WhatsApp remains the most widely subscribed platform with 9.2 million users, closely followed by TikTok with 9.1 million subscribers.
Kampala, Uganda: Popular vlogging platform, TikTok, has emerged as Uganda’s leading internet data consumer, accounting for 56% of all Over-The-Top (OTT) traffic, far surpassing WhatsApp, YouTube, and other major digital platforms, according to a new report from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) reveals.
UCC’s latest internet usage analysis, released last week, indicates that TikTok users consumed 22.4 million gigabytes of data between January and June 2025. This is more than double the 9.6 million gigabytes used by WhatsApp, which accounted for just 24% of OTT data traffic.
WhatsApp remains the most widely subscribed platform with 9.2 million users, closely followed by TikTok with 9.1 million subscribers. However, TikTok’s video-heavy content makes it the most data-intensive platform in the country.
YouTube, another prominent video platform, ranked third in both users and traffic, attracting 6.4 million users and 5 million gigabytes of data, translating to 13% of total OTT usage.
“These figures highlight changing user habits, with video-based platforms now dominating Uganda’s digital landscape,” the report reads.
The report further shows that Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter (X), and Netflix trail behind in OTT data traffic, each contributing between 1% and 2%. Notably, Netflix’s 220,000 subscribers used nearly 700,000 gigabytes, underscoring the platform’s high data intensity despite a smaller user base.
The UCC attributes this trend to a significant rise in video consumption, especially among Uganda’s youth, who increasingly prefer short-form video apps like TikTok for entertainment, expression, and interaction.
Digital analysts say the findings confirm that Uganda’s internet economy is now largely driven by video content. Telecom companies are expected to leverage this data to adjust future content delivery models and data bundles.
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