Telegram ranks as the seventh-largest social media and messaging platform globally, with over 1 billion monthly active users and 500 million daily active users.
Asia Pacific is Telegram’s largest market, with India leading the list of countries by app downloads. The platform is also gaining popularity in the United States, where it has been downloaded over 38.16 million times.
Below is a detailed breakdown of Telegram’s user demographics, including statistics on monthly and daily active users, downloads by region and country, and the number of channels and groups.
This data will help businesses and marketers understand how Telegram operates and how its users behave.
Telegram Users Key Stats (2026)
- There are over 1 billion monthly active users on Telegram as of 2026.
- Telegram is used by 17.86% of the total social media users.
- Telegram has 15 million premium subscribers.
- The app has been downloaded 2 billion times across the App Store and Google Play Store.
- India has the largest user population using Telegram.
- As of H1 2025, Telegram revenue reached $870 million, with 65% Y-o-Y growth.
How Many Telegram Users Are There?
As of 2026, Telegram has more than 1 billion monthly active users (MAU) globally, which is a 50 million increase from March 2025. Telegram’s MAUs grew by 18.75% in the past two years and by a whopping 137.5% over the last five years.
It’s impressive that the platform had just 35 million MAUs in March 2014. As of 2026, over 12.05% of the world’s population and 17.86% of social media users globally use Telegram monthly.
Here is the table to showcase Telegram’s MAUs over the years since 2014:
| Month – Year | Telegram MAU (Monthly Active Users) | Y-O-Y Growth |
|---|---|---|
| March 2014 | 35 Million | – |
| December 2014 | 50 Million | +42.86% |
| September 2015 | 60 Million | +20% |
| February 2016 | 100 Million | +66.67% |
| December 2017 | 180 Million | +80% |
| March 2018 | 200 Million | +11.11% |
| April 2020 | 400 Million | +100% |
| April 2022 | 500 Million | +25% |
| November 2022 | 700 Million | +40% |
| July 2023 | 800 Million | +14.29% |
| March 2024 | 900 Million | +12.50% |
| July 2024 | 950 Million | +5.56% |
| March 2025 | 950 Million+ | 0% |
| January 2026 | 1 Billion | +5.26% |
Source: Statista
Telegram Daily Active Users
As of 2026, Telegram has more than 500 million daily active users, which means around half of the monthly active users access the platform at least once daily.
Each day, around 2.5 million new users join Telegram.
Growth slowed slightly from 2024’s surge but remains robust amid expansion to 1 billion MAU by March 2025.
| Year | Telegram DAUs | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 196 Million | – |
| 2025 | 450 Million | +129.6% |
| 2026 | 500 Million | +11.1% |
Source: Telegram 1, Telegram 2, DataReportal
Telegram Monthly Active Users Vs. Other Social Media Platforms
Telegram’s MAU has crossed the 1 billion mark as of 2026. It is now the seventh social media platform with over 1 billion monthly active users after Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, and WeChat.
Facebook dominates the chart with over 3.07 billion monthly active users, followed by Instagram, and WhatsApp, which have 3 billion, each.
The table below displays the monthly active users’ data for all major social media platforms:
| Platform | Monthly Active Users In 2026 |
|---|---|
| 3.07 billion | |
| 3 billion | |
| 3 billion | |
| YouTube | 2.7 billion |
| TikTok | 2 billion |
| 1.41 billion | |
| Telegram | 1 billion |
| Snapchat | 943 million |
| Douyin | 766 million |
| Kuaishou | 731 million |
| 588 million | |
| X (Twitter) | 586 million |
| 578 million | |
| 554 million |
Source: Statista
Telegram Users Across World Regions
Asia accounts for 38% of Telegram’s user base, which is around 361 million of the total monthly active users. Europe and Latin America follow Asia, accounting for around 27% and 21% of the user base, respectively.
The Middle East and North America region (MENA) has the lowest percentage of Telegram users, accounting for only 8% of the user base.
It should be noted that Telegram has faced bans and restrictions in multiple countries, including large markets like China, Iran, Russia, Poland, Norway, and multiple other European countries. Without these bans, the platform’s global user base would be larger.
Here is a small table to represent the distribution of Telegram’s user base by different regions:
| Region | Share of Telegram’s User Base |
|---|---|
| Asia | 38% |
| Europe | 27% |
| Latin America | 21% |
| MENA (Middle East and North America) | 8% |
Sources: World Population Review
Telegram Users by Country
As of 2026, India currently has 104.04 million active Telegram users making it the leading country in terms of Telegram MAUs. Russia, the birthplace of the platform has 34.4 million active users.
Indonesia and the United States have 27.21 million and 26.85 million users respectively.
The table below provides the complete picture of Telegram user percentage by different countries:
| Country | Users |
|---|---|
| India | 104.04 million |
| Russia | 34.40 million |
| Indonesia | 27.21 million |
| United States | 26.85 million |
| Brazil | 21.94 million |
| Egypt | 14.85 million |
Telegram Users in the United States
There are 26.85 million active Telegram users in the United States, meaning 8% of the Nation’s population use the platfrom as of 2025.
Telegram’s security features are gaining popularity in the country and it is projected that the platform’s user base will hit new records by the end of this year.
Source: Statista
Telegram Users Age Group Demographics
Over 50% of Telegram users are under 34 years old. If we further divide the age group, about 30.29% of users are from 25 to 34 years, the highest among all age groups. They are followed by Gen Zs (18 to 24 years), with around 23.84% of them using the platform.
The remaining 45.87% of users are over 35, with those aged 35 to 44 making up approximately 19.48% of the user base.
Here is the complete breakdown of Telegram’s user base by age group:
| Age Group | Share of Telegram User Base |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 years | 23.84% |
| 25 to 34 years | 30.29% |
| 35 to 44 years | 19.48% |
| 45 to 54 years | 12.27% |
| 55 to 64 years | 8.95% |
| 65+ years | 5.17% |
Source: Similarweb
Telegram Users by Gender
6 out of 10 Telegram users are male compared to 40.21% of females using it. According to the latest reports, the number of females using the platform has increased significantly in the past few years. Some data also show that the gender split will narrow down to similar by the end of 2030.
Telegram User Distribution by Gender
| Male | Female |
|---|---|
| 59.79% | 40.21% |
Source: Similarweb
Telegram App Statistics in 2026
Telegram is among the most popular and downloaded messaging apps in the world. As of 2026, The app has been downloaded 2 billion times across the App Store and Play Store combined. India is the largest market for the app, and it was downloaded half a billion times in the previous year.
In the following section, you will find a detailed report on the total downloads of the Telegram app, categorized by month, year, region, and country.
Number of Telegram Premium Subscribers in 2026
As of 2026, Telegram has over 15 million Premium subscribers, almost a 25% increase from 12 million in January 2025 and a significant 200% growth from 5 million in January 2024.
Telegram Premium was launched on June 19, 2022, with numerous exclusive features, such as 4 GB file uploads, faster downloads, doubled follow limits up to 1000 channels, voice-to-text conversion, unique stickers and reactions, and animated profile pictures.
Here is the table to provide information on the growth of Telegram’s paid users since its launch:
| Month Year | Number of Telegram Premium users |
|---|---|
| July 2022 | 0.15 million |
| August 2022 | 0.26 million |
| December 2022 | 1 million |
| October 2023 | 3.5 million |
| December 2023 | 4 million |
| January 2024 | 5 million |
| September 2024 | 10 million |
| January 2025 | 12 million |
| January 2026 | 15 Million |
However, despite the significant growth of the premium user base, Telegram’s paid users account for only 1% of its monthly active users. Still, a majority of its user base prefers the free version.
Sources: Telegram 1, Telegram 2, Statista
Telegram App Downloads
The Telegram app was downloaded 27.63 million times worldwide on the App Store and Play Store combined.
From January 2024 to January 2025, the Telegram app saw a decline in the average monthly downloads of about 0.15%, reflecting a slight downward trend over the year.
Source: Statista
The Telegram app was downloaded 589.01 million times in 2025, and it is projected that in 2026, the downloads will cross 736.26 million. Compared to 2023, the app was downloaded 73.29 million times, or 18.41% more in 2024.
Telegram app downloads grew at an average annual rate of around 35% from 2015 to 2024.
The table below shows the Telegram app downloads from 2015 to 2029 (estimated data):
| Year | Total Yearly Downloads |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 40.25 million |
| 2016 | 53.49 million |
| 2017 | 67.65 million |
| 2018 | 86.87 million |
| 2019 | 141.31 million |
| 2020 | 325.84 million |
| 2021 | 354.35 million |
| 2022 | 381.18 million |
| 2023 | 397.92 million |
| 2024 | 471.21 million |
| 2025 | 589.01 million |
| 2026 | 736.26 million |
| 2027* | 920.32 million* |
| 2028* | 1.15 billion* |
| 2029* | 1.4 billion* |
Source: Statista + future estimated data
Telegram App Downloads by Regions
Telegram was the leading platform in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region in 2025. The app was downloaded around 182.31 million times in the region, followed by Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, with about 177.23 million downloads.
The North America and Latin America (NALA) region accounted for the lowest downloads of 95.50 million.
From 2020 to 2024, the average annual download rate of the Telegram app grew by 4.25% in the APAC region, 15.21% in the EMEA region, and 15.83% in the NALA region.
If a similar trend continues, the Telegram app is estimated to be downloaded over 200 million times in the EMEA region by the end of 2025, marginally surpassing the APAC region, which will account for 190 million downloads. The NALA region will have steady growth, with 110 downloads.
| Year | Total Downloads in APAC | Total Downloads in EMEA | Total Downloads in NALA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* | 206.54 million* | 270.72 million* | 148.85 million* |
| 2026* | 198.12 million* | 235.16 million* | 128.34 million* |
| 2025* | 190.04 million* | 204.18 million* | 110.64 million* |
| 2024 | 182.31 million | 177.23 million | 95.5 million |
| 2023 | 156.24 million | 152.58 million | 88.77 million |
| 2022 | 150.1 million | 131.57 million | 71.3 million |
| 2021 | 162.72 million | 123.08 million | 90.42 million |
| 2020 | 155.74 million | 110.25 million | 58.51 million |
Source: Statista + future estimated data
Telegram App Downloads by Countries
As of 2025, India leads the list of Telegram app downloads by countries with over 100 million downloads. Russia and the United States follow India with over 38.44 million and 38.16 million downloads, respectively.
The app is also becoming popular in other Asian countries, including Indonesia and Pakistan, contributing over 31.17 million and 24.34 million downloads.
Here is the complete breakdown of Telegram app downloads by different countries:
| Countries | Total Downloads of the Telegram App |
|---|---|
| India | 100.02 million |
| Russia | 38.44 million |
| United States | 38.16 million |
| Indonesia | 31.17 million |
| Pakistan | 24.34 million |
| Brazil | 16.81 million |
| Vietnam | 14.86 million |
| Mexico | 12.86 million |
| Ukraine | 8.51 million |
| France | 7.94 million |
| Germany | 7.29 million |
| Saudi Arabia | 7.08 million |
| United Kingdom | 5.96 million |
Source: Statista
Average Time Spent on Telegram
A Telegram user spends an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes per month and around 9 minutes daily using the app. This data is much lower than other similar social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
Users spend over 34 hours and 15 minutes every month, or 69 minutes per day, using TikTok. Similarly, an average YouTube user spends around 29 hours monthly watching shorts and videos.
Here is the table to showcase the average time a Telegram user spends using the app vs. other similar apps:
| Platform | Average time spent per month | Average time spent per day |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 34 hours 15 minutes | 69 minutes |
| YouTube | 29 hours 21 minutes | 59 minutes |
| 18 hours 44 minutes | 37 minutes | |
| 16 hours 52 minutes | 34 minutes | |
| 16 hours 49 minutes | 34 minutes | |
| Line | 7 hours 25 minutes | 15 minutes |
| X (Twitter) | 5 hours 19 minutes | 11 minutes |
| Telegram | 4 hours 25 minutes | 9 minutes |
| Discord | 3 hours 43 minutes | 7 minutes |
| Snapchat | 3 hours 34 minutes | 7 minutes |
Source: DataReportal
Telegram Channel Statistics
There are millions of channels on Telegram with millions of subscribers. These channels can help you earn revenue once they get monetized. Channels with over 1000 subscribers can be monetized, and 50% of the revenue generated can be transferred to the owner’s account. In the following sections, we have added interesting statistical data about the most popular channels and channel categories.
Most Popular Telegram Channel Category
More than 8 out of 10 channels on Telegram are News channels, making it the most popular channel category. The Entertainment category is second with 62%, followed by Education with 58%.
Products and Discounts, Job Offers, and Adult channels are the least popular categories on Telegram with 17%, 16%, 14%, and 13%, respectively.
| Channel Category | The popularity of Channels in % |
|---|---|
| News channels | 85% |
| Entertainment channels | 62% |
| Educational channels | 58% |
| Political channels | 50% |
| News from own industry | 48% |
| Personal channels of friends | 45% |
| Channels for the special military operation | 36% |
| Channels of bloggers and celebrities | 31% |
| Internal channels of companies | 19% |
| Channels of brands/companies | 17% |
| Channels for products and discounts | 16% |
| Channels with job offers | 14% |
| Channels for adults | 13% |
| Darknet-channels | 4% |
Source: Statista
Most Subscribed Telegram Channels in 2026
As of 2026, @hamster_kombat is the most popular Telegram channel with over 43.8 million subscribers. It is an announcement channel for Hamster Kombat, a popular Telegram-based cryptocurrency clicker game built on the TON blockchain.
@blumcrypto and @majors follow it with over 30.3 million and 23 million subscribers, respectively.
Here are the top 10 Telegram channels in 2026:
| Telegram Channel | Number of Subscribers |
|---|---|
| @hamster_kombat | 43.8 million |
| @blumcrypto | 30.3 million |
| @majors | 23 million |
| @pawsupfam | 21.4 million |
| @tapswapai | 20.7 million |
| @empirex | 17.54 million |
| @memeficlub | 17.11 million |
| @seedupdates | 16.71 million |
| @notcoin | 16.02 million |
| @Cats_housewtf | 15.80 million |
Number of Telegram Channels by Countries
Russia dominates the list with over 1.54 million channels and over 124,000 groups on Telegram. Uzbekistan and Ukraine follow with over 195,000 channels and 105,000 channels, respectively.
Iran ranks fourth in the list with over 122,000 Telegram channels and 4,300 groups.
Here is the ranking of the top countries by Telegram channels and groups:
| Country | Channels | Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 1.54 million | 124,000 |
| Uzbekistan | 195,000 | 37,700 |
| Ukraine | 105,000 | 13,600 |
| Iran | 122,000 | 4,300 |
| India | 58,000 | 9,700 |
| China | 46,000 | 10,800 |
| Belarus | 15,000 | 3,000 |
| Ethiopia | 14,000 | 1,900 |
| Kazakhstan | 18,000 | 2,500 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 5,000 | 1,100 |
Source: TGStat
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Source: TGStat
