In Q4 2021, China’s Quora Zhihu’s user base continued its rapid growth, with average MAUs increasing by 36.4% year-over-year to 103.3 million. The average MAUs for the year 2021 was 95.9 million, representing a growth of 40.0% from 2020.
Zhihu’s average monthly paying members reached 6.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 102.0% over the fourth quarter of 2020. The average monthly paying members for the year was 5.1 million, representing a growth of 114.8% from 2020.
Its total revenues were RMB1,019.2 million (US$159.9 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, representing a growth of 96.1% over the fourth quarter of 2020. Total revenues for the year were RMB2,959.3 million (US$464.4 million), representing a growth of 118.9% from 2020.
During Q4 2021, Zhihu’s content-commerce solutions and paid membership businesses continued to grow rapidly, expanding 380.2% and 100.0%, respectively, in terms of revenue on a year-over-year basis, and collectively contributed 56.5% of Zhihu’s total revenue in the quarter.
Zhihu’s gross profit was RMB479.8 million (US$75.3 million) in Q4 2021, representing an increase of 44.1% YoY. Gross profit for the year was RMB1,553.9 million (US$243.8 million), representing an increase of 105.1% from 2020.
Gross profit was RMB1,553.9 million (US$243.8 million) in 2021, compared with gross profit of RMB757.8 million in 2020.
The gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2021 was 47.1%, compared to 64.1% in the same period of 2020.
Net loss was RMB383.3 million (US$60.1 million) in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared with RMB90.1 million in the same period of 2020. Net loss was RMB1,298.9 million (US$203.8 million) in 2021, compared with RMB517.6 million in 2020.
As of December 31, 2021, Zhihu had cash and cash equivalents, term deposits, and short-term investments of RMB7.4 billion (US$1.2 billion), compared with RMB3.1 billion as of December 31, 2020.
Zhihu just became a public company listed on the New York Stock exchange during the first quarter of 2021. Read its profile here.
The rise of paid digital content in China
Net loss was RMB321.1 million (US$49.7 million) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with RMB116.1 million in the same period of 2020.
China social media users’ content preference by education levels