Lionel Sujay Vailshery
Research expert covering cloud computing and emerging tech industries
WhatsApp - statistics & facts
WhatsApp is a cross-platform instant messaging service for mobile devices and a cheap alternative to carrier-billed text messaging via SMS, especially for international or group messaging. The app enables users to share text, images, video, and voice messages, as well as supporting voice and video calling.
WhatsApp has been investing in widening the scope of its product, with the launch of WhatsApp Business in January 2018 and the launch of WhatsApp Channels in September 2023. WhatsApp Channels reached almost 40 million monthly active receivers during the first half of 2024 in the European Union alone, with users in the region accessing newsletters and content from outlets they choose to follow. Due to the large volume of users on WhatsApp, the platform will be assigned the status of 鈥淰ery Large Online Platform鈥 and will be required to follow new obligations under the EU鈥檚 Digital Services Act.
In June 2025, WhatsApp was the most downloaded chat and messaging app with 57 million downloads. In comparison, WhatsApp Business generated around 25.8 million downloads in the same month.
WhatsApp is particularly popular among mobile-first economies, with monthly usage reaching over 95 percent of the digital population of Nigeria, as well as 94 percent of the digital population of South Africa, and 93 percent of addressable audiences in Brazil during the third quarter of 2023.
WhatsApp Business, launched in 2018, allows companies and small businesses to initiate contact with users for marketing purposes. The app allows users to contact companies with a WhatsApp Business profile seamlessly from their regular interface. As of July 2023, WhatsApp Business counted around 200 million monthly active users worldwide, registering a growth of over 300 percent compared to the 50 million active users in June 2020. On WhatsApp, small businesses and companies generated over 382 million U.S. dollars in revenues worldwide in 2023, with the Asia-Pacific market accounting for almost 40.5 percent of the total.
WhatsApp is one of the most used communication apps in the global market. Despite fending off growing competitors, such as Telegram, WhatsApp was the most used messaging and chat platform in 2024. WhatsApp鈥檚 unique users have been estimated to reach over 2.9 billion global consumers in June 2024, as the platform is particularly popular in mobile-first economies. WhatsApp鈥檚 main monetization strategy includes the business section of the app, WhatsApp Business, which allows users to connect seamlessly with companies for customer services and communications.
WhatsApp has been investing in widening the scope of its product, with the launch of WhatsApp Business in January 2018 and the launch of WhatsApp Channels in September 2023. WhatsApp Channels reached almost 40 million monthly active receivers during the first half of 2024 in the European Union alone, with users in the region accessing newsletters and content from outlets they choose to follow. Due to the large volume of users on WhatsApp, the platform will be assigned the status of 鈥淰ery Large Online Platform鈥 and will be required to follow new obligations under the EU鈥檚 Digital Services Act.
Global usage and reach
The number of global unique WhatsApp users increased by 34 percent from the beginning of 2021 to mid-2024 and is estimated to have reached 2.96 billion unique users by June 2024.In June 2025, WhatsApp was the most downloaded chat and messaging app with 57 million downloads. In comparison, WhatsApp Business generated around 25.8 million downloads in the same month.
WhatsApp is particularly popular among mobile-first economies, with monthly usage reaching over 95 percent of the digital population of Nigeria, as well as 94 percent of the digital population of South Africa, and 93 percent of addressable audiences in Brazil during the third quarter of 2023.
How does WhatsApp make money?
Launched in January 2009, WhatsApp was acquired in 2014 by social media giant Facebook (now Meta) for approximately 19 billion U.S. dollars. Despite being a free-to-use service, WhatsApp has been introducing more paid features, especially for businesses. According to the company鈥檚 financial reporting, the WhatsApp Business division has been presenting strong revenue growth within the Meta Family of Apps since 2023.WhatsApp Business, launched in 2018, allows companies and small businesses to initiate contact with users for marketing purposes. The app allows users to contact companies with a WhatsApp Business profile seamlessly from their regular interface. As of July 2023, WhatsApp Business counted around 200 million monthly active users worldwide, registering a growth of over 300 percent compared to the 50 million active users in June 2020. On WhatsApp, small businesses and companies generated over 382 million U.S. dollars in revenues worldwide in 2023, with the Asia-Pacific market accounting for almost 40.5 percent of the total.
WhatsApp is one of the most used communication apps in the global market. Despite fending off growing competitors, such as Telegram, WhatsApp was the most used messaging and chat platform in 2024. WhatsApp鈥檚 unique users have been estimated to reach over 2.9 billion global consumers in June 2024, as the platform is particularly popular in mobile-first economies. WhatsApp鈥檚 main monetization strategy includes the business section of the app, WhatsApp Business, which allows users to connect seamlessly with companies for customer services and communications.
