--- title: "WhatsApp Statistics 2026: Users, Messages and Revenue" date: 2026-03-05 author: "Supriya Gharat" featured_image: "https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/whatsapp-statistics-users-messages-revenue.jpg" categories: - name: "Internet" url: "/category/internet.md" tags: - name: "Statistics" url: "/tag/statistics.md" --- # WhatsApp Statistics 2026: Users, Messages and Revenue WhatsApp had more than **3 billion** monthly actives, with more than **100 million** people in the US, according to Meta’s First Quarter 2025 Results Conference Call. By the end of 2025, WhatsApp had more than **2 billion** daily actives, per Meta’s Q4 2025 call, and on a regular day WhatsApp supports over **100 billion** messages and **2 billion** calls, according to the WhatsApp Blog. The WhatsApp statistics below cover users, US adoption, news use, message volume, revenue and Business AI growth. Meta’s quarterly Family of Apps other revenue reached **$1 billion** for the first time in the Second Quarter 2026, driven primarily by WhatsApp paid messaging and subscriptions revenue. Meta’s quarterly figures count Family daily active people, and its Family of Apps includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and other services, so the quarterly user series below covers Meta’s apps together rather than WhatsApp alone. ## Key Takeaways - Family of Apps other revenue was **$510 million** in the First Quarter 2025, and it reached **$1,007 million** in the Second Quarter 2026, a gain of **$497 million**. - In the Nigerian online sample of the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, **68%** used WhatsApp for news, and in Kenya the figure was **62%**. - About a third of US adults, **32%**, use WhatsApp, up from **23%** in 2021, per Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey. - Meta had more than **10 million** conversations each week facilitated through Business AIs in the First Quarter 2026, up from **1 million** at the start of the year. - Meta’s Family daily active people reached **3.60 billion** on average for June 2026, an increase of **3%** year-over-year, per Meta’s [second quarter 2026 results](https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Second-Quarter-2026-Results/). - Meta says WhatsApp is not the primary messaging app in the United States, where iMessage is, despite more than **100 million** US users as of April 2025. ## Editor’s Choice - Daily actives: more than **2 billion** people use WhatsApp daily, as of Meta’s Fourth Quarter 2025 call. - Messages per day: over **100 billion** on a regular day. - Paid messaging run-rate: paid messaging within WhatsApp crossed a **$2 billion** annual run-rate in Q4 2025. - Peak throughput: **30 million** messages sent per second during the World Cup Final. - Passkey users: more than **1 billion** people now use a passkey. - EU Channels audience: approximately **31 million** average monthly active recipients of WhatsApp Channels in the EU in 2023, per WhatsApp’s Digital Services Act disclosure. ## WhatsApp Statistics: Users Worldwide - Meta said Messenger is also used by more than a billion people each month, for comparison with WhatsApp. - Meta put WhatsApp at more than **3 billion** monthly actives on its April 30th, 2025 call. - Meta said WhatsApp continues to see strong momentum, including in the US. | Milestone | Figure | Reported | |---|---|---| | Users worldwide | More than 2 billion | February 2020 | | Monthly actives | More than 3 billion | April 2025 | | US users | More than 100 million | April 2025 | | Daily actives | More than 2 billion | January 2026 | *Source: WhatsApp Blog 2020, Meta earnings calls 2025 and 2026* ### About This Data - Sources: 23 in total, made up of 10 Meta earnings releases and call transcripts, 5 WhatsApp blog posts and disclosures, 2 Pew Research Center pages and 6 Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 market entries. - Publication window: February 2020 to September 2026. - Selection: company filings, company announcements and named survey publishers only. - Updates: Figures are reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when sources publish new editions. ### How many users does WhatsApp have? WhatsApp has more than **3 billion** monthly actives, the monthly figure Meta gave on its April 30th, 2025 call. More than **2 billion** people use it daily. Meta’s quarterly releases do not break out a WhatsApp-only count, so these call remarks are the reference points. ## Meta Family Daily Active People by Quarter - Meta’s Family daily active people were **3.43 billion** on average for March 2025 and **3.58 billion** for December 2025. - The count reached **3.60 billion** for June 2026, about **170 million** more people than in March 2025. - The figure dipped to **3.56 billion** in March 2026 due to internet disruptions in Iran and a restriction on access to WhatsApp in Russia. FAMILY DAILY ACTIVE PEOPLE (BILLIONS) · Source: Meta quarterly earnings releases, March 2025 to June 2026 FAMILY DAILY ACTIVE PEOPLE (BILLIONS) Meta · 2025 Meta Family Daily Active People by Quarter (billions) 4 3.2 2.4 1.6 0.8 0 Mar 2025 Jun 2025 Sep 2025 Dec 2025 Mar 2026 Jun 2026 SOURCE Meta quarterly earnings releases, March 2025 to June 2026 View the data| Month | Billions | |---|---| | Mar 2025 | 3.43 | | Jun 2025 | 3.48 | | Sep 2025 | 3.54 | | Dec 2025 | 3.58 | | Mar 2026 | 3.56 | | Jun 2026 | 3.60 | The Family count blends four apps and other services, so the [Instagram growth data](/instagram-statistics/) and [Messenger usage figures](/facebook-messenger-statistics/) help show what the other apps add to it. ## Recent Developments - **Reported on Meta’s July 29, 2026 call:** WhatsApp hit an all-time messaging record, peaking at **30 million** messages sent per second during the World Cup Final. - **Reported on Meta’s July 29, 2026 call:** Kunal Shah joined as Meta’s new head of WhatsApp. - **Reported on Meta’s July 29, 2026 call:** Meta made Business Agents available globally on WhatsApp and Messenger, with more than **1 million** businesses using them every week. - **August 25, 2026:** WhatsApp said more than **1 billion** people use a passkey and upgraded two-step verification from a six-digit PIN to a full password, according to the WhatsApp Blog. - **September 30, 2026:** WhatsApp introduced parental controls for teens, including a choice between the default 13+ Meta AI setting and a stricter ‘Limited Content’ option. ## WhatsApp Messages, Calls and Status Activity per Day - WhatsApp handles over **100 billion** messages on a regular day, and the twenty four hours around New Year always top its charts. - Meta expected to complete the roll out of ads in Status throughout 2026, with the level of ads remaining low in the near-term. - In Q2 2026, Meta added support for more types of ad destinations and advertiser performance goals in Status. - WhatsApp continues to see the strongest Meta AI usage across Meta’s Family of Apps. | Metric | Figure | Reported | |---|---|---| | Messages on a regular day | Over 100 billion | December 2025 | | Calls on a regular day | 2 billion | December 2025 | | Peak messages per second | 30 million | July 2026 | | Status post views per day | Tens of billions | April 2025 | | People viewing Status ads daily | Hundreds of millions | April 2026 | *Source: WhatsApp Blog 2025, Meta earnings calls 2025 and 2026* ## WhatsApp Users in the United States - **32%** of US adults use WhatsApp, in a Pew Research Center survey of **5,022** US adults conducted Feb. 5-June 18, 2025. - That share is up from **23%** in 2021, and **10** points above Pew’s 2018 reading. - Meta counts more than **100 million** people using WhatsApp in the United States, as of its April 2025 call. US ADULTS WHO USE WHATSAPP (%) · Source: Pew Research Center, 2018 to 2025 US ADULTS WHO USE WHATSAPP (%) Pew Research Center · 2018 to 2025 Share of US Adults Who Use WhatsApp by Survey Year (%) 40 32 24 16 8 0 2018 2019 2021 2023 2024 2025 SOURCE Pew Research Center, 2018 to 2025 View the data| Survey year | Value (%) | |---|---| | 2018 | 22% | | 2019 | 20% | | 2021 | 23% | | 2023 | 29% | | 2024 | 30% | | 2025 | 32% | > **Worth noting:** Pew conducted its polls from 2012-2021 via phone, its 2023 poll via web and mail, and its 2024 and 2025 polls via web, mail and phone. Part of the rise between 2021 and 2023 may therefore reflect the change in survey method, so read the 2023 step with that caveat. ## WhatsApp Users by Age in the US - **40%** of US adults aged 30 to 49 use WhatsApp, against **20%** of those 65 and older, in Pew’s 2025 survey. - White adults are less likely than Black and Hispanic adults to use platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp. - Americans with higher levels of formal education are more likely to report using sites and apps including Reddit, WhatsApp and Instagram. US ADULTS WHO USE WHATSAPP (%) · Source: Pew Research Center, 2025 US ADULTS WHO USE WHATSAPP (%) Pew Research Center · 2025 Share of US Adults Who Use WhatsApp by Age, 2025 (%) 40 30 20 10 0 37% 18 to 29 40% 30 to 49 30% 50 to 64 20% 65 and older SOURCE Pew Research Center, 2025 View the data| Age group | Value (%) | |---|---| | 18 to 29 | 37% | | 30 to 49 | 40% | | 50 to 64 | 30% | | 65 and older | 20% | ## WhatsApp vs Other Social Platforms in the US - **84%** of US adults say they ever use YouTube and **71%** use Facebook. - **26%** report using Reddit, compared with **18%** four years ago. - WhatsApp sits closer to TikTok than to Facebook on Pew’s list, a sign of how much room it still has in the US, and the wider [social media user totals](/social-media-user-statistics/) put those shares in context. US ADULTS WHO USE IT (%) · Source: Pew Research Center, 2025 US ADULTS WHO USE IT (%) Pew Research Center · 2025 Share of US Adults Using Each Platform, 2025 (%) YouTube 84% Facebook 71% Instagram 50% TikTok 37% WhatsApp 32% Reddit 26% 0 20 40 60 80 100 SOURCE Pew Research Center, 2025 View the data| Platform | Value (%) | |---|---| | YouTube | 84% | | Facebook | 71% | | Instagram | 50% | | TikTok | 37% | | WhatsApp | 32% | | Reddit | 26% | ## WhatsApp Use for News by Country - In Nigeria’s online sample, WhatsApp ranked first, used by **68%** for news and **89%** for any purpose. - Kenya’s sample used WhatsApp for news at **62%** and for any purpose at **88%**. - India’s data come from a survey of mainly English-speaking, online news users, a small subset of a larger market. - South Africa’s sample is more affluent, younger and more urban than the wider South African population, so its findings should not be taken to be nationally representative. Source: Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 Reuters Institute · 2026 WhatsApp Use for News vs Any Purpose by Market (%) Use for news (%) Use for any purpose (%) 100 80 60 40 20 0 68% 89% 62% 88% 56% 78% 53% 89% 46% 82% Nigeria Kenya India South Africa Brazil Use for news (%) · 68% Use for any purpose (%) · 89% Use for news (%) · 62% Use for any purpose (%) · 88% Use for news (%) · 56% Use for any purpose (%) · 78% Use for news (%) · 53% Use for any purpose (%) · 89% Use for news (%) · 46% Use for any purpose (%) · 82% SOURCE Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 View the data| Market | Use for news (%) | Use for any purpose (%) | |---|---|---| | Nigeria | 68 | 89 | | Kenya | 62 | 88 | | India | 56 | 78 | | South Africa | 53 | 89 | | Brazil | 46 | 82 | > **Key finding:** Social media platforms such as WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok are extremely popular in Indonesia, where **64%** report getting news from them, and WhatsApp jumped **13pp** to **56%** for news. That puts Indonesia level with India’s online sample on news use. ## WhatsApp Business Revenue - Paid messaging within WhatsApp crossed a **$2 billion** annual run-rate in Q4 2025. - Family of Apps other revenue reached **$1 billion** in Q2 2026 and grew **73%** year-over-year, driven primarily by WhatsApp paid messaging and subscriptions revenue. - In Q1 2026, the line was **$885 million**, up **74%**, after **$690 million** in Q3 2025 and **$801 million** in Q4 2025. - US click-to-message ads revenue rose more than **50%** year-over-year in Q4 2025. OTHER REVENUE ($ MILLIONS) · Source: Meta quarterly earnings releases, Q1 2025 to Q2 2026 OTHER REVENUE ($ MILLIONS) Meta · Q1 2025 Meta Family of Apps Other Revenue by Quarter ($ millions) 1.2K 900 600 300 0 510 Q1 2025 583 Q2 2025 690 Q3 2025 801 Q4 2025 885 Q1 2026 1,007 Q2 2026 SOURCE Meta quarterly earnings releases, Q1 2025 to Q2 2026 View the data| Quarter | $ millions | |---|---| | Q1 2025 | 510 | | Q2 2025 | 583 | | Q3 2025 | 690 | | Q4 2025 | 801 | | Q1 2026 | 885 | | Q2 2026 | 1,007 | > **Why it matters:** Meta’s Family of Apps other revenue in Q2 2026 was **1.97** times its Q1 2025 level. In Q1 2025, Meta said the line was driven mostly by business messaging revenue growth from its WhatsApp Business Platform and Meta Verified subscriptions, so it is a rough proxy for WhatsApp’s business income, not a WhatsApp-only total. Advertising still carries Meta’s revenue, as [Meta’s wider revenue figures](/meta-statistics/) show. ## WhatsApp Business AI and Agents - Meta expanded Business AIs on WhatsApp to SMBs across Latin America and Indonesia in Q1 2026. - Conversations through Meta’s Business AIs grew about **10** times between the start of 2026 and Meta’s April 29, 2026 call. - Movida, a Brazilian car rental company with nearly **400** locations, let returning customers complete a reservation in as few as three messages on WhatsApp. | Quarter | Metric | Figure | |---|---|---| | Q4 2025 | Weekly conversations with Business AIs | Over 1 million | | Q1 2026 | Weekly conversations through Business AIs | More than 10 million | | Q2 2026 | Businesses using Business Agents each week | More than 1 million | | Q2 2026 | Movida daily bookings through WhatsApp, year over year | 44% increase | | Q2 2026 | Movida conversations resolved by the AI agent | 85% | *Source: Meta earnings calls, Q4 2025 to Q2 2026* ## WhatsApp Channels in the European Union - WhatsApp Channels rolled out in the European Union beginning **13 September 2023**, as a service of WhatsApp Ireland Limited. - From launch through **31 December 2023**, there were approximately **31 million** average monthly active recipients of WhatsApp Channels in the EU. - WhatsApp defines a monthly active user of Channels as someone who opened a Channel in the last **30** days. 2023 · Source: WhatsApp Digital Services Act disclosure, 2023 WhatsApp Digital · 2023 WhatsApp Channels EU Monthly Active Recipients (millions) 2023 31 SOURCE WhatsApp Digital Services Act disclosure, 2023 The disclosure covers 2023, so it is older than most of the data here and works as an early baseline for Channels. ## Who mainly uses WhatsApp? In the US, **40%** of adults aged 30 to 49 and **37%** of those aged 18 to 29 use WhatsApp, in Pew’s 2025 survey. White adults are less likely than Black and Hispanic adults to use it. Outside the US, the Reuters Institute’s online samples show higher use, though they are not nationally representative and not directly comparable with Pew’s survey. In the Reuters Institute’s Nigerian sample, **89%** used WhatsApp for any purpose, as did **89%** in South Africa. Those samples skew urban and online, and [smartphone adoption data](/smartphone-statistics/) shows why mobile-first markets lean on messaging apps. ## Why don’t most Americans use WhatsApp? About a third of US adults use WhatsApp, at **32%** in Pew’s 2025 survey. In April 2025, Meta itself said another app leads: “we’re clearly not the primary messaging app in the United States at this point, iMessage is”. Meta also says Meta AI engagement in India and Indonesia is primarily WhatsApp driven, while in the US, Facebook is a stronger driver. Most Americans already have a default messaging app, so WhatsApp grows there one contact at a time. ## Conclusion WhatsApp’s more than **3 billion** monthly actives as of April 2025 put it among Meta’s most-used apps. Meta’s Family daily active people reached **3.60 billion** for June 2026. The US remains the exception, where WhatsApp still trails the default messaging app, while paid messaging and Business AIs show the sharpest growth in Meta’s figures above. Meta says it continues on track toward a global rollout of ads in Status. Status ads would count as advertising revenue, while the other revenue line tracks paid messaging and subscriptions. Meta’s next releases will show whether the Status rollout lifts advertising and whether paid messaging keeps other revenue growing at its recent pace.