Telegram Statistics

How Many People Use Telegram?

Telegram has grown from a niche app into one of the biggest messaging platforms on the planet.

In March 2025, it crossed the 1 billion monthly active user milestone, a threshold only a handful of apps have ever reached.

Telegram adds an estimated 2.5 million new users every day, even without major rival platform disruptions.

Looking for more statistics? Check the most recent Facebook data and Facebook Messenger data.

Telegram Demographics

Telegram’s user base is large, young, and growing fast in key markets around the world.

• Telegram has surpassed 1 billion global monthly active users as of March 2025.
• 58.6% of global active Telegram users are male, while 41.4% are female.
• The largest user age group is 25 to 34 years old, making up 31.31% of the user base.
• Users aged 18 to 24 make up 24.57% of all Telegram users.
• The active user base on Telegram has grown at an average rate of 40% per year since launch.
• Telegram had 271.8 million downloads across Android and iOS in 2024.
• India accounts for roughly 20% of Telegram’s total active user base, with over 100 million installs in 2024.
• Asia accounts for 38% of Telegram’s total active user base.
• Europe accounts for 27% of Telegram’s total active user base.
• Latin America accounts for 21% of Telegram’s total active user base.

45% of India’s population regularly uses Telegram, making it the country with the highest penetration rate. Russia and Indonesia are the second and third largest markets by total downloads.

Telegram Is the 4th Most Popular Messaging App

Telegram has climbed the rankings steadily and is now a top-four global messaging app.

• WhatsApp is the most popular messenger app worldwide, with over 3 billion monthly active users as of 2025.
• WeChat is the second most popular messenger app worldwide, with 1.41 billion monthly active users.
• Facebook Messenger is the 3rd most used messenger app, with approximately 942 million monthly active users.
• Telegram is the 4th most popular messenger app, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of March 2025.

Telegram ranked among the top 5 most downloaded apps globally in 2025, following TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

For a full breakdown of the world’s leading messaging platform, see our WhatsApp Statistics page.

Telegram Audience Overlap With Other Social Media Platforms

Telegram users are also heavy users of WhatsApp, with very high cross-platform overlap.

• Over 85% of Telegram users outside China also use WhatsApp as of Q3 2024.
• Telegram has the most audience overlap with Instagram, with 87.6% of users engaging with both platforms.
• Telegram has the lowest audience overlap with Reddit, with only 18% of users accessing both platforms.
• 40% of Telegram users aged 16 to 64 outside of China also use Snapchat.
• 18% of Telegram users aged 16 to 64 outside of China also use Reddit.

The typical Telegram user is also active on multiple other platforms, making it a strong secondary channel for content creators and marketers.

Telegram “Favorite Social Media Platform” by Gender

Telegram is more popular as a favorite platform among younger male users than any other age group.

• 1.4% of female users between 16 to 24 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 1.4% of female users between 25 to 34 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 1.4% of female users between 35 to 44 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 1.1% of female users between 45 to 54 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 1.2% of female users between 55 to 64 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 3.1% of male users between 16 to 24 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 3.7% of male users between 25 to 34 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 2.3% of male users between 35 to 44 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 1.9% of male users between 45 to 54 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.
• 1.7% of male users between 55 to 64 say Telegram is their favorite social media platform.

Average Time Spent on Telegram and Social Media Across Android Devices

Telegram users are highly engaged, opening the app far more frequently than most other messaging platforms.

• The average Telegram user opens the app 21 times per day, spending roughly 41 minutes total per session.
• Global users spent over 4 hours per month on Telegram in 2024, while Russian users averaged nearly 13 hours.
• Telegram users spend an average of 3 hours a month using the platform on Android devices.
• Twitter users spend an average of 5.1 hours a month using the platform on Android devices.
• Instagram users spend an average of 11.2 hours a month using the platform on Android devices.
• WhatsApp users spend an average of 18.6 hours a month using the platform on Android devices.
• TikTok users spend an average of 19.6 hours a month using the platform on Android devices.
• YouTube users spend an average of 23.7 hours a month using the platform on Android devices.

84% of Telegram users react to content, more than half actively comment on posts, and 29% listen to audio broadcasts.

Telegram Messenger App Cumulative Downloads by Year

Telegram reached one billion cumulative downloads in 2021 and has nearly doubled that total since.

• The Telegram Messenger app had 100 million cumulative downloads in 2014.
• The Telegram Messenger app had 180 million cumulative downloads in 2016.
• The Telegram Messenger app had 340 million cumulative downloads in 2018.
• The Telegram Messenger app had 840 million cumulative downloads in 2020.
• The Telegram Messenger app had 1,270 million cumulative downloads in 2021.
• The Telegram Messenger app had 2 billion+ cumulative downloads as of 2024.

In 2024 alone, Telegram was downloaded 271.8 million times across the App Store and Google Play.

Telegram Revenue and Business Growth

After years of operating at a loss, Telegram turned a major corner in 2024.

• Telegram’s total revenue in 2024 surpassed $1.4 billion.
• Telegram reported its first-ever annual profit of $540 million in 2024.
• Advertising revenue grew from $100 million in 2023 to $245 million in 2024.
• Telegram Premium subscribers tripled in 2024, exceeding 12 million paying users.
• As of 2025, Telegram has over 15 million Premium subscribers.
• The Premium monthly subscription costs $4.99.
• Channel owners with 1,000+ subscribers can earn a 50% share of ad revenue.
• Telegram has over 10 million bots, handling more than 1.2 billion interactions per month.
• Mini Apps had 500 million users engage with them in 2024.

Telegram’s new revenue streams include Stars, Gifts, Mini Apps, an Affiliate Platform, and Telegram Business. Business channels on Telegram grew by 39% in 2025, reflecting the platform’s rising importance as a commercial tool.

Telegram iOS Popularity by Country

Telegram’s iOS ranking varies widely by country, with its strongest position in Russia.

• Telegram is ranked 6th on the iOS App Store in the United States under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 5th on the iOS App Store in Australia under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 5th on the iOS App Store in Canada under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 11th on the iOS App Store in China under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 5th on the iOS App Store in the United Kingdom under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 3rd on the iOS App Store in Brazil under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 1st on the iOS App Store in Russia under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 3rd on the iOS App Store in India under the Social Networking category.
• Telegram is ranked 4th on the iOS App Store in Argentina under the Social Networking category.

The Most Popular Telegram Channel Categories

News and entertainment dominate what Telegram users read, but educational content is rising fast.

• News Channels on Telegram were followed by 85% of users in 2023, up from 82% in 2021.
• 80% of Telegram users use the app as their principal source of news.
• Entertainment Channels on Telegram were read by 62% of users in 2023.
• Educational Channels on Telegram were followed by 58% of users in 2023.
• Political Channels on Telegram were read by 59% of users in 2021.
• Industry News Channels on Telegram were read by 43% of users in 2021.
• Blog and Celebrities Channels on Telegram were read by 27% of users in 2021.
• Product and Discount Channels on Telegram were read by 16% of users in 2021.
• Job Offer Channels on Telegram were read by 15% of users in 2021.
• Company Channels on Telegram were read by 13% of users in 2021.

Channels that use polls see a 25% increase in user interaction. Content in Spanish and Portuguese is currently the fastest-growing linguistic segment on the platform.

The Most Popular Telegram Channels

Telegram’s top public channels are dominated by news and proxy services, reflecting its core user interests.

• Telegram News is the most popular official channel, with millions of subscribers worldwide.
• Proxy MTProto is among the top channels, reflecting Telegram’s strong usage in restricted-internet regions.
• IT and internet professionals make up the largest occupational share of Telegram users at 20.6%.
• Marketing and PR professionals account for 11.9% of the Telegram user base.

Telegram is a platform built for communities, creators, and businesses alike. With 1 billion users, a profitable business model, and a growing bot and mini-app ecosystem, it is one of the most important messaging tools in the world today.

References

• Reference 1
• Reference 2
• Reference 3
• Reference 4
• Reference 5
• Reference 6
• Reference 7
• Reference 8
• Reference 9