Telegram ranks as the seventh-largest social media and messaging platform globally, with over 1 billion monthly active users and 450 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.
Key Telegram Users Data 2025 (Editor’s Pick)
- There are over 1 billion monthly active users on Telegram as of 2025.
- 11.53% of the world’s population uses Telegram.
- Telegram has 12 million premium subscribers.
- The app has been downloaded 2 billion times across the App Store and Google Play Store.
- @hamster_kombat is the most subscribed Telegram channel, with more than 41.8 million subscribers.
How Many Telegram Users Are There?
As of 2025, Telegram has more than 1 billion monthly active users (MAU) globally, a 5.3% increase from the previous year. 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 2025, over 11.53% of the world’s population and 18.13% 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 | 1000 Million | +5.26% |
Source – Statista
Telegram Daily Active Users
As of 2025, Telegram has more than 450 million daily active users, which means around half of the monthly active users access the platform at least once daily.
The latest surveys revealed that around 2.6% of social media users globally consider Telegram their favorite platform. As Telegram becomes more popular in Southeast Asian countries, the number of daily active users is expected to cross 500 million soon.
Source: Telegram 1, Telegram 2, DataReportal
Telegram Monthly Active Users Vs. Other Social Media Platforms
Telegram’s MAU is projected to cross the 1 billion mark by the end of 2025. It will be the seventh social media platform with over 1 billion monthly active users after Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, and WeChat.
As of 2025, Facebook dominates the chart with over 3.06 billion monthly active users, followed by YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which have 2.5 billion and 2 billion MAUs, respectively.
TikTok and WeChat rank fifth and sixth, respectively, with over 1.58 billion and 1.34 billion monthly active users.
The table below displays the monthly active users’ data for all major social media platforms:
| Platform | Monthly Active Users In 2025 |
|---|---|
| 3.06 billion | |
| YouTube | 2.5 billion |
| 2 billion | |
| 2 billion | |
| TikTok | 1.58 billion |
| 1.34 billion | |
| Telegram | 1000 million |
| Snapchat | 800 million |
| Douyin | 755 million |
| Kuaishou | 700 million |
| X (Twitter) | 611 million |
| 598 million | |
| 554 million | |
| 498 million |
Source: Statista
Number of Telegram Premium Subscribers in 2025
As of 2025, Telegram has over 12 million Premium subscribers, a 20% increase since September 2024 and a significant 140% growth from 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:
| Time | Telegram Premium Subscribers |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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 Users by Different 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
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 | Telegram 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 Telegram 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.
A detailed picture of Telegram users’ gender split:
Telegram User Distribution by Gender
| Male | Female |
|---|---|
| 59.79% | 40.21% |
Source: Similarweb
Telegram App Statistics in 2025
Telegram is among the most popular and downloaded messaging apps in the world. As of 2025, data indicates that its 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.
Telegram App Downloads by Months
The Telegram app was downloaded 27.63 million times worldwide on the App Store and Play Store combined in January 2025. This is a 22.91% decrease from January 2024 and a 10.64% dip from December 2024.
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.
Here is the monthly breakdown of the app from January 2024 to January 2025:
| Month | Total Downloads | Monthly Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-01 | 27.63 million | -10.6% |
| 2024-12 | 30.92 million | 13.45% |
| 2024-11 | 27.25 million | -16.68% |
| 2024-10 | 32.71 million | -31.99% |
| 2024-09 | 48.11 million | 11.97% |
| 2024-08 | 42.97 million | -10.83% |
| 2024-07 | 48.19 million | -16.91% |
| 2024-06 | 57.99 million | 50.15% |
| 2024-05 | 38.62 million | 2.33% |
| 2024-04 | 37.74 million | -1.97% |
| 2024-03 | 38.5 million | 18.94% |
| 2024-02 | 32.37 million | -9.67% |
| 2024-01 | 35.84 million | – |
Source: Statista
Telegram App Downloads by Years
The Telegram app was downloaded 471.21 million times in 2024, and it is projected that in 2025, the downloads will cross 500 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 |
|---|---|
| 2029* | 1.4 billion* |
| 2028* | 1.15 billion* |
| 2027* | 920.32 million* |
| 2026* | 736.26 million* |
| 2025* | 589.01 million* |
| 2024 | 471.21 million |
| 2023 | 397.92 million |
| 2022 | 381.18 million |
| 2021 | 354.35 million |
| 2020 | 325.84 million |
| 2019 | 141.31 million |
| 2018 | 86.87 million |
| 2017 | 67.65 million |
| 2016 | 53.49 million |
| 2015 | 40.25 million |
Source: Statista + future estimated data
Telegram App Downloads by Regions
Telegram was the leading platform in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region in 2024. 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 Popular Telegram Channels in 2025
As of 2025, @hamster_kombat is the most popular Telegram channel with over 41.8 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 29.49 million and 22.4 million subscribers, respectively.
Here are the top 10 most popular Telegram channels in 2025:
| Telegram Channel | Number of Subscribers |
|---|---|
| @hamster_kombat | 41.8 million |
| @blumcrypto | 29.49 million |
| @majors | 22.4 million |
| @pawsupfam | 21.4 million |
| @tapswapai | 20.1 million |
| @empirex | 17.08 million |
| @memeficlub | 16.6 million |
| @seedupdates | 16.3 million |
| @notcoin | 15.5 million |
| @Cats_housewtf | 15.4 million |
Number of Telegram Channels by Countries
Russia dominates the list with over 1.25 million channels and over 100,800 groups on Telegram. Uzbekistan and Iran follow with over 176,000 channels and 116,000 channels, respectively.
Ukraine ranks fourth in the list with over 97,000 Telegram channels and 12,200 groups.
Here is the ranking of the top 5 countries by Telegram channels and groups:
| Country | Number of Telegram Channels | Number of Telegram Groups |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 1.25 million | 100,800 |
| Uzbekistan | 176,000 | 32,800 |
| Iran | 116,000 | 3,900 |
| Ukraine | 97,000 | 12,200 |
| India | 50,000 | 6,800 |
Source: TGStat