WhatsApp Usage Statistics: An Overview of the World's Leading Messenger App

WhatsApp has become one of the most widely used messaging apps worldwide. Many people prefer to message on the app due to its simple calling, instant messaging, and multi-media sharing feature. Due to its popularity, the app has around 2 billion monthly users, and there are 41 million messages sent on WhatsApp daily. There are more of these numbers below. 

In this article, learn more about WhatsApp, from its revenue, downloads, usages, and time spent on the app. Continue reading to view all of the WhatsApp statistics for 2023.

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• WhatsApp is the world's 3rd most popular social media network.
• The app has around 2.24 billion active monthly users.
• Google Play Store ranked WhatsApp as the 8th most downloaded app.
• India has the most WhatsApp users, with 487 million registered users.
• WhatsApp has reached its goal of handling 1 billion messages daily.
•  WhatsApp is accessible in over 180 countries and 60 languages.
• 73% of Android and 22% of iOS users use WhatsApp.
• Facebook purchased WhatsApp in 2014 for $19.6 billion.
• North Korea, China, Iran, Cuba, Syria, and the UAE banned WhatsApp.
• WhatsApp only has 55 employees working for the app.

How Many Whatsapp Users Are There?

WhatsApp has approximately 2.24 billion users worldwide. It currently has 737 million higher subscribers than the runner-up, "WeChat."

It has developed into a significant messaging application for all its users, not just for individuals who desire interaction and maintain contact but also for businesses looking to connect with their customers efficiently.

WhatsApp Users by Country in 2023

WhatsApp is available in 180 countries and ranks as one of the top-rated online messenger apps. Users around the globe prefer the app as it's free to use and only requires a Wi-Fi connection. 

Here are the countries that use WhatsApp in 2023. 

1. WhatsApp has 2 billion active users worldwide as of January 2022.

(Statista)

WhatsApp was on top in June 2022 with 2.44 billion active users, while WeChat only had 1.26 billion and Facebook Messenger got 988 million. WhatsApp's extensive availability makes it helpful for consumers and companies without needing to pay or subscribe to phone providers.

Here are 10 countries with the most WhatsApp users:

• India - 487.5 million 
• Brazil -118.5 million 
• Indonesia - 84.8 million 
• U.S. - 79.6 million 
• Russia - 67 million 
• Mexico - 60 million 
• Germany - 49.2 million 
• Italy - 36.9 million 
• Spain - 32.2 million 
• Argentina - 26.5 million 

WhatsApp's Monthly Active Users

WhatsApp saw a boost of 40% in its monthly active user base due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Since 2013, the total number of monthly WhatsApp users (MAU) worldwide has increased fivefold. WhatsApp will be used monthly by over 2 billion users worldwide in 2023.

This rate also predicts that WhatsApp users will continue to grow - not just for individual users but also for companies and businesses. 

2. From 2016 to 2020, 1 billion more people joined WhatsApp. 

(TheVerge)

WhatsApp gained 1 billion users after its Facebook acquisition two years prior. Mark Zuckerberg saw the potential of WhatsApp as a messaging platform. He purchased it for $19 billion, hoping to grow the app as part of META.

Before the merger, WhatsApp had 450 million users and only made $10.8 million annually. WhatsApp was initially led by its Co-founder and CEO, Jan Koum.

3. Overall usage of WhatsApp features grew by 40% in March 2020. 

(Techcrunch)

As countries worldwide went into lockdown, people tried modern ways to stay in touch with loved ones. At the time, apps like Zoom grew at the same rate as WhatsApp. At the height of the outbreak, people worldwide used WhatsApp twice as much as before. 

4. 53% of Males make up the majority of WhatsApp users. 

(Statista)

Males constitute the majority of active WhatsApp users, while women stand at 46.5%. It can be attributed to men being more part of WhatsApp group chats than women.

5. WhatsApp gets 500 million new users every two years. 

(VentureBeat)

There are 500 million unique users on WhatsApp every two years. Before Facebook bought it in 2014, WhatsApp only had 450 million users. It had more than 1 billion users in 2016 and more than 1.5 billion users in 2018. 

The Number of WhatsApp Messages Sent Per Day

WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart stated that the number of WhatsApp texts sent rose by 53.84% in 2018: and in December 2020, the daily text volume surpassed 100 billion.

Here are more statistics about WhatsApp's daily messages:

6. WhatsApp has sent over 100 billion messages daily for 10 years since its release. 

(TechCrunch)

A decade after reaching 1 billion, WhatsApp sent 100 billion texts daily. The number of messages it gets shows that the app has increased by over 100 times compared to the daily messages it received in 2022.

7. Users spend 15 billion minutes on calls on WhatsApp daily.

(Oberlo and Influencer Marketing Hub) 

Instant messaging is not only the app's best feature; users also love the call functions. During COVID-19, the app saw a daily rise in calls and video chats. The company data presented during March 2020 showed that users spent an average of 15 billion minutes daily via WhatsApp calls.

WhatsApp U.S. Statistics

Although WhatsApp is less prevalent in the United States, 23% of daily users remain. Its obscurity is due to cell services in the country already providing users and subscribers unlimited cell services through messages or calls. 

Despite this, 91% of Americans still use the app monthly for business, communication, or general messaging. Many Americans use the app monthly for various reasons. It proves the app's daily use. Even though other messaging applications are becoming more popular, WhatsApp is still crucial for communication.

Here are more WhatsApp usage statistics in the U.S.:

8. 50% of Americans access WhatsApp daily.

(Audience Project)

1 out of 5 Americans said that they do it once or more than once a week. Due to this, more than 8 out of every ten people use WhatsApp. Only 13% of users used the app to grow their business network.

9. 1 out of 4 (23%) U.S. adults use WhatsApp. 

(Marketingcharts)

30% of people between 30 and 49 in the U.S. use WhatsApp, making it the average age group that operates the app the most. Next is users aged 18 to 29, comprising 24%, while people aged 50 to 64 included only 10%.

WhatsApp Business Statistics

WhatsApp is the ideal companion for businesses in 2023. The platform's appeal is growing as customers increasingly prefer communicating with companies using WhatsApp. Here are a few statistics on why businesses must embrace the platform.

10. Over 50 million people use WhatsApp Business. 

(DataReportal)

The WhatsApp Business app is for companies that want to use the app to talk to customers. It gives business owners messaging features, categorization choices, and a profile, which can become a fundamental business tool. 

11. 54% of businesses prefer WhatsApp to talk to customers and potential buyers. 

(NewVisionTheatres)

Users and businesses use the app to determine how their orders are going or when the products arrive. Most inquiries are also made in the app and track meetings and seminars.

39% of users also talk to customer service agents on the app, 23% use the app to cite information about marketing brands and product offers, and 33% say the app makes sending and receiving customer inquiries easier.

12. WhatsApp Business may improve customer service by 225%. 

(Tyntec)

One of the best things about using WhatsApp for business is how easy it is to talk to customers. Studies done by Tyntec show that WhatsApp Business makes customer service 225% better. It is also said to increase conversion rates by 20% and sales by 27%. 

13. There's a 99% open rate on WhatsApp Business API messages. 

(Telemedia)

Users are most likely to engage in WhatsApp messages than emails, which is one of the main benefits of using WhatsApp for business. WhatsApp API messages are opened by 99% of people with a reaction rate of just under 50%. 

14. Every day, 175 million people use WhatsApp to contact companies. 

(Twitter)

In January 2020, Cathcart noted that 175 million people use WhatsApp to contact companies daily, making it a valuable customer service channel that all businesses should consider. 

WhatsApp Revenue Statistics

WhatsApp is free for all and only needs a phone number and Wi-Fi to access its features. However, since the release of WhatsApp Business, the platform has seen an increase in revenue. 

In 2022, WhatsApp earned $906 million from WhatsApp Business, compared to the 790 million revenue from 2021, proving that the app's business side is adequate.

Here are some numbers showing how WhatsApp has grown and makes money.

15. As of 2009, the initial investment of WhatsApp was only $250,000. 

(FeedDough)

Yahoo workers Brian Acton and Jan Koum founded WhatsApp. They sought direction before joining a digital project. They want $250,000 from former coworkers. Facebook bought the company for 76,000 times the investment six years later.

16. In 2014, Facebook purchased $19 billion for WhatsApp. 

(Forbes)

When WhatsApp first came out, it quickly became famous. It caught the attention of Facebook and broke a record when it bought the app for $19 billion. Since then, WhatsApp's fame has grown, and Facebook has changed, such as adding WhatsApp Business. 

17. WhatsApp used to make money by charging users $0.99 per month to use the app. 

(FeedDough)

When WhatsApp emerged, people didn't know how to use it to its full potential. The designers were motivated to get around the pay-per-message system that SMS providers use. To deal with this, the team devised a plan for subscriptions. Each person paid $0.99 to have access to Live. 

Despite the fee, people flocked to WhatsApp as it let them send free photo texts, which was a big deal. Facebook bought the company, threw out the plan, and the app became free. 

WhatsApp Valuation 2023

Several analysts estimate each WhatsApp subscriber is worth $44. Given the present WhatsApp population of over 2.24 billion, the expectation of WhatsApp value in 2023 is higher than 98.56 billion. 

Here are more statistics regarding WhatsApp's valuation in 2023:

18. WhatsApp's Valuation Comparison rose from $1.5 billion to $98.56 billion.

(CNBC and TechCrunch)

WhatsApp has more monthly and daily active users than Twitter. Facebook pays about 50% of Twitter's market cap. Facebook is also paying 16 times what it paid for Instagram, even though WhatsApp has 15 times more users. 

Number of WhatsApp Downloads

The WhatsApp number of downloads reflects the app's success.  In August 2022, the app had 11 million downloads, and the WhatsApp Business app had 3 million downloads. 

WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business illustrates how popular the program is worldwide. The app's increasing downloads indicate that it provides a reliable and straightforward texting service.

19. In January 2021, WhatsApp was the fourth most downloaded app. 

(AppFigures)

In January 2021, TikTok did well in the App Store and Google Play Store. On the other hand, WhatsApp came in fourth on both platforms.

Overall, it has fewer downloads than Telegram (68 million), TikTok (60.9 million), and Facebook (43.9 million). During that time, 42 million people downloaded WhatsApp.

20. WhatsApp made it on the list of a few apps on the Google Play Store that gained 5 billion downloads. 

(HTTech)

WhatsApp for Android has surpassed the 5 billion download mark, making it the 2nd non-Google app with most Android apps with significant downloads. 

This figure includes downloads from the Google Play Store and installed by default copies, as Huawei and Samsung have previously included the app with some smartphones.

21. A report in 2020 revealed more than 600 million WhatsApp downloads on Google Play Store alone. 

(BackLinkO)

The United States alone contributed 7.5% or 45 million of all downloads. The amount of downloads also varies by country, with Sweden seeing the most significant increase in the Q1 of 2021, accompanied by Hong Kong, Singapore, Hungary, and Spain.

Ultimately, the numbers show WhatsApp's increasing recognition and demand in numerous countries, emphasizing its effect on the communication and social networking environment. Here are the stats: 

• WhatsApp downloads have risen since 2013, hitting 500 million.
• Figures increased from $2 billion in 2016 to $4 billion by 2019. In 2020, the number of downloads reached approximately 5 billion.
• Sweden had the highest download numbers in the first quarter of 2021 at 39%
• Sweden had the highest growth rate, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong. Spain and Hungary also saw significant growth.
• App downloads in France, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Poland, and Turkey increased by 38%, 31%, 22%, and 17%, respectively.
• There were forty-two million downloads in January, with 5 million from the App Store and 30.3 million from Google Play.

Average Time Spent on WhatsApp

The average amount of time spent on WhatsApp is high.  A study from the University of Southern California found that people use the app daily for an average of 55 minutes.

These figures show how significant WhatsApp is and how it has evolved into a vital mode of communication. It is easy to see why individuals spend ample time on WhatsApp since it is utilized for personal and business contacts.

Here are more statistics on WhatsApp's average time use by its users:

22. According to the same report, over 20% of users spend over two hours daily using WhatsApp. 

(Hootsuite)

It's easy to see why people use WhatsApp for much of their work and personal communication. As people returned to normal after the pandemic, they used their phones and WhatsApp less.

• In 2020, people who used an app logged in for more than 19 hours each month.
• In 2021, people used WhatsApp for 18.6 hours per month.
• Brazil is the place where people spend the most time on WhatsApp. The average time people spend on WhatsApp each month is 29 hours, and Argentina is second with 28.8 hours.

Conclusion

WhatsApp popularity and usefulness are well-placed. In a time of instant messaging and constant communication, it paved the way for users to connect despite the distance and constraints.

Aside from communication, WhatsApp's potential as a business tool also provided companies and businesses to further their reach to customers. It also helped organizations grow locally, to internationally. 

Since WhatsApp can be valuable on a wide range of devices, the app will continually grow in popularity over the next few years.