Telegram as an online message app has gained popularity due to its commitment to privacy and innovative features. With over 950 million monthly active users and a projection to hit the 1 billion mark by the end of 2024, Telegram now plans to have an IPO.
Globally, 15 billion messages are exchanged daily over Telegram, reflecting its central role in digital communication. From user demographics to message traffic, we’ll provide you with the insights to understand Telegram’s impact in 2024.
Top Telegram Statistics – Editor’s Picks
- Telegram has 950 million active users worldwide and aims to reach 1 billion by the end of 2024.
- Telegram has been downloaded over 1.3 billion times to date.
- Telegram is the 4th most popular messaging app in terms of user base.
- The messaging app is available in 155 countries and 66 languages.
- Telegram Premium has 5 million subscribers worldwide.
Brief Overview of Telegram
| Launch | August 2013 |
| Founders | Nikolai Durov & Pavel Durov |
| Messaging | Supports text, voice messages, multimedia files, and stickers. |
| Groups & Channels | Allows creating groups (up to 200,000 members) and channels for broadcasting to large audiences. |
| Security | End-to-end encryption for secret chats, self-destructing messages, and two-step verification. |
| Platform Support | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
Detailed Telegram Statistics You Should Know
This section sheds light on Telegram’s usage and financial data in detail.
Number of Telegram Users 2024
There are 950 million telegram users globally as of 2024. This makes Telegram the 8th most popular social media in terms of users. Telegram users have grown by 63% since 2021.
Here is a table showing the growth of Telegram users over the years:
| Year | Telegram Users |
| 2024 | 950 million |
| 2023 | 800 million |
| 2022 | 700 million |
| 2021 | 550 million |
| 2020 | 400 million |
| 2019 | 300 million |
| 2018 | 200 million |
| 2017 | 180 million |
| 2016 | 100 million |
| 2015 | 60 million |
| 2014 | 50 million |
Source: Financial Times, Telegram.
Telegram users by country
- 9.87% of the world population uses Telegram with India being home to the highest number of users, at 104.04 million.
Indian users make up 6.66% of all Telegram users.
Here is a table showing Telegram users by country as of 2024:
| 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 gets an average of 49.41 million unique visitors every month.
- Telegram has 900 million monthly active users.
- Telegram has an average of 318.5 million monthly visits worldwide.
| Country | Average Time Spent Per Visit (Jan – Mar 2024) |
| Russia | 00:15:54 |
| India | 00:09:39 |
| Ukraine | 00:17:57 |
| Brazil | 00:13:02 |
| Italy | 00:10:20 |
- Telegram has had 955.6 million visitors between January 2024 and March 2024.
- Telegram gets 85.78% of its web traffic from the desktop and 14.22% from mobile phones.
- Telegram claims the 4th spot among the world’s most popular messaging apps in 2024.
- Telegram is the 13th most popular social media in terms of user base.
- Telegram has the highest traffic in Russia at 25.91%, followed by India.
| Country | Traffic Share |
| Russia | 25.91 |
| India | 7.21 |
| Ukraine | 5.58 |
| Brazil | 3.87 |
| Italy | 3.62 |
(Sources: World Population Review, SimilarWeb, DataReportal, Statista)
Telegram’s User Demographics
- As of 2024, Telegram has 58.09% male users and 41.91% female users.
- Telegram’s users are predominantly from Asia (38%), followed by Europe (27%), Latin America (21%), and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region (8%).
- Among Telegram users, 31% fall within the 25 to 34 age bracket, while 22.5% are 18 to 24.
(Sources: similarweb, World Population Review)
Telegram Premium Subscribers
As of January 2024, Telegram Premium has approximately 5 million subscribers globally.
This an increase of one million subscribers from December 2023. Telegram introduced its freemium model with paid subscriptions in June 2022, offering users additional features and benefits through Telegram Premium.
(Source: Statista)
Telegram Downloads Over The Years
| Year | No. Of Telegram Downloads |
| 2024 | 1 billion |
| 2023 | 409.5 million |
| 2022 | 367.23 million |
| 2021 | 382.92 million |
| 2020 | 326.31 million |
| 2019 | 141.5 million |
(Source: Statista)
Telegram’s Revenue Statistics
- Telegram generated approximately $45 million in 2023. The introduction of the premium subscription model has contributed significantly to its revenue growth.
- In early 2024, Telegram’s in-app revenue reached nearly $6.1 million, with $4.86 million from the Apple App Store and $1.22 million from the Google Play Store.
- Telegram’s cryptocurrency, Gram, faced regulatory challenges, leading to its closure in 2020 due to the company’s failure to register the early sale of $1.7 billion in tokens.
- Before becoming public, the value of Gram may have appreciated by up to 200%.
- Notably, South Korea’s Gram Asia had plans to sell the cryptocurrency at $4 per Gram, potentially bringing Telegram profits of nearly $4 billion.
- As of 2024, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has an estimated net worth of $15.5 billion.
Which Is The Most Popular Channel On Telegram?
‘Telegram Tips’ is the most popular channel on the platform. Telegram channels are a feature within the Telegram messaging app that allows users to subscribe to and receive broadcast messages from a channel administrator or creator. They serve as a one-to-many communication platform, enabling the dissemination of information, updates, or content to a large audience.
Top 5 Most Popular Channels On Telegram
| Channel Names | Number of Followers |
| Telegram Tips | 10 million |
| TG.Casino | 8.5 million |
| MeteoBot | 7.2 million |
| Quizarium | 6.8 million |
| DROCH HUB | 6.5 million |
(Source: Nicegram)
Most Popular Channel Categories On Telegram
| Channel Category | Share of respondents |
| News related | 85% |
| Entertainment | 62% |
| Educational | 58% |
| Political channels | 50% |
| News from own industry | 48% |
| Personal channels of friends | 45% |
(Source: Statista)
Other Interesting Facts About Telegram
- Telegram users generate 1 trillion views in channels every month.
- Telegram will reward owners of public channels with at least 1000 subscribers with 50% of the revenue from ads displayed in their channels.
- Telegram has added over 15 new features in 2024, including recommended channels, a way to view your profile and display your channel and birthday on your page, and improved moderation tools for group admins.
- Telegram’s early 2024 update allows users to pin up to 3 stories to the top of their profile.
- Telegram users can create stickers and entire sticker sets using a powerful in-app editor.
- If you don’t use your Telegram account for a certain period, it can be set to automatically delete itself. This period can be adjusted from one month to one year.
- Telegram was the world’s most installed app in January 2021.
- Telegram allows users to have more than one account on the same device. You can easily switch between them without logging out.
- Users can now convert their Telegram accounts into business accounts, gaining access to features like opening hours, location, quick replies, and automated messages.
- You can schedule messages on Telegram. To schedule a message in Telegram, type your message, tap and hold the Send button, choose “Schedule Message” from the pop-up menu, pick the date and time, and then tap the Send button.
- The Saved Messages 2.0 update includes one-time voice and video messages that are deleted after being played.
- Telegram channel owners can launch giveaways to distribute prizes among their followers.
- Telegram now features a download manager that allows users to manage all their downloads in one convenient place.
- Users can import their chat history from other messaging apps into Telegram, making it easier to switch platforms without losing conversations.
- At least 85% of Telegram’s user base has Android devices.
(Source: Telegram, Business Insider, Atlas Obscura, Techpp, WebsiteBuilder)
FAQs on Telegram
Telegram is a versatile messaging platform that has gained popularity for its focus on privacy, speed, and unique features like cloud-based messaging, large group capacities, and customizable themes. It offers a seamless user experience across devices and supports a wide range of functionalities that go beyond simple text messaging. With its ever-growing user base and constant updates, many new users are curious about the app. Here are some FAQs to get more clarity on Telegram.
Is Telegram banned in India?
As of now, Telegram is not banned in India. However, the app is under intense scrutiny following the arrest of its CEO, Pavel Durov, in France. The Indian government is investigating Telegram’s involvement in illegal activities such as extortion and gambling. While there are concerns and ongoing probes, no official ban has been implemented yet.
Which countries is Telegram banned in?
Telegram has faced bans and restrictions in several countries due to various reasons, including concerns over security, privacy, and the app’s use in illegal activities. Here are some of the countries where Telegram has been banned or restricted:
- China: Telegram is completely banned due to strict internet censorship laws.
- Iran: The app is banned due to concerns over its use in organizing protests and spreading information against the government.
- Russia: Telegram faced a temporary ban from 2018 to 2020 due to non-compliance with local data-sharing laws.
- Brazil: The app has faced temporary bans due to its use in spreading misinformation and non-compliance with court orders.
- Indonesia: Telegram was temporarily banned in 2017 due to concerns over its use by terrorist groups.
Is Telegram going to shut down in India?
As of now, Telegram is not officially shutting down in India. However, the app is under intense scrutiny due to ongoing investigations by the Indian government into its alleged involvement in illegal activities such as extortion and gambling.
Which country uses Telegram most?
India has the highest number of Telegram users, with over 104 million downloads. This is largely due to India’s large population and widespread smartphone usage. Other countries with significant Telegram user bases include Russia, Indonesia, and the United States.
