Here are the most interesting WhatsApp statistics and facts I have dug up over the years. It should give you a snapshot off what exactly Zuck and crew dished out all that money for. As always, I'll be adding and updating as new statistics pop up along the way.
One stat post that I have been meaning to put together for quite some time is WhatsApp. The chat app has only been around for a few years, but has certainly racked up some staggering usage statistics and download totals.
WhatsApp began by a couple of ex-Yahoo! employees, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, who couldn't get a job at Facebook. They decided to develop a simple messaging app for the new iPhone ecosystem and named it WhatsApp. Ironically, in 2014, WhatsApp was purchased for $19 billion by the same Facebook that wouldn't hire Koum and Acton.
WhatsApp's user base and popularity has grown exponentially since those early days of the iPhone. The app is now available on all major mobile and desktop platforms and has over 1 billion users. With so many users, there are countless interesting facts about WhatsApp worth noting. Here you go....
WhatsApp Facts
- Website: whatsapp.com
- Launch Year: 2009
- Founders: Brian Acton and Jan Koum
- Headquarters: Mountain View, CA
- CEO: Chris Daniels
- Parent Company: Facebook (Since 2014)
- Apps: iOS | Android | Windows | Mac OS X
- Number of Employees: 120 employees (Last updated 1/18/16)
What is WhatsApp?
With WhatsApp, you'll get fast, simple, secure messaging and calling for free, available on phones all over the world. (source)
WhatsApp History
- 2009 - WhatApp is incorporated and launched
- 2010 - WhatsApp launches for Android
- 2013 - Voice messaging added to WhatsApp
- 2014 - Facebook acquires WhatsApp
- 2016 - WhatsApp ditches the $1 subscription fee and becomes a free app
- 2016 - WhatsApp desktop launches
WhatsApp Statistics
How many people use WhatsApp?
Last updated 2/12/20
How many people use WhatsApp Status:
450 million daily active users
Last updated 5/1/18
Average number of daily voice calls made on WhatsApp:
100 million voice calls on WhatsApp per day
Last updated 6/23/16
Amount time spent by WhatsApp users making calls on it each day:
Last updated 3/19/20
Average number of WhatsApp video calls made daily:
Last updated 5/9/17
Average number of WhatsApp video call minutes used per day:
Last updated 5/1/18
Percentage of monthly WhatsApp users that use it daily:
Last updated 2/20/14
Number of daily active WhatsApp users:
1 billion daily active WhatsApp users
Last updated 7/26/17
Number of messages sent via WhatsApp daily:
Last updated 5/18/18
Total number of WhatsApp groups:
Last updated 2/1/16
Number of languages supported by WhatsApp:
Last updated 7/26/17
Percentage of WhatsApp Android app installs that are uninstalled:
6.2% (Least uninstalled Android app)
Last updated 3/7/16
Number of video messages sent via WhatsApp daily:
1 billion video messages per day
Last updated 7/26/17
Number of photos shared via WhatsApp daily:
Last updated 7/26/17
Amount that Facebook bought WhatsApp for:
$19 billion
Amount that Google reportedly offered to buy WhatsApp for:
Estimated number of WhatsApp users in China:
2 million WhatsApp users in China
Last updated 7/19/17
Number of WhatsApp users in Brazil:
Last updated 6/15/20
Number of WhatsApp users in India:
400 million WhatsApp users in India
Last updated 6/15/20
Number of WhatsApp users in Indonesia:
Last updated August 2019
Number of WhatsApp users in Mexico:
Last updated August 2019
Number of WhatsApp users in Russia:
Last updated August 2019
Number of WhatsApp users in Germany:
Last updated August 2019
Number of WhatsApp users in Italy:
Last updated August 2019
Number of WhatsApp users in Spain:
Last updated August 2019
Number of WhatsApp users in the UK:
Last updated August 2019
Top country for WhatsApp video calling usage:
Last updated 5/9/17
Average amount of time Indians collectively spend making WhatsApp video calls daily:
Last updated 5/9/17
Number of WhatsApp active users when Facebook acquired them:
450 million monthly active users
WhatsApp's busiest day ever:
New Year's Ever 2016 (63 billion messages)
Last updated 1/7/17
Number of WhatsApp messages sent on New Years Eve 2017:
Number of countries that WhatsApp is banned in:
Last updated 1/5/17
Number of countries WhatsApp is used in:
Last updated 2/3/18
Number of companies using WhatsApp for Business:
Last updated 11/7/19
Number of WhatsApp users in the Netherlands:
Last updated 2/27/17
Percentage of all WhatsApp users that rely on it for news:
Last updated 6/25/17
Percentage of WhatsApp users in Brazil that rely on it for news:
Last updated 6/25/17
Percentage of WhatsApp users in Hong Kong that rely on it for news:
Last updated 6/25/17
Average number of fake accounts WhatsApp bans per month:
Last updated 2/6/19
This report is available in an annual industry report. Some of the data in industry reports include:
- WhatsApp Users
- Demographical Information
- Message Sharing Data
- Geographical Information
- Video and Other Usage Data
- Etc.- all in one place
I try to go through each and every stat regularly and update as much as possible, but we all know that some stats are easier to track down than others. As always, every stat is linked to its original source and has the source date listed.
To get your copy of the report, click on the button below to purchase it.
Report 2: Facebook Products Report (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp).