What’s up With WhatsApp? WhatsApp Statistics for Fun and Profit

Damjan Jugovic Spajic

Updated: June 9, 2023

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We’ll get to the WhatsApp statistics in a moment. Let’s start with a bit of perspective.

The telephone was introduced in 1876 as an incremental improvement over the telegraph. No one expected the “voice telegraph” to be more than a convenient alternative to Morse code.

But the phone proved to be a game changer. Every home and business had to have one. The CIA Factbook reported in 2003 that more than 1.26 billion wired telephones were used worldwide.

Like the telephone, WhatsApp is easily dismissed as an incremental improvement over existing technology. Its primary function is to support text messaging, and voice calls – tasks that mobile phones handle just fine without WhatsApp. But the app has attracted over 2.4 billion users who send and receive messages at least once a month. That’s about one-fifth of the world’s total population.

What has made WhatsApp such a big deal?

Key WhatsApp Statistics 2023

• Over 2.4 billion people use WhatsApp at least once a month – with 500 million using it daily.
• India has the most significant number of WhatsApp users – 487.5 million.
• Over 2 billion minutes of voice and video calls on WhatsApp daily.
• With nearly 103 billion downloads from the Google Play Store, WhatsApp is the most downloaded app in the world.
• Over 100 billion messages are sent on WhatsApp daily. 
• WhatsApp users, on average, open the app around 23 to 25 times a day.
• 50% of American users use WhatsApp Messenger daily.
• Only 41% of people in Canada use WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Usage Statistics for 2023

Jan Koum, a former Yahoo employee, is the father of WhatsApp. Frustrated by missing calls on his new smartphone while hitting the gym, he brainstormed a new messaging service with former colleague Brian Acton in 2009. The idea became WhatsApp chat.

The app was an immediate hit. WhatsApp usage statistics reveal that it soon ranked among the world’s top three most downloaded apps.

1. 2.24 billion users send and receive messages using WhatsApp every day.

(Statista)

As of January 2023, over two billion people had installed the WhatsApp app. This free messaging service was a worldwide hit. Within three years of launch, it hit another milestone – 2.4 billion monthly active users worldwide.

User engagement with WhatsApp keeps rising, so chat statistics for WhatsApp have shown 44% year-over-year growth. With growth like that, WhatsApp quickly left Twitter and Instagram far behind.

2. WhatsApp users send over 100  billion messages every day.

(Trengo)

This messaging platform helps you connect with a friend sitting across the table or a classmate you haven’t seen for decades. WhatsApp chat gives long-distance relationships a chance and connects estranged relatives.

The company’s owners studied WhatsApp conversation statistics. They recognized this deep level of engagement as an excellent opportunity to strengthen the bonds between people – and a way to maintain a successful business.

3. Over 2 billion minutes of voice and video calls are sent daily via WhatsApp.

(Trengo)

There’s more to WhatsApp than text messages. More than 2 billion minutes of voice and video recordings are transmitted every day, according to the latest WhatsApp personal statistics. WhatsApp is a primary tool for communication in many countries, so these numbers are not that surprising.

There is only one company that beats WhatsApp in this department – Skype, whose users interchange more than 3 billion voice and video recordings daily.

4. WhatsApp is among the top 4 most downloaded Android apps in the world.

(Software Testing Help)

WhatsApp stats revealed a milestone in 2015 when the app reached 1 billion downloads. Only two other apps could say the same: Facebook, YouTube, and Tiktok.

Fast-forward to 2023, when WhatsApp statistics showed that the platform was one the most downloaded app, with nearly 103 billion downloads from the Google Play Store since its launch. The country with the most downloads is India, followed by Brazil.

5. WhatsApp is the most commonly blocked communication tool.

(Privacy End) 

The freedom of social media and online communication has become a pillar of political freedom and social justice. But freedom of speech is not a birthright in every corner of the world.

Governments in Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Brazil are just a few of the many who are increasingly going after messaging apps like WhatsApp chat and Telegram.

WhatsApp statistics for countries show that fear of internet-based activism has caused authorities in 6 countries to block the app service or disable certain features. They include; China, North Korea, Syria, Iran, Qatar, Cuba, and UAE.

6. There are only 42 countries where WhatsApp is not the market leader.

(Cloudwards)

Viber, KakaoTalk, Line, Facebook Messnger, or WhatsApp? The crowd is divided, but it’s not a contest. All the members of the Facebook dynasty are growing as fast as their parent company, and they are conquering the world’s markets.

Nonetheless, Cloudwards revealed a couple of dozen countries where WhatsApp doesn’t hold the #1 spot. Many of these countries are in Asia and Europe.

7. On average, users spent 17 hours using WhatsApp monthly in 2022.

(Statista)

If that number makes you uncomfortable, And if you think this information on WhatsApp usage sounds like an exaggeration, it isn’t.

As of 2022, users spent 17 hours using WhatsApp monthly. Users in Indonesia spent more than 29 hours on average, while users in Brazil spent around 28 hours monthly on the app. Australia spends less than 6 hours per month on WhatsApp, while users in the United States spend about 7 hours on average. 

WhatsApp Users Worldwide

Statistics of WhatsApp users show 2.4 billion monthly active users, which puts the app firmly in first place among messaging apps. Facebook’s Messenger is in second place, with 931 million active users.

8. There are 100 billion daily active WhatsApp users.

(Statista)

WhatsApp user statistics show that over 2.4 billion of us are in one place, and 500 million send and receive messages daily. WhatsApp still lags behind Facebook’s Messenger app but is not far behind. The first of its kind on the market, WhatsApp is one of those apps you install and spend your days with.

9. India has the most WhatsApp users: 487.5 million.

(Demand Sage)

In some countries, WhatsApp stats show a higher penetration rate. Still, this instant messaging app has engaged the most users in India.

10. India is the country with the highest market penetration.

(World Population Review)

An in-depth view of WhatsApp statistics in India shows over 487.5 million WhatsApp users in India. This high penetration rate made it more popular than WeChat and other messaging platforms.

11. 73% of people who own smartphones in Saudi Arabia are active WhatsApp users. 

(Statista)

WhatsApp usage statistics by country show that most Saudi Arabians own a phone using WhatsApp. Only YouTube approaches WhatsApp numbers across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

12. WhatsApp has a 98.9% penetration rate in Brazil and 97% in Italy.

(World Population Review)

According to the latest internet usage research, Brazil has a higher share of WhatsApp users, at 98.9%. Next came Italy, with a WhatsApp penetration rate of approximately 97%. The United Kingdom has a WhatsApp penetration rate of 71.3%. 

13. Only 41% of people in Canada use WhatsApp.

(Canadians Internet)

Statistics reveal a relationship between where Canadians live and their messaging preferences. The lowest WhatsApp usage is in Quebec – less than 5%. But if you check out Ontario, WhatsApp usage statistics reveal that 17% prefer WhatsApp. Canadians have affordable options besides WhatsApp, and a free messaging app doesn’t sound as appealing.

14. UK citizens aged 24-35 use WhatsApp the most, while the age category between 35-44 shows less coverage.

(MessengerPeople)

Anyone who studies WhatsApp demographics statistics quickly sees that the platform is more prevalent among younger users. 84% of British smartphone users between 25 and 34 are regular WhatsApp users, and 80% are between 18 and 24. Usage steadily declines in other age brackets.  

15. 50% of American users use WhatsApp Messenger daily.

(Trengo) 

50% of American users use WhatsApp Messenger daily, 78% use it weekly, and 91% use it monthly. 

16. WhatsApp statistics in India show that WhatsApp is more popular among younger smartphone users. About 55% of male Indians 18 to 34 are regular WhatsApp users.

(Sinch)

India is going through increasing urbanization and substantial changes, so the number of internet users keeps growing. This market offers enormous potential since it has more than 450 million active internet users. 

How many users does WhatsApp have in India? It’s eight out of nine internet users, or 487 million. When we look into female and male WhatsApp statistics, we learn that while you can use WhatsApp to message 77% of male Indians, only 23% of female Indians use the app.

17. In the United States, people with a household income of $100,000 or more are more like to be WhatsApp users – 37% use the app.

(Statista)

The usage of WhatsApp differs between rural and urban areas. But the most significant difference is income. We see higher WhatsApp usage statistics among those who earn more.

WhatsApp Revenue Statistics for 2023

In any discussion of WhatsApp finances, a single question presents: How does WhatsApp make money?

WhatsApp wasn’t always free – it used to be a subscription service with annual fees.

However, access fees didn’t raise that much money and inhibited growth. WhatsApp’s founders made the app free and funded growth with rounds of investment. Here are some insights in the form of WhatsApp revenue statistics.

18. Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014.

(Investopedia)

In the last decade, there have been so many attention-grabbing acquisitions in Silicon Valley that it is hard to raise an eyebrow with a new one. However, Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp caused quite a stir with a shocking $19 billion purchase.

This is one of the most significant Facebook acquisitions, and it is by far the biggest the folks in Silicon Valley have ever seen. Experts thought the price too high, using WhatsApp analytics and Facebook financials to analyze why Mark Zuckerberg would spend a tenth of his company’s market value to buy a text messaging app.

The reason has become apparent. The WhatsApp purchase has been a critical factor in fueling the growth of Facebook’s user base.

19. WhatsApp’s first funding round of $250,000 came from the founders’ former colleagues at Yahoo.

(CNBC)

The 2014 deal between WhatsApp and Facebook is one of the most notable acquisitions in the history of Silicon Valley. But long before that, in 2009, another investment was just as crucial to WhatsApp’s success. 

WhatsApp became viable when messaging and notifications were added to version 2.0 in mid-2009. WhatsApp facts show that co-founder Brian Acton realized the company needed a financial boost to reach its potential and improve WhatsApp’s business statistics. He reached out to former colleagues at Yahoo, and in October 2009, five of them invested $250,000 in seed funding. 

20. In 2011, tech-focused venture capital firm Sequoia Capital invested $8 million in WhatsApp.

(Acquired Podcast) 

Naturally, WhatsApp’s growth attracted more money. The second investment in WhatsApp happened in 2011 when Sequoia Capital invested $8 million. The company followed WhatsApp revenue and usage statistics and invested another $50 million in February 2013, setting a WhatsApp valuation of $1.5 billion.

21. WhatsApp generated just $1,289,000 in revenues nine months preceding Facebook’s $14 billion acquisition.

(Investopedia)  

The acquisition almost didn’t happen. WhatsApp’s founders disagreed with  Facebook negotiators on many things. How much data does WhatsApp use? Facebook wanted to know. 

How much could we charge for ads on the platform? In the end, Facebook ignored the app’s low revenues, gave up the idea of integrating advertising into the app, and accepted the guiding vision of WhatsApp’s founders.

22. WhatsApp charged a $1 yearly subscription fee until 2016.

(VentureBeat)

The WhatsApp platform used to cost $1 to download. Then the company made the app free to download with a $1 annual usage fee – and waived charges for the first year. In 2013, the company granted current users free lifetime subscriptions. There were several ways to get out of paying the $1 fee, and almost no one paid it.

The founders officially dropped the subscription model in 2016. Their decision proved right since after the subscription model was canceled, Whatsapp message statistics show massive growth that led the app to its current position of market domination.

23. Wattsapp Business generated revenue of $906 million in 2022.

(Business of Apps)

WhatsApp has users in every region, and as the most popular messaging platform globally, an increase in revenue is to be expected. Wattsapp generated about 906 million in 2022, an increase from $790 million in 2021.

24. Wattsapp is estimated to be $98.56 billion by 2023.

(Meetanshi)

Experts at Forbes were among many who tried to predict WhatsApp’s future business model. In 2017, they predicted tools and policies that the WhatsApp app would rely on in the future. One of those predictions was a WhatsApp business model that would monetize the service by charging businesses more to respond quickly to customer messages.

Another prediction was that WhatsApp would one day generate $4 revenue per user each year. That prediction proved conservative, as did an accompanying forecast showing the app reaching 2.5 billion active monthly users by the end of 2023. 

Conclusion 

How do you want to communicate? How do you use WhatsApp? You may prefer keeping it simple with traditional text messages. You may resist WhatsApp because of privacy concerns. The Facebook acquisition has put those concerns on the front burner for many.

The strengths of this messaging service include ease of use, the lack of advertisements, and a vast user base. WhatsApp statistics suggest that the company has only scratched the surface of its potential. WhatsApp plays the long game.