in the payments industry since 1991. PCMI performs custom strategic engagements, including market sizing, opportunity benchmarking, market entry, customer insights, and more, covering over 50 global markets in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC regions. Visit www.paymentscmi.com to learn more.
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