WhatsApp Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)

Mansoor Iqbal

Updated: February 22, 2024

WhatsApp is a messaging app for smartphones created in 2009 by two former Yahoo employees, Brian Acton and Jan Koum.

It was Koum who saw the potential of operating through the Apple App Store after purchasing an iPhone in early 2009. The app initially focused on statuses; Koum later revealed that part of his motivation was to stop missing calls while he was the gym.

Users quickly came to use this as an instant messaging service, planting the seed for what the app would become. WhatsApp 2.0 incorporated the messaging function that would come to be the app’s defining feature.

WhatsApp was unique at the time, outside of Blackberry’s BBM, in providing a free message service that allowed users to log in with their phone number. WhatsApp 2.0 was an instant success, quickly reaching 250,000 active users. This was enough for Acton to convince a circle of fellow ex-Yahoo employees to part with $250,000 in seed funding.

WhatsApp incorporated multimedia messaging later in the same year, and was released on Android the following. From that point, WhatsApp marched to ubiquitous status. By October 2011, one billion messages were being sent per day; by early 2013, WhatsApp could boast 200 million active users.

Facebook clearly saw WhatsApp as a potential threat to its own offering, and therefore flexed its muscles. In February 2014, it moved to acquire WhatsApp for $19 billion, which remains its largest acquisition to date and one of the largest tech acquisitions in history.

This has caused some degree of controversy related to data sharing with the parent company, despite promises of increasing levels of encryption, reportedly end-to-end by 2016. Both founders have left the company based on these concerns.

WhatsApp, however, remains the market leader its sector. Since its simple beginnings, it has added features such as voice calling, video calling, group calls (video and voice), and in early 2018 launched WhatsApp Business. It has also added payments in its two biggest markets, India and Brazil.

Worldwide, WhatsApp is the most popular messaging service in over 100 countries. It has over two billion active users and is one of the few apps to be downloaded over five billion times.

We have collected data and statistics on WhatsApp. Read on below to find out more.

WhatsApp Key Statistics

  • WhatsApp has over two billion users worldwide, India is the app’s largest market
  • WhatsApp is one of the few apps to be downloaded over five billion times on Android and iOS
  • WhatsApp contributed approximately 0.9% to Meta Platforms’ total revenue in 2023
  • It is the most popular messaging app in over 100 countries (SimilarWeb)
  • In 2022, it generated $906 million, almost all from the WhatsApp for Business app

WhatsApp Overview

Title 1Title 2
Launch date24 February 2009
HQMenlo Park, California
PeopleWill Cathcart (head of WhatsApp), Brian Acton (co-founder), Jan Koum (co-founder)
Business typeSubsidiary
OwnerFacebook

WhatsApp Revenue

WhatsApp is a very small part of Facebook’s overall revenue. It generates almost all of it from WhatsApp for Business, which charges businesses for usage after 1,000 conversations.

WhatsApp annual revenue 2018 to 2023 ($mm)

DateRevenue ($mm)
2018443
2019507
2020632
2021790
2022906
20231248

Note: Values are estimated. Sources: Forbes, Social App Report

WhatsApp Users

WhatsApp is one of the most used apps in the world and the most popular messaging app in over 100 countries. It reached 2.4 billion active users in 2023.

WhatsApp quarterly users 2012 to 2023 (mm)

WhatsApp annual users 2012 to 2023 (mm)

DateUsers (mm)
2012103
2013213
2014409
2015719
20161076
20171323
20181560
20191813
20202102
20212289
20222413
20232482

Sources: Company data, Social App Report

WhatsApp Users by Country

WhatsApp has users in every region, as the most popular messaging platform in the world that’s to be expected. It wasn’t as popular in the US and UK, but that has started to change in recent years.

WhatsApp users by country 2023 (mm)

DateUsers (mm)
India390
Brazil148
Indonesia112
United States98
Philippines88
Mexico77
Turkey56
Egypt55
Germany44
Nigeria40
Italy35

Source: eMarketer

WhatsApp Cumulative Downloads

WhatsApp surpassed five billion cumulative downloads in 2021, one of a shortlist of less than 10 apps.

WhatsApp cumulative downloads 2013 to 2023 (mm)

DateDownloads (bn)
20130.5
20140.8
20151.2
20162
20172.9
20183.4
20194.1
20204.7
20215
20225.4
20235.8

Sources: App Annie, Facebook, Sensor Tower

WhatsApp vs Competitors: Users

Want to learn more about social apps? Check out our Social App Report

WhatsApp FAQ

What years was WhatsApp the most downloaded app globally?

In 2017 and 2019, WhatsApp was the most downloaded app globally, with 924 and 850 million downloads, respectively.

What percentage of internet users use WhatsApp?

Excluding China, 69 percent of internet users use WhatsApp (GlobalWebIndex)

How much activity is there on WhatsApp each day?

Over 100 billion WhatsApp messages are sent and over two billion minutes are spent on WhatsApp voice and video calls per day (Facebook)

How many countries is WhatsApp available in?

WhatsApp is available in 180 countries and in 60 languages

How much did Facebook pay for WhatsApp?

Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014

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