Telegram has 1 billion monthly active users currently, a 50 million rise from 950 million users in 2024.
With 500 million daily active users and over 15 million premium subscribers, Telegram ranks as the 4th most popular messaging app worldwide.
In this article, we break down Telegram’s user demographics, downloads, revenue, features, and global reach to help you understand why and how the app is growing.
Telegram Statistics 2026: Key Highlights
- Telegram has 1 billion active users (MAU).
- The platform has 500 million daily active users (DAU).
- Globally, 15 million people have subscribed to Telegram Premium.
- India has the largest Telegram user base in the world.
- Telegram is used by 56.8% of Male users and 43.2% female.
- 53.5% of Telegram users are aged between 18 and 34 years old.
- Telegram IAP (in-app purchases) generated $14.9 million in April 2025.
- Since its launch, Telegram has raised over $4 billion.
How Many Users Does Telegram Have?
According to the latest data, Telegram hit 1 billion active users globally, jumping from 950 million monthly active users previously.
Additionally, around 2.5 million users join Telegram every day.
Here is a table displaying the monthly active users of Telegram by year:
| Month- Year | Telegram Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| March 2025 | 1 billion |
| Jul 2024 | 950 million |
| Apr 2024 | 900 million |
| Jul 2023 | 800 million |
| Nov 2022 | 700 million |
| Apr 2022 | 500 million |
| Apr 2020 | 400 million |
| Mar 2018 | 200 million |
| Dec 2017 | 180 million |
| Feb 2016 | 100 million |
| Sep 2015 | 60 million |
| Dec 2014 | 50 million |
| Mar 2014 | 35 million |
Source: Statista 1, Telegram, Statista 2.
Telegram Daily Active Users
According to the latest data, Telegram has around 500 million daily active users in 2026.
In 2025, Telegram nearly had 450 million daily active users, making up nearly half of its monthly active users who log in each day.
Source: Telegram
How Many People Use Telegram Premium?
Telegram has surpassed 15 million premium users currently. This is a 3 million increase since December 2024.
Telegram’s premium subscription offers a range of exclusive features, including 4 GB file uploads (compared to the standard 2 GB), faster download speeds, and access to premium stickers, among other perks.
Despite this growth in its paid user base, premium subscribers still account for only around 1.5% of Telegram’s total monthly active users, with the majority opting for the app’s free version.
The following table displays the number of Telegram Premium users recorded in the past years:
| Month Year | Telegram Premium Subscribers |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | 15 million |
| December 2024 | 12 million |
| September 2024 | 10 million |
| January 2024 | 5 million |
| December 2023 | 4 million |
| October 2023 | 3.5 million |
| December 2022 | 1 million |
| August 2022 | 0.26 million |
| July 2022 | 0.15 million |
Source: Statista, The Rio Times.
Telegram Users By Country
In India, 45% of the population regularly uses Telegram.
According to a survey by Statista, nearly half of the people in India used Telegram. Other countries with high Telegram usage include Brazil and Mexico, where 38% and 34% of people use the app, respectively. In contrast, only 9% of people in the United States reported using Telegram regularly.
Meanwhile, another survey conducted in March 2024 found that around 51% of Russian citizens use the platform.
The following table displays the Telegram usage by country:
| Country | Share of Respondents Who Use Telegram |
|---|---|
| India | 45% |
| Brazil | 38% |
| Mexico | 34% |
| South Africa | 32% |
| Spain | 32% |
| Italy | 29% |
| Germany | 16% |
| France | 11% |
| United Kingdom | 10% |
| United States | 9% |
| Japan | 1% |
Source: Statista, Levada Center.
Who Uses Telegram The Most?
Right now, the largest share of Telegram users is aged 25–34 (29.70%).
In terms of gender, 56.8% of Telegram users in the world are male.
Telegram User Age Demographics
The two largest age groups, 18-24 and 25-34, account for over half of all Telegram users, with a combined share of 53.5%.
| Age Group | Share of Telegram Users |
|---|---|
| 18-24 | 23.8% |
| 25-34 | 29.70% |
| 35-44 | 19.64% |
| 45-54 | 12.76% |
| 55-64 | 9.36% |
| 65+ | 5.25% |
Source: Similarweb
Telegram User Gender Demographics
As per the latest data, 56.8% of Telegram users are male.
On the other hand, female users make up 43.2% of the Telegram user count share.
Here is a table displaying the gender distribution of the Telegram users:
| Gender | Share of Users |
|---|---|
| Male | 56.8% |
| Female | 43.2% |
Source: Statista
Telegram App Downloads
The Telegram App was downloaded 34.33 million times in February 2024.
Comparatively, in January 2024, the app was downloaded 36.87 million times, and 35.02 million in December 2023.
Besides, the number of Telegram downloads reached its highest in October 2023, when the app was downloaded 42.61 million times.
Here is a table displaying the number of Telegram downloads recorded between February 2023 and February 2024.
| Month- Year | Number of Downloads |
|---|---|
| Feb 2024 | 34.33 million |
| Jan 2024 | 36.87 million |
| Dec 2023 | 35.02 million |
| Nov 2023 | 36.92 million |
| Oct 2023 | 42.61 million |
| Sep 2023 | 36.28 million |
| Aug 2023 | 38.25 million |
| Jul 2023 | 33.97 million |
| Jun 2023 | 32.19 million |
| May 2023 | 32.86 million |
| Apr 2023 | 29.74 million |
| Mar 2023 | 29.31 million |
| Feb 2023 | 28.47 million |
Source: Statista
Telegram Downloads By Country
With 104.04 million downloads, India is the country with the most Telegram users.
In 2025, India recorded the highest number of Telegram App downloads worldwide. Meanwhile, Russia recorded the second-highest Telegram app downloads worldwide at 34.4 million.
However, there was a huge difference in the number of total Telegram App downloads recorded in India and Russia.
Besides, Indonesia recorded the third-highest Telegram downloads in 2025, at 27.21 million downloads.
The following table displays the number of Telegram app downloads by Country as per the latest data.
| Country | Number of Downloads |
|---|---|
| India | 104.04 million |
| Russia | 34.4 million |
| Indonesia | 27.21 million |
| United States | 26.85 million |
| Brazil | 21.94 million |
| Egypt | 14.85 million |
| Vietnam | 11.84 million |
| Mexico | 11.61 million |
| Ukraine | 10.76 million |
| Turkey | 9.79 million |
Source: BankMyCell
Telegram Downloads By Year
Telegram was downloaded 340 million times in 2025, whereas 409.48 million times in 2023.
That’s a decrease of 16.83%, or nearly 69 million downloads in two years. In 2021, Telegram downloads recorded 382.92 million, which is still higher than in 2025.
The following table provides further details about the number of Telegram app downloads by year:
| Year | Number of Telegram App Downloads |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 340 million |
| 2023 | 409.48 million |
| 2021 | 382.92 million |
| 2022 | 367.23 million |
| 2020 | 326.31 million |
| 2019 | 141.5 million |
| 2018 | 87.02 million |
| 2017 | 67.77 million |
| 2016 | 53.58 million |
| 2015 | 40.33 million |
Source: Statista
Telegram App Downloads By Region
Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) recorded the highest Telegram downloads in Q4 2023, reaching 46.17 million.
The second-highest Telegram downloads were recorded in the Asia Pacific region of 44.45 million, while North America and Latin America recorded a total Telegram download of 23.93 million in the same quarter.
Here is a table displaying the number of Telegram downloads recorded in the APAC, EMEA, and NALA regions over the past quarters.
| Quarter | APAC | EMEA | NALA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Q4 | 44.45 million | 46.17 million | 23.93 million |
| 2023 Q3 | 44.99 million | 40.74 million | 22.77 million |
| 2023 Q2 | 38.57 million | 34.96 million | 21.26 million |
| 2023 Q1 | 38.07 million | 33.77 million | 19.8 million |
| 2022 Q4 | 39.94 million | 33.29 million | 17.53 million |
| 2022 Q3 | 38.24 million | 30.77 million | 17.89 million |
| 2022 Q2 | 42.25 million | 33.54 million | 17.74 million |
| 2022 Q1 | 44.89 million | 33.01 million | 18.14 million |
| 2021 Q4 | 46.94 million | 32.48 million | 19.17 million |
| 2021 Q3 | 40.16 million | 26.7 million | 17.91 million |
Source: Statista.
How Much Time Do Telegram Users Spend On The App?
Users spend an average of 3 hours and 45 minutes monthly on Telegram.
As of January 2024, social media users spend the 8th highest amount of time on Telegram compared to other social media platforms.
The following table displays the time spent on the Telegram App compared to other social media apps.
| Social Media Platform | Time Spent On The Platform Per Month |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 34 hours |
| YouTube | 28 hours and 5 minutes |
| 19 hours and 47 minutes | |
| WhatsApp Messenger | 17 hours and 6 minutes |
| 15 hours and 50 minutes | |
| Line | 8 hours and 14 minutes |
| X (Twitter) | 4 hours and 40 minutes |
| Telegram | 3 hours and 45 minutes |
| Snapchat | 3 hours and 33 minutes |
| FB Messenger | 3 hours and 21 minutes |
| 1 hour and 49 minutes | |
| LinkedIn App | 51 minutes |
Source: Data Reportal.
“Ahead of us stands WhatsApp — a cheap, watered-down imitation of Telegram. For years, they’ve desperately tried to copy our innovations while burning billions on lobbying and PR campaigns to slow us down. They failed. Telegram grew, became profitable, and — unlike our competitor — retained its independence.” – Pavel Durov (Quote reference from TechCrunch)
Telegram App Session Duration
On average, a session on Telegram lasts for 41 minutes.
Additionally, Telegram active users open the app at least 21 times a day.
Source: Telegram
Telegram Revenue
Telegram generated $870 million in the first half of 2025, a 65% increase from H1 2024.
Telegram generated an in-app revenue of almost $14.9 million in April 2025.
That’s an increase of almost $0.6 million in In-App purchases compared to that recorded in January 2024.
The majority of this revenue comes from Telegram Premium, a subscription model introduced in June 2022. It provides its users access to extra features like extended limits, uploads of larger files, and faster download speeds.
The following table displays the In-App revenue generated by the Telegram App through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, recorded over the past months.
| Month-Year | Apple App Store | Google Play Store |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2024 | 4.86 million | 1.22 million |
| Jan 2024 | 4.44 million | 1.14 million |
| Dec 2023 | 3.87 million | 0.97 million |
| Nov 2023 | 3.35 million | 0.82 million |
| Oct 2023 | 3.18 million | 0.79 million |
| Sep 2023 | 2.94 million | 0.78 million |
| Aug 2023 | 3.09 million | 0.73 million |
| Jul 2023 | 2.86 million | 0.63 million |
| Jun 2023 | 2.30 million | 0.57 million |
| May 2023 | 2.45 million | 0.62 million |
Source: Statista, Trading View
Telegram Funding Statistics
Telegram has raised more than $4 billion since its launch in 2013.
The platform received the latest funding of $330 million through capital bond sales in March 2024.
Meanwhile, in June 2023, the platform received $270 million in funds.
Here are further details about the findings received by the Telegram app between March 2018 and March 2024 in the table below:
| Date | Funding Received |
|---|---|
| Mar 18, 2024 | 0.33 billion |
| Jul 18, 2023 | 0.27 billion |
| Apr 28, 2021 | 0.75 billion |
| Mar 15 and 23, 2021 | 1 billion |
| Mar 1, 2018 | 1.7 billion |
Source: Statista.
Telegram Availability Around the World
The Telegram app can be downloaded in around 175 countries from the iOS App Store.
At the same time, Telegram can be downloaded from the Play Store in 133 of the 141 countries where the Google Play Store operates.
Further, Telegram is available on Windows in 107 countries out of 109 countries where the Windows Store currently operates.
Source: Appfigures
Telegram Feature Statistics
- Telegram’s group chats allow up to 200,000 people.
- Users can upload up to 2 GB of files on Telegram groups, while premium users can upload up to 4 GB of files.
- Over 10 million bots are hosted on Telegram’s free bot platform, which allows developers to create simple chatbots and mini apps.
Source: Telegram
Telegram Channel Statistics
50% of the display ad revenue goes to Telegram Channel Owners.
Telegram Channel owners with a minimum of 1000 subscribers can now take half of the revenue generated by ads displayed on their channels. The channel owners can withdraw money with no fees.
They can also reinvest it into ads, collectible usernames, and other paid perks on Telegram.
The channel owners can withdraw their money through the integrated Fragment Website.
Source: ZDNet.
Top Telegram Channels
Hamster Kombat is the most popular channel on Telegram, with 43.14 million subscribers.
Blumcrypto and Majors are the third and the second most popular Telegram Channels, with 30.3 million and 23 million subscribers, respectively.
Here is a table displaying the most popular channels on Telegram according to the number of subscribers.
| Channel Name | Number of Subscribers |
|---|---|
| @hamster_kombat | 43,140,000 |
| @blumcrypto | 30,300,000 |
| @majors | 23,000,000 |
| @pawsupfam | 21,440,000 |
| @tapswapai | 20,700,000 |
| @empirex | 17,540,000 |
| @memeficlub | 17,110,000 |
| @seedupdates | 16,710,000 |
| @notcoin | 16,020,000 |
| @Cats_housewtf | 15,820,000 |
Source: Statista
Most Popular Telegram Channel Categories
The News Channel was the most popular channel type on Telegram, and 85% of the Telegram users followed it.
Meanwhile, entertainment channels are the second most popular category, while educational channels come in third.
Besides, half of the Telegram users follow political channels, making it the fourth most popular channel category on Telegram.
Here is a table displaying the most popular channel categories on Telegram according to the share of Telegram users that follow them:
| Channel Category | Share of Telegram Users That Follow The Category |
|---|---|
| News channels | 85% |
| Entertainment channels | 62% |
| Educational channels | 58% |
| Political channels | 50% |
| News from own industry | 48% |
| Personal channels of friends | 45% |
| Channels on special military operation | 36% |
| Channels of bloggers and celebrities | 31% |
| Internal channels of companies | 19% |
| Channels of brands/companies | 17% |
| Channels on products and discounts | 16% |
| Channels with job offers | 14% |
| Channels for adults | 13% |
| Darknet-channels | 4% |
Source: Statista
Telegram E-commerce Related Statistics
Telegram generated the largest sales volume through the segment of goods from China, amounting to $12 million in sales.
Meanwhile, the second-highest sales were generated from digital equipment, amounting to $5.52 million in sales.
Other top segments that generated a large sales volume on the app were consumer loans, apparel, and shoes.
Here is a table displaying the sales volume on Telegram worldwide recorded for the top segments.
| Segment | Sales Volume on Telegram |
|---|---|
| Goods from China | $12 million |
| Digital Equipment | $5.52 million |
| Consume loans | $3.12 million |
| Apparel and Shoes | $2.14 million |
| Sport | $0.86 million |
| Work and Education | $0.57 million |
| Hypermarkets | $0.45 million |
| Health and Beauty | $0.25 million |
| Furniture and household goods | $0.063 million |
| Food Delivery | $0.057 million |
Source: Statista.
Telegram Security Statistics
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested in August 2024 on the allegations that Telegram is being used for illicit activities.
The claims stated that the app was used for drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse images.
These issues started to rise as people discovered that Telegram’s communication encryption is not on by default; users have to switch to the option to encrypt their chats. Plus, this feature does not work with group chats.
French media brought it into the limelight that Durov was detained on an arrest warrant that alleged Telegram was used for money laundering, drug trafficking, and other offenses.
Source: The Hindu.
Telegram is being investigated in India over multiple cases.
Telegram played a vital role in illicit operations in India, from distributing the leaked paper to manipulating stock prices and extortion.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) uncovered the stock-price racket that operated through Telegram on July 24th. The owner of that Telegram group received ₹20 lakhs in commission from the individuals connected to the listed steel sheet manufacturing firm.
Apart from that, two men from Bhopal, India, duped a local doctor of ₹38 lakhs by impersonating police officers and conducting a fake “interrogation”. The authorities arrested them on May 3rd, 2024.
Apart from these crimes, Telegram was used to leak the UGC-NET and NEET-UG papers on June 19th and May 3rd, 2023, respectively.
Source: Hindustan Times.
Malicious actors sold tools needed to run a phishing scam for just $230 on Telegram.
Telegram has become a popular platform among scammers and cybercriminals for carrying out malicious activities.
Guardio, a cybersecurity startup, discovered that cyber criminals were buying and selling social media accounts, credit cards, and bank account logins through Telegram. Also, the scammers misused the blue “verified” checkmarks in order to deceive the users.
Source: PCMag.
Most Expensive Telegram Usernames Sold
@news is the most expensive Telegram username sold on the auction platform Fragment.
The username was sold in November 2022 for 994 thousand Toncoin. As of April 2024, its exchange rate is approximately $5.81 million.
The second most expensive Telegram username was sold for $5.27 million on Fragment.
Fragment is an exchange platform launched in October 2022, used to buy and sell Telegram usernames with the cryptocurrency Toncoin.
The following table displays the most expensive Telegram usernames sold (table as of April 2024):
| Telegram Usernames | Sales Price |
|---|---|
| @news | 5.81 million |
| @auto | 5.27 million |
| @bank | 4.97 million |
| @avia | 4.68 million |
| @chat | 4.1 million |
| @king | 3.95 million |
| @fifa | 3.51 million |
| @game | 2.93 million |
| @sber | 2.76 million |
| @meta | 2.36 million |
Source: Statista
Telegram Usage Statistics
Telegram is the 8th most popular Social media platform worldwide as of 2024.
In April, Telegram had 900 million users and was the 8th most popular social network worldwide. Currently, it has 950 million users and is set to cross the mark of 1 billion monthly Telegram active users in 2024.
However, if Telegram gets banned in India, it is more likely to get lower in the list as the majority of Telegram users come from the country.
Here is a table displaying the position of Telegram among other social media platforms.
| Social Media Platform | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| 3,065 million | |
| YouTube | 2,504 million |
| 2,000 million | |
| 2,000 million | |
| TikTok | 1,582 million |
| 1,343 million | |
| Facebook Messenger | 1,010 million |
| Telegram | 900 million |
| Snapchat | 800 million |
| Douyin | 755 million |
| Kuaishou | 700 million |
| X/Twitter | 611 million |
| 598 million | |
| 554 million | |
| 498 million |
Source: Statista.
Telegram’s Popularity Among Mobile Messenger Apps
Telegram is the third most popular mobile messaging app worldwide in 2026.
Apps like WhatsApp and WeChat are ahead of it in popularity with higher monthly active users.
The following table displays the popularity of Telegram among other smartphone messaging apps according to the monthly active users.
| Mobile Messaging App | Number of Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| 3,000 million | |
| Weixin / WeChat | 1,410 million |
| Telegram | 1,000 million |
| Facebook Messenger | 942 million |
| Snapchat | 932 million |
| 532 million |
Source: Statista
Conclusion: Telegram Surpassed 1 Billion Monthly Active Users
Telegram’s journey from 100 million users in 2016 to 1 billion reflects unparalleled growth in the messaging industry. Its main demographic is between the ages of 18 and 34, with 53.5% dominated by 56.8% men.
Furthermore, with over $4 billion raised and constant feature upgrades, the platform is destined to thrive.
Ultimately, its rapid growth stems from a winning combination of speed, privacy, and versatility, securing its place among the world’s leading social and messaging platforms.
