Quick Answer
How many people use WhatsApp in 2025?
There are more than 2.2 billion active users on WhatsApp.
These days, there are hundreds of apps out there that can help you communicate with not only your friends and family, but with people related to your brand.
It is a pretty lucrative market, which also means that it is a pretty competitive market as well.
When it comes to having a brand online, the more information that you can gather about specific apps related to communication, the better you can make a choice as far as which one is going to suit your needs the best.
It’s also helpful to stay ahead of the curve in general and know what’s going on in the world of social media and communications apps.
Today, we’re going to talk about one in particular, WhatsApp, and discuss what we believe to be the most interesting WhatsApp statistics in the industry in 2025.
Let’s have a look.
Key WhatsApp Statistics
- There are more than 2.2 billion active users on WhatsApp
- It is the most popular messaging app around the world
- There are more than 50 million business users on WhatsApp
- 23% of American adults use WhatsApp
- WhatsApp can be used in 60 languages
- WhatsApp has been restricted in six countries
- There are almost half a billion WhatsApp users in India
Detailed WhatsApp Statistics in 2025
1. There Are More than 2.2 Billion Monthly Active Users
Statistics proves that it is a pretty popular communications app.
When Facebook bought WhatsApp back in 2014, the app boasted 465 million active users every month.
Of course, Facebook got to work introducing a lot of features, which is why it comes as no surprise that it has increased exponentially in popularity.
One of the most prominent milestones occurred in February of 2016, when the platform garnered 1 billion users.
The numbers for WhatsApp show that monthly users doubled in March 2020. Currently, there are over 2.2 billion people around the world that use WhatsApp.
2. It Is the Third Most Popular Social Network Around the World
This next statistic might actually come as a surprise, considering how many other social media apps there are out there these days, and how competitive the industry is.
However, back at the beginning of 2021, there were only two social networks that were more popular than WhatsApp, and these were the parent company Facebook, and YouTube.
The two most prominent social media giants have 2.7 billion and 2.2 billion active users.
Because WhatsApp now has two billion active monthly users, this means that they are third in place.
3. WhatsApp Is the Most Popular Messaging App Around the World
WhatsApp might not be the most popular social media app in the world, but it is certainly the most popular messaging app.
Messaging apps let people communicate instantly with one another, which has completely transformed the way that we communicate in general.
Statistics have revealed that when it comes to being a messaging app, it is by far the most popular.
4. 100 Billion Messages Are Sent Every Day on WhatsApp
According to this statistic, people love to communicate with one another on the app, which is why roughly around 100 billion messages are sent every day on the messenger app.
As the number of people that use WhatsApp continues to increase, the number of messages does as well.
Back in 2014, active users of WhatsApp were sending 50 billion messages a day.
However, this number has climbed to 100 billion, which is a very difficult number to wrap your head around.
5. You Can Find WhatsApp Groups by Categories on A Website
Think about a topic that interests you for a second, and there’s a good chance that there is going to be a WhatsApp group out there with like-minded people involved.
There is even a website that is called WhatsApp Group Links, that helps you find communities like this.
These communities have been categorized into different topics, and there is a huge number of communities that you can easily join through a link.
As far as statistics go, the most popular topics are funny, news, entertainment, study, technology, gaming, and shopping.
6. WhatsApp Usage Increased by 40% in March 2020
Depending on what stage of the pandemic we were all in, social media usage increased, because of social distancing measures put in place.
Statistics about WhatsApp show that in the early days of the pandemic, people used the app 27% more than in the previous period. In the middle of the pandemic, this increased to 41%.
Of course, each country has a different statistic, so some countries saw a higher increase of usage on WhatsApp, and some saw less.
Spain was probably the most impressive, with an increase of 76%.
WhatsApp Business Statistics 2025
7. WhatsApp Business Was Launchedinn 2018
Four years after Facebook bought the app, it introduced WhatsApp Business.
This was an attempt to monetize the platform, and the new app targeted small businesses, helping them connect better with customers.
8. There Are More than 50 Billion Business Users on WhatsApp
Just like most other social media and messaging apps in the world these days, there is an aspect of the app that can be used for business.
WhatsApp has aimed its business features at small businesses, and it has been received really well.
The instant and direct communication between brands and customers, status sharing and multimedia, auto replies, and more are just a few of the reasons why you might want to try WhatsApp for your business.
With more than 50 million business users on WhatsApp, Brazil and India come in at the top.
9. There Are More than 8 Million Business Catalogues on WhatsApp
Once again, according to statistics, India is the leader when it comes to using WhatsApp for business.
One in eight catalogs on WhatsApp are based in India. The latest catalog feature lets consumers manage their catalogs from their desktop.
Another feature that was created at the same time is called carts, and offers the opportunity for consumers to choose from a number of different products to order from a catalog.
10. WhatsApp Is Trialling a Payment Featureinn Some Markets
Because WhatsApp has had such a specific focus on business lately, it is only natural that it wants to trial a brand-new feature around being able to make payments directly through the app.
There are a number of important reasons why you might want to start promoting your brand on WhatsApp if you haven’t already and we believe that this is one of them.
Facebook is really intentional about introducing e-Commerce to the app, and considering how popular the app is, we think that only good things can come from it.
The company launched a digital payment service back in July, but it is currently only available in select markets, including India.
11. WhatsApp Was Founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton
WhatsApp creators worked for Yahoo, and after spending 20 years at the company, decided to develop their own project in 2009.
What’s really interesting is that Acton was rejected from both Twitter and Facebook.
12. WhatsApp Was Valued at $1.5 Billion in 2013
There are a lot of people out there that are shocked by how much money Facebook paid for WhatsApp.
Statistics show that just a year before Facebook offered $19 billion for the app, its value was estimated at just $1.5 billion.
It is evident here that Facebook could see the writing on the wall, and while they might have paid more than what it was worth back then, knew that it was only going to increase exponentially in value in the future.
13. Google Tried to Buy WhatsApp Before Facebook
Google also saw the writing on the wall when it came to WhatsApp, and as a result attempted to buy it before Facebook did.
What’s really interesting is that the WhatsApp userbase wasn’t that big when both Facebook and Google attempted to buy it.
The encryption system made the service pretty tempting and as a result, Google offered $10 billion.
Statistics indicate that the creators refused this offer, but when Facebook made another offer soon after this, and doubled the amount, they couldn’t refuse.
14. Facebook Bought WhatsApp for Almost $20 Billion
Facebook seems to have a relatively foolproof business strategy, as well as approach, when choosing which services to purchase.
Of course, they saw the potential that WhatsApp had, as well as their ability to add their own spin on it, to meet consumer demands.
As a result, back in 2014, Facebook purchased WhatsApp for almost $20 billion.
Of course, the developers agreed with this price, and what’s interesting is that it is the biggest acquisition by Facebook.
Another thing that’s really interesting is that Facebook keeps the operations of each platform that it owns separate.
15. WhatsApp Lost Millions of People in 2021
Back in 2021, WhatsApp updated their terms of service, and as a result, lost millions of users.
What’s really interesting is that the statistics indicate that a lot of misinformation about the update did the rounds through public groups, which caused even more people to leave the platform.
The company didn’t publicly disclose how many people left, but the update is advantageous when it comes to digital marketers, because it revolves around business messaging.
It enables better data collection, and businesses can use it to target their audiences better.
End-to-end encryption still protects the communication content between people who are using it for personal reasons.
Another interesting statistic is that you can’t technically purchase WhatsApp shares, but you can invest in the parent company, Facebook.
However, you’ve got to have a little bit of money, because the price for just one share of Facebook is more than $300.
U.S. WhatsApp Statistics
17. Almost a Quarter of American Adults Use WhatsApp
United States statistics show that Facebook and YouTube are the most popular social media apps in America, with 81% and 16% of American adults.
WhatsApp is in the same place on the list as Twitter, with 23% of American adults saying that they use both.
Other social networks that are relevant include LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat.
18. WhatsApp Is More Popular Among Males
Statistics indicate that when it comes to America, gender demographics are pretty balanced, even though there are slightly more men that use WhatsApp than women.
In America, 17% of females and 20% of males use WhatsApp.
19. WhatsApp Has the Most Impressive Penetration Rate for Users Aged Between 26-35
Information from the end of 2020 shows that 27% of Internet users in the US aged between 26 and 35 used the social media messaging app.
Stats indicate that it is the second most popular app for Internet users aged between 36 and 45, with 20% of them saying that they use WhatsApp.
When it comes to the age demographic of 15 to 25, the penetration rate is 19%.
20. Half of American Users Use the Platform Every Day
Out of the 23% of American adults that say that they use WhatsApp, 50% of them say that they access the platform every day.
91% of this demographic say that they use the platform at least once a month which means that it is a good opportunity for marketers to hand out promotional codes.
Statistics also indicate that 78% of users say that they access the messaging app every week.
21. Hispanic Americans Use WhatsApp the Most
As far as American WhatsApp demographics and statistics go, Hispanic Americans are the demographic that use WhatsApp the most, coming in at 46%.
23% are black, and 16% are white.
22. The Greatest Number of WhatsApp Users in America Live in Urban Locations
The same statistics indicate that the biggest group of WhatsApp users in America live in an urban location, being 28% of American adults who use WhatsApp.
The percentage is 23% when it comes to suburban areas, and 9% for rural areas.
23. Most WhatsApp Users in American Earn More than $75,000 a Year
Another thing to think about when it comes to statistics is how much the average annual income is of the users.
29% of American adults say that they earn more than $75,000 a year, while 23% say that they earn less than $30,000 a year, and 20% of American users say that they earn between $30,000 and $49,000.
Worldwide WhatsApp Statistics
24. WhatsApp Is Restricted or Banned in Six Countries
It’s not all sunshine and roses when it comes to WhatsApp, and encryption on both ends of the social media messaging app means that not even government agencies are able to spy on your conversations.
There are some countries in the world that find this unacceptable, which is why they have limited WhatsApp usage (see our guide to the best VPN for WhatsApp to get around these limits).
These include Iran (see VPN for Iran), China (see VPN for China), North Korea, Syria, and Cuba (see VPN for Cuba).
What’s really interesting is that when it comes to Cuba, the government restriction on social media doesn’t have anything to do with politics or censorship, they believe that the Internet is too expensive, and their infrastructure only allows for the minimum bandwidth.
25. Almost All Social Media Users in Mexico Have WhatsApp
If you’re thinking about statistics when it comes to various countries, the highest penetration rate can be found in Mexico, with an eye-watering 95%.
The only platform that ranks higher in Mexico is Facebook, at 97%.
This is why it is always recommended to design a business campaign that can point you in the right direction when it comes to the right platforms, especially if you are trying to target an international market.
26. In the UK WhatsApp Isn’t Popular with Those Older than 56
In the UK, WhatsApp is most popular among those aged between 26 and 35, with 85% of people in this age bracket using it.
When it comes to those aged between 15 and 25, and 36 and 45, both are 79%, and those that are aged between 46 and 55 have a percentage of 75%.
27. ¾ of UK Users Use WhatsApp Every Day
This means that 77% of people in the UK that use WhatsApp use it every day.
What’s quite interesting about UK WhatsApp statistics is that it is more popular among female users, with 81% of women using WhatsApp.
When it comes to men, the percentage is just the 73%.
28. WhatsApp Is Popular in Germany
When surveyed about which social media apps they can’t go without, Germans of all age groups said that they like WhatsApp.
When it comes to WhatsApp demographics by gender, 67% of women, and 54% of men say that they couldn’t delete WhatsApp off their phone.
It is the most used social media messaging app in the country. 87% of Germans use the app.
29. WhatsApp Is Really Popular in Finland in All Age Groups
Another country in Europe where WhatsApp is really popular is Finland.
84% of people in Finland use the platform, and again, statistics show that the app is more popular among females. 91% of women, and 77% of men use it.
Further statistics show that 84% of people on WhatsApp in Finland use it every day.
A whopping 99% of people in Finland use it every month.
30. There Are Almost Half a Billion Users of WhatsApp in India
When we’re looking at how many people use WhatsApp by country, India is first on the list.
Slowly but surely, India is closing in on half a billion users.
