Telegram Statistics 2024: How Many People Use Telegram?

Telegram is an instant messaging application that comes with a wide range of features and use-cases.

It’s also cloud-based and was initially created to compete with WhatsApp, another popular instant messaging application.

It varies from the competition in that it allows users to access their accounts from numerous devices, meaning you can use it on mobile and desktop simultaneously. 

Telegram has positioned itself as a leader in data privacy in terms of encryption and rules as it takes user privacy very seriously.

Telegram claims that its internal encryption is far beyond what competitors like Facebook can offer.

How many people use Telegram? This article will discuss this and various other Telegram statistics for 2024 in addition to details about its user base.

Key Statistics

• Telegram has 550 million active monthly users
• It has received 40% growth year on year
• Telegram Tips has the most users with 7.5 million
• Telegram was downloaded 214 million times in the last six months
• America has 2% of Telegram’s user base
• Telegram has been downloaded 220 million times in India

Telegram Users: How Many People Use Telegram in 2024?

Telegram had 550 million active monthly users as of July 2021 and a rise of 10% over the previous six months.

For reference, in 2021, it became the most installed non-gaming application in the world. More than 63,000,000 newcomers installed this app in 2021.

Furthermore, over 60% of all Telegram users were acquired within the last three years, which shows significant growth for the company.

In addition, just in January 2021 alone, Telegram saw a short burst in new users amounting to 25 million over the course of a few days.

The application has seen about a 40% increase in growth each year since it was launched eight years ago. 

Back in December of 2015, the company claimed that it had recruited more than 1.5 million Brazilian users.

The sudden influx of users occurred as a result of Brazil’s decision to restrict WhatsApp for a mere two days.

This alone resulted in a significant increase in the number of new users rushing to Telegram.

The app had more than 1.5 million users in a single day and over 5 million more the next day, all within that short 48 hour period. 

Following that,  inquiries about the application skyrocketed online, and it’s now regarded as the world’s second most popular messaging application.

The Costs of Business

To progress the business, Telegram must produce income throughout the 2021 fiscal year; hence the company will have to start monetizing one way or another.

As the messaging app continues to grow in popularity, the founder claims that he pays for the company’s bills out of his own resources, amounting to around $1,000,000 per month. 

As a result, Telegram is presently in desperate need of capital generation, but considering the size of its user base, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Moreover, the founder promised that Telegram will never sell users’ personal information in order to profit from online marketing.

The company vows to keep the application ad-free, regardless of how they pursue monetization. 

A Safe Haven for Some

Aside from providing convenient instant messaging, Telegram has been known as a safe space for communities of people to interact in private.

Back in 2013 when people raised concerns about data and online activity monitoring around Kakao Talk in South Korea, and again during the protests in Hong Kong against the Chinese government in 2019.

The application allows users to create channels and make them private or public, which allows each individual community their own space.

So, what are some of Telegram’s most popular channels on the platform? Take a look below for a list of eight channels with some of the most users.

Channel Name & User Count

• Telegram Tips (7.5 million)
• Bollywood HD Movies (4 million)
• Proxy MTProto (3.3 million)
• Bitcoin News Crypto (2.7 million)
• Crypto Trading Bitcoin (2.7 million)
• MyPoroxy (1.8 million)
• Binance Crypto Trading (1.8 million)
• Amazon Bollywood South (1.7 million)

Telegram’s Interest in Cryptocurrency

Telegram has been a hub for cryptocurrency enthusiasts to share information, trading strategies, calls, and much more for many years.

So much it’s one of the most popular topics and channels on the platform.

Over the years, the company showed increasing interest in creating its own cryptocurrency called TON.

Unfortunately, Telegram has abandoned ambitions to create a blockchain in 2020, despite two years of preparation and a $1.7 billion fundraising push. 

The initiative was supposed to go live in the month of October in 2019, but the SEC sued the business, charging a breach of securities law, and blocked the launch just weeks before.

The company ended up settling with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in addition to paying an $18.5 million penalty.

The company’s official withdrawal from its blockchain efforts left a noteworthy developer community and small blockchain companies that had been waiting for TON to become operational and had spent time and effort in the future blockchain.

The coin is now available in wallet applications such as Changelly, Lumi, and Free Wallet, and the community has built a bridge between the blockchains of Ethereum and Free TON.

In recent reports from the Free TON developers, about 440 validators in the network are now active.

Developer and API Support

Telegram is also extremely developer-friendly, and developers can create bots, and members can make their own sticker sets for others to use as well.

The application makes use of an open API and encourages developers to build new unique Telegram applications.

For example, the Company Samsung took advantage of this API and created their own messaging app six years ago in 2015.

The Road to One Billion Downloads

Installations have skyrocketed throughout the past year for the application.

Telegram was downloaded over 214 million times in the first six months of this year alone, speaking volumes about their increasing influence.

Finally, the company has reached a long-awaited milestone; as of August 31, 2021, Telegram has reached 1 billion overall downloads, making it the 15th app in the world to accomplish such a feat. 

I think it’s apparent that WhatsApp will lose its long-standing position as a leading universal messaging app.

I believe a core difference between how both applications evolved over time is that Telegram built a strong community along the way.

Instead of just talking to friends and family, there are massive communities on the platform that are rapidly growing at a consistent rate. 

User Data From Around The World

Telegram has a highly diverse user base, and each country has some interesting statistics that we can go over.

For starters, the United States accounts for fewer than 2% of Telegram’s worldwide user base, with less than 10 million users visiting Telegram on a monthly basis. 

According to a Deloitte report, half of the entire Russian population has Telegram installed on their cellphones, quickly catching up to WhatsApp’s influence of 88% amongst Russian citizens.

Furthermore, the Telegram app has been downloaded 80 million times in Indonesia, accounting for 8% of the global total.

Since August 2021.

In addition, the application has been downloaded over 220 million times in India, accounting for 22 percent of all Telegram downloads globally. 

The team over at Telegram plans to increase their global reach significantly over the next few years.

More developments and integrations from the company are expected, as the application and its technology are capable of much more than just simple messaging.

Although it seems Telegram will take the lead globally over WhatsApp, this doesn’t mean the competition will simply disappear.

You can’t forget, Facebook owns WhatsApp, and they’re one of the most powerful and influential companies in the world.

Where Was Telegram Founded?

The development team of the application is now situated in Dubai in the UAE.

Telegram FZ-LLC is the company established in the UAE and is the company behind the Telegram smartphone app.

Telegram UK Holdings Ltd, situated in the United Kingdom, is the representation for legalities of data protection regulations, and the apps parent business, Telegram Group Inc., has its legal address in the British Virgin Islands.

The entity as a whole has about 330 employees, and with the ever-expanding user base on the platform, the company will surely have to expand its workforce in response. 

Telegram’s influence hits multiple points that WhatsApp has not.

The simple fact that the company pursued cryptocurrency shows the lengths that the founder and the company’s developers are thinking.

The company reaching its 1 billion downloads milestone was a real nail-in-the-coffin event.

Telegram has achieved quite a few substantial milestones within the last two years, and it’s shining a spotlight on the company garnering eyes from many individuals and professionals alike.

Detailed Telegram Statistics 2024

1. Telegram has More than 500 Million Active Monthly Users

As of January 2021, Telegram had 500 million active monthly users.

What’s interesting about these statistics is that the majority of these Telegram users are located in Asia.

38% are located in Asia, while 27% are located in Europe, and 21% in Latin America.

What’s even more impressive is that over 25 million people joined Telegram in just three days.

2. There Were 15 Billion Messages Sent a Day in February 2016

What’s really interesting is that Telegram has actually been around for a hot minute at this point, and while you might not have heard of it until a couple of weeks ago, it’s been doing pretty well for a while now.

This is why back in 2016, in just one month there were 15 billion daily messages sent on their instant messaging software.

The thing about Telegram is that it can load messages quickly and efficiently, making it possible to send a lot of messages in one day.

Another thing that’s really interesting about this instant messaging software is that it released a super-group feature where you could include more than 200,000 people.

3. The Average User Sends Around 150 Messages a Day

Further statistics that might surprise you is that the average user sends around 150 messages a day.

One thing to think about when it comes to this stat is just how Telegram actually works.

Through the Telegram messaging app, you can send voice calls, video calls, multimedia messages, create group conversations, and even have secret chats that come with added security.

In secret chats, users can’t screenshot messages. Even with the regular chats, they encrypt everything.

They also let multiple devices use the same account, and different accounts be on the same device.

As a result, Telegram is definitely one of the most reliable messaging systems right now, because it works with even the weakest mobile connections, so that you don’t have to worry about losing service.

4. There Are 55.2 Million Active Telegram Users Every Day

These statistics is of course impressive, but what’s also impressive is the fact that at least 1.5 million new users sign up to use Telegram every day.

Back in 2014, Telegram had 35 million active users. After four years, this number increased to 200 million, and in 2020, it had 400 million. These days, as we mentioned above,

Telegram has 500 million active users every month, and 35.2 million active users every day.

Back in 2014, roughly 1.5 million new users from South Korea signed up over just seven days.

A lot of people prefer this app as a way of communicating because of its multi-device usage ability, end-to-end encryption, exciting features, and the ability to send big files without losing the quality of the file.

We think that all these reasons are why Telegram is constantly getting new people signing up.

5. Telegram Experienced 80 Million Downloads in Two Quarters of 2020

These statistics shows that Telegram has really taken off and is just getting more and more popular.

In just 2020 alone, Telegram experienced 80 million downloads in both quarter two and quarter three, which meant that it ended up being ranked 9th on the Google Play store.

6. Telegram Most Downloaded App in 20 Countries in 2020

These statistics show that Telegram is continuing its reign, and 2020 was a big year for the instant messaging app, where it was the most downloaded social media app in 20 countries around the world.

However, what’s pretty amazing is that Telegram was still to reach its peak, and in 2021, the app was downloaded more than 63 million times.

24% of these downloads came from India, and 10% alone came from Indonesia.

7. It Is Predicted that Telegram Will Have 1 Billion Users by 2022

Considering that people are starting to go off WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps based on lack of security, we believe that millions of people are flocking to Telegram for more encryption.

As a result, Telegram has attracted over 60 million active users in less than two years since its launch back in 2013.

When it comes to statistics, we predict the user pool to reach as many as 1 billion users by 2022.

If it wants to keep these numbers, it will need to continue to invest in its reliable and secure service, so that people feel like they can safely message one another, without compromising personal information.

8. Telegram Registered 365 Million Lifetime Downloads by 2019

Again, these statistics might continue to surprise you, because Telegram has been around for a lot longer than you might think.

Even by 2019, Telegram was able to register 365 million lifetime downloads. If you break this down a little bit, 1.7 million of these were in Hong Kong.

You’re probably also wondering which country uses Telegram the most. It is an incredibly popular instant messaging app in Uzbekistan.

9. Pavel Durov Has Invested $3.4 Billion in The App

Pavel Durov, the owner of Telegram, has invested a whopping $3.4 billion into his app.

He is considered Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg, and he is also considered one of the most influential figures in the tech world.

10. Telegram Boasts 20,000 Stickers

If you want to make your messages look exciting, then you definitely can on Telegram.

You can choose from 20,000 different stickers to send your friends and family, which is a pretty big pool to choose from.

This makes Telegram aesthetically pleasing.

11. Telegram Got 5.7 Million New Users in 24 Hours After Brazil Banned WhatsApp

Brazil decided to block WhatsApp for 48 hours back in 2015, which was one of the best things that ever happened to Telegram.

As a result, Telegram amassed 5.7 million new users, which had a significant impact on the numbers in general.

12. 85% of People Who Use Telegram Do so On an Android Device

We believe that these statistics are particularly interesting, because it shows that people who use Telegram are in favor of Android devices over Apple devices.

Telegram received 3,000,000 downloads on iOS, but 9,000,000 downloads on Android.

One notable fact here is that the app is able to restore the previous scroll position when users go back to a chat.

This is useful when somebody is sending up to 1000 messages and the reader wants to be able to read everything in the correct order.

13. Telegram Is Available in 13 Languages

Right now, Telegram supports 13 languages, including Russian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, and Italian.

14. Telegram Has Spent Zero Dollars on Marketing

What’s particularly impressive about Telegram is that it has spent $0.00 on advertising, and the developers behind Telegram vow that they will never monetize their user’s private data for profit.

They don’t want to force their users to view ads and if this ever happened, they would only show ads through Telegram channels.

If users don’t have access to Telegram channels, this means that they won’t see any ads.

Pavel Durov believes that his users should be able to communicate with one another without seeing ads.

15. Telegram Had 400 Million Active Users Around the World in 2020

These next statistics should come as no surprise, considering how quickly the Telegram app is gaining in popularity.

In April 2020, the Telegram team redeveloped the sticker panel, which allowed users to look through thousands of unique stickers from professional artists.

16. Durov Spends $1 Million Every Month to Keep Telegram Running

This is dedication when it comes to developing an app and then keeping it running.

A lot of app developers out there will rely on investors’ money to keep the app going, but not Durov.

He started Telegram, and he plans on keeping it this way, which is why he invests $1 million of his own money every month to keep the Telegram app going.

However, this does mean that the Telegram app might not stay free for users in the short future.

This is because the app needs to generate revenue from 2021 to keep going, so the company is going to start employing innovative monetization methods.

Telegram is consistently getting active users around the world, but the app is in urgent need of the right funding so it remains to be seen how this will be achieved.

17. Telegram Offered $200,000 to Whoever Could Crack Its Special Bot

Telegram has a direct money transfer option called MoneyTalk, which lets users transfer money.

The development team behind this feature is really skilled at managing the system, which is why they have the confidence to offer a significant amount of money like this to someone who might be successful at cracking it.

18. 1.4% of Americans Used Telegram in 2018

Yes, Telegram has been around for a while now, and has been impressing people everywhere with how quickly it has grown but what’s really interesting is that it doesn’t seem to be really catching on in America.

Back in 2018, just one 1.4% of Americans were using Telegram.

This means that Telegram is a little bit more popular in Europe, especially in Germany.

When it comes to America, people generally aren’t as interested in using the app.

They prefer messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, as well as WhatsApp.

19. One of The Most Popular Telegram Channels Is Hindi Hd Movies with 4.2 Million Subscribers

Because Telegram is so popular in India, this statistic probably comes as no surprise.

It is really easy to download popular Hindi Telegram movies through Telegram channels.

20. The Most Popular Telegram Channels Have Over 120 Million Subscribers

There are some pretty popular Telegram channels out there, and collectively, they have more than 120 million subscribers.

Telegram also has a web-based version of the app, where you can enjoy watching channels on the big screen.

Lastly, back in 2018, the Telegram platform offered to finance the original Telegram open network.

This blockchain network faced issues in 2019, when the US Securities and Exchange Commission forced Telegram to stop sales of its cryptocurrency, which it called Gram.

This drama affected over 400 million active users around the world.

However, in 2020, an online community gathered together to create a decentralized version that they called Free TON. as a result, the Telegram team has created an action plan so that it can launch TON as soon as possible.

In Summary

Telegram statistics 2024 show that it has come a long way since its inception in 2013, and it’s interesting to see the various factors that helped the application continue to grow year after year.

In addition to being the most secure messaging application available, there are a few catalysts that helped with Telegram’s growth along the way.

As the platform’s channel communities started to find their place, the popularity of cryptocurrency from 2016-2018 during the Bitcoin boom was a significant growth period for that particular community.

Aside from that, the company has shown remarkable adaptability by providing new features over the years and showing its users that there’s much more to come through a consistent work ethic.

Sources

Statista	Telegram	SensorTower
Monfex	Telegram	BloggingX
Telegram	Insider	Statista
TelegramTutor	The Moscow Times	Telegram
Backlinko	Telegram	SensorTower
Independent	Telegram	Statista
Telegram	TelegramTutor	Bitcoin
Olhar Digital