As of March 2025, WhatsApp had three billion monthly active users, up from over 2 billion MAU in March 2020. The service is one of the most popular mobile messaging apps worldwide and was acquired by social network Facebook for 19 billion U.S. dollars in February 2014. WhatsAppWhatsApp is a cross-platform instant messaging service for smartphones that relies on the internet for the transmission of messages. Based on a low-cost subscription model, WhatsApp is a cheap alternative to carrier-billed text messaging via SMS, especially for international or group messaging. The mobile messaging app enables users to share text, image and video messages. In the United States, the WhatsApp audience amounted to 68.1 million users in 2019 and is set to grow to 85.8 million users in 2023. WhatsApp is especially popular in markets outside the United States while facing strong competition from Asia-based social messenger apps such as WeChat, LINE or Kakaotalk. WhatsApp’s popularity in emerging mobile markets is not only based on their low-cost business model but on many of its features.

WhatsApp is estimated to have reached almost ************* unique active users worldwide in June 2024, up by ***** percent compared to the corresponding month in 2023. The popular instant messaging platform, which hit *********** monthly active users in February 2022, was the leading communication channel for global smartphone users in 2024.

The number of WhatsApp users in North America was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 7.6 million users (+4.97 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the WhatsApp user base is estimated to reach 160.51 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of WhatsApp users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform whatsapp, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of WhatsApp users in countries like Worldwide and Africa.

The number of WhatsApp users in Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 2.6 million users (+2.17 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the WhatsApp user base is estimated to reach 122.38 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of WhatsApp users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform whatsapp, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of WhatsApp users in countries like Africa and South America.

The global number of KakaoTalk users in was forecast to decrease between 2024 and 2028 by in total 0.7 million users. This overall decrease does not happen continuously, notably not in 2026 and 2027. The KakaoTalk user base is estimated to amount to 48.7 million users in 2028. Notably, the number of KakaoTalk users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, here concerning the platform kakaoTalk, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period and count multiple accounts by persons only once.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

During the fourth quarter of 2024, communication platform WhatsApp Business had over 764.38 million monthly active users (MAU). This represents an increase of over six percent compared to the beginning of the year, when the B2C communication platform had approximately 907 million MAU. Launched in 2018, WhatsApp Business allows users to connect with companies' customer service representatives using the WhatsApp instant chat ecosystem.

India recorded about 200 million monthly active users in February 2017. With over 460 million internet users, India ranked second largest in the internet market worldwide. By 2023, it was estimated that this figure would surpass over 666 million internet users. Interestingly, amongst these users, over 390 million people accessed the web over their mobile phones.

The rise of digital India

With a mobile friendly approach to the internet, the use of social media applications was correspondingly high in India. By 2021, studies had found that around 29 percent of the total population would be active social media users. Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp were ranked among the most popular social networking sites in the country based on usage reach.

Social media transcends socio-economic boundaries

The high penetration of the mobile messaging application came as no surprise considering that the use of the messaging app had been increasing rapidly over the last few years. Although most WhatsApp users came from urban areas, rural areas recorded an increasing share of the app adoption. This adoption spread was also true across income groups. With increasing social media usage, there was also rising issues with the believability of information shared over these platforms, leading to the increase in fake news and cybercrime.

As of the third quarter of 2024, Nigeria saw approximately **** percent of the country's digital population engaging with mobile social messaging platform WhatsApp on a monthly basis. Approximately **** percent of internet users in South Africa reported using WhatsApp every month, while Brazil saw **** percent of its internet users engaging with the platform. By comparison, only **** percent of internet users in France reported using the messaging app, while the United States had the lowest WhatsApp usage rate among the examined markets. WhatsApp usage worldwide As of February 2025, WhatsApp counted roughly two billion global monthly active users. The Facebook-owned mobile messaging service is particularly popular in mobile-first countries, with more than ***** million downloads during the fourth quarter of 2024 in India alone. However, after the app’s 2021 controversial privacy update, ** percent of users in the country have intended to drastically reduce their WhatsApp usage and start using other communication channels, like SMS, e-mails, or migrate to WhatsApp competitors Telegram and Signal. WhatsApp privacy update woes WhatsApp’s major privacy policy update announced on January 4, 2021 was not well received by users worldwide. The most controversial aspect of the update saw WhatsApp requesting users to give permission to share data like mobile phone numbers and locations with its parent company Facebook or stop using the app altogether. As a result, WhatsApp faced a *** million U.S. dollars fine from the Data Protection Commission for not respecting Europe’s GDPR, as well as a ******* euros fine in Turkey for privacy rules violations.Subsequently, many users chose to migrate towards competing messaging platforms like Telegram and Signal. During the first quarter of 2021, Telegram downloads worldwide spiked, reaching ***** million downloads in the Asia-Pacific region. Similarly, Signal reached ** million installs in January 2021, up by more than **** percent compared to the previous month.

As of June 2023, WhatsApp Business reported having over 200 million monthly active users (MAU) worldwide. Launched in January 2018, WhatsApp Business is a communication app tailor-made for small businesses to connect with their customers and communicate seamlessly. In July 2020, the app counted around 50 million MAU worldwide.

In 2021, WhatsApp's user base in India amounts to approximately ****** million users. The number of WhatsApp users in India is projected to reach ****** million users by 2025. User figures have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to *** countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The number of WhatsApp users in Brazil was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total *********** users (***** percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the WhatsApp user base is estimated to reach ****** million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of WhatsApp users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform whatsapp, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to *** countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

As of February 2025, two billion users were accessing the WhatsApp messenger on a monthly basis. The app’s reach in usage penetration is particularly strong in markets outside the United States, and it is one of the most popular mobile social apps worldwide. WeChat amassed over 1.38 billion users, and Facebook Messenger amassed around 947 million users worldwide. Instant messaging is a type of online chat which offers real-time text transmission via internet. Since the appearance of the smartphone and the subsequent explosion of mobile apps, low-cost or free chat and social messaging apps have proven themselves as a cheap alternative to operator-based text messaging via SMS. Many messenger apps offer features such as group chats, the exchange of graphics, video and even audio messages as well as stickers or emoticons.

As of the latest reported period, WhatsApp had more than half a billion daily active Status users worldwide, up from 450 million global DAU in the second quarter of 2018. WhatsApp Status is similar to the Stories feature of other social apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, allowing users to share photos, videos and text that disappear after 24 hours. WhatsApp usage in the United States With over 1.5 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is the most popular mobile messenger app worldwide. As of 2019, the chat app had an estimated 68 million users in the United States, with forecasts projecting an audience size of almost 86 million users in 2023. Despite a sizable app audience, WhatsApp still lags behind competitors Facebook Messenger and Snapchat in terms of U.S. mobile reach and brand awareness. However, according to recent industry data, user engagement with WhatsApp grew 44 percent year-over-year, putting it ahead of other social networks including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. WhatsApp and Facebook In February 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for a then unheard-of figure for such a purchase – 19 billion U.S. dollars. The mobile messenger is one of Facebook’s four billion-user properties, along with the core Facebook platform, Facebook Messenger and Instagram. During the first quarter of 2019, Facebook stated that 2.7 billion people were using at least one of the company's core products (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger) each month.

This statistic shows a ranking of the estimated worldwide number of Whatsapp users in 2020, differentiated by country. The user numbers have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in more than *** countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

In 2021, WhatsApp's user base in France amounts to approximately ***** million users. The number of WhatsApp users in France is projected to reach ***** million users by 2025. User figures have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to *** countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently sits at more than three billion monthly active users. Meta Platforms owns four of the biggest social media platforms, all with more than one billion monthly active users each: Facebook (core platform), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram. In the third quarter of 2023, Facebook reported around four billion monthly core Family product users. The United States and China account for the most high-profile social platforms Most top ranked social networks with more than 100 million users originated in the United States, but services like Chinese social networks WeChat, QQ or video sharing app Douyin have also garnered mainstream appeal in their respective regions due to local context and content. Douyin’s popularity has led to the platform releasing an international version of its network: a little app called TikTok. How many people use social media? The leading social networks are usually available in multiple languages and enable users to connect with friends or people across geographical, political, or economic borders. In 2025, social networking sites are estimated to reach 5.42 billion users and these figures are still expected to grow as mobile device usage and mobile social networks increasingly gain traction in previously underserved markets.

The number of WhatsApp users in Mexico was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total *** million users (+**** percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the WhatsApp user base is estimated to reach ***** million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of WhatsApp users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform whatsapp, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to *** countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of WhatsApp users in countries like United States and Canada.

The number of WhatsApp users in the Caribbean was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.2 million users (+2.09 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the WhatsApp user base is estimated to reach 9.71 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of WhatsApp users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform whatsapp, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of WhatsApp users in countries like Europe and Asia.

In 2021, WhatsApp's user base in the United Kingdom amounts to approximately 40.23 million users. The number of WhatsApp users in the United Kingdom is projected to reach 38.35 million users by 2025. User figures have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

The number of WhatsApp users in South America was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total *** million users (+**** percent). After the fifth consecutive increasing year, the WhatsApp user base is estimated to reach ****** million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. User figures, shown here regarding the platform whatsapp, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to *** countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of WhatsApp users in countries like Europe and Australia & Oceania.