Southeast Asia’s Internet Economy Faces Slowest Growth Since 2017

Hey folks! Guess what? Southeast Asia’s internet economy is not doing so hot this year. According to a bunch of researchers, it’s gonna have its slowest growth ever! Can you believe it? They even had to cut their estimates for e-commerce spending in the region by a whopping 13%. That’s a big drop, my friends. So, how much are we talking about here? Well, online spending is only gonna rise by about 11% this year, reaching a total of $218 billion. Now, that may sound like a lot, but it’s actually a slowdown from last year’s 20% growth. And get this, the researchers say it’s the lowest rate since at least 2017. Ouch! The biggest category, e-commerce, is also taking a hit. It’s only gonna reach $186 billion in 2025, instead of the $211 billion they thought. So, yeah, things are not looking too great for the internet economy in Southeast Asia. Let’s hope it bounces back soon!