Telegram Statistics and Analysis in 2023

Telegram has exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the most widely used messaging platforms globally. With over 700 million monthly active users as of 2023, Telegram continues to gain market share across multiple countries and demographics. In this comprehensive guide, we'll dive into the latest Telegram statistics and analytics to understand who is using Telegram, how they are using it, and where Telegram growth is coming from.

Telegram User and Growth Statistics

• Monthly Active Users: Over 700 million as of 2023, up 40% from 500 million in 2021. Added 87.5 million users per month over past 2 years.
• Daily Active Users: 55.2 million, up over 30% from 41 million in November 2020. Hit over 70 million during Facebook outage in 2021.
• User Growth Rate: Sustained 40% annual growth on average since launch in 2013.
• Downloads: Surpassed 1 billion on iOS and Android in 2021. Saw over 63 million downloads in January 2021.
• Demographics: 58.6% male, 41.4% female. Largest age group is 25-34.
• Geographic Distribution: 38% of users in Asia, 27% in Europe, 21% in Latin America.

Telegram Channel and Group Analytics

With over 700 million active users, Telegram offers valuable analytics into public channels and groups:

• Several tools like tgstat provide channel statistics including views, posts, new users and keywords.
• Metrics like user growth, referrals, languages and active hours help creators analyze their channel's audience.
• Access your Telegram channels' analytics to optimize content and engagement. Look at top posts, referrers and subscriber locations.
• For group administrators, tools like TGAlerts offer member statistics like new joins, activity levels, and keyword usage.
• Monitor important metrics like user retention, chat statistics, and new subscribers to improve Telegram channels and groups.

Top Telegram Channels and Bots

• Largest Telegram channels include Telegram Tips (7.5 million subscribers), Telegram News (6.3 million), and Bollywood HD Movies (4.1 million).
• Top bots cover categories like cryptocurrency (1,001 bots), casino/betting (682 bots), and dating (567 bots).
• Bots allow businesses to automate customer service and reach users at scale. As monetization develops, bots will become a revenue stream.

Telegram Usage Statistics

• 82% use Telegram for news, 59% for entertainment and political content. Other top uses are education (55%) and industry updates (43%).
• Average monthly time spent is 2.9 hours globally. Russian users spend 5.1 hours per month - the highest of any country analyzed.
• 66% of new users are still active after one month. But retention drops to 41% after three months and 26% after six months.
• 15 billion+ messages are sent daily. Average user sends around 150 messages per day.

Projected Telegram Growth

• Telegram is projected to reach 1 billion monthly active users between 2023-2024, up 43% from current 700 million MAU base.
• Monetization efforts like Telegram Premium subscriptions already generate over $1 million per month in revenue.
• If Telegram sustains engagement and user growth, it will cement itself as a major social media force over the next 3-5 years.

Telegram Analytics and Usage Statistics

Telegram provides valuable usage analytics to understand how people interact on the platform:

• View chat statistics like total messages, users, groups and channels with tools like Telemetr.
• Telegram analytics tools such as tlgrm give admins insights into members, growth, activity by hour, and popular keywords.
• Analyze channel analytics including views, subscribers, posts, interactions, and audience demographics.
• Monitor key statistics like user engagement, retention, referrals, and churn to optimize your Telegram presence.
• Use data to enhance targeting and messaging based on audience interests and behaviors on Telegram.

Telegram User and Message Data

Diving deeper into Telegram's user base and messaging activity:

• 38% of users are aged 18-24, forming a significant youthful demographic on Telegram.
• India leads with 220 million users, comprising 31% of Telegram's total user base.
• 15 billion+ messages are sent daily across Telegram's apps.
• The average Telegram user spends 2.2 hours per month on the platform.
• 66% of new users remain active after one month, 41% after three months.
• Photos and videos represent 48% of all files shared on Telegram.

This data provides valuable intelligence to inform marketing and engagement strategies on Telegram.

Telegram Growth Projections and Statistics

Analyzing potential future growth trajectories for Telegram:

• Some forecasts predict Telegram could top 1 billion monthly active users by 2024.
• This would represent 43% growth from its current base of ~700 million MAUs.
• Telegram's user base has historically grown 40%+ year-over-year since launching.
• Revenue from Telegram Premium already exceeds $1 million per month and is climbing.
• If engagement and growth continue, Telegram could rival established social media giants within 5 years.

Telegram's remarkable expansion shows no signs of slowing down as it continues gaining users worldwide.

Since bursting onto the messaging scene in 2013, Telegram has rapidly emerged as a top global communications platform. With strong growth, engagement and revenue potential, Telegram's impact is only getting started. We'll be keeping a close eye on how Telegram evolves in the years ahead.

Telegram at a Glance

Before diving into the stats, let's first provide some background on Telegram and its history:

• Founded: 2013 by Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Users: 700+ million monthly active users as of 2023
• Funding: Self-funded by founder Pavel Durov. Raised $1.7 billion via ICO in 2018.

Some key milestones in Telegram's growth:

• Reached 1 million daily active users in March 2014
• Hit 100 million monthly users in February 2016
• Passed 200 million users in March 2018
• Surpassed 400 million users in April 2020
• Crossed 500 million users in January 2021
• Reached 700 million users in 2023

Telegram User Statistics

Let's start by looking at the overall size and growth of Telegram's user base.

Monthly Active Users

• Telegram has over 700 million monthly active users (MAUs) globally as of 2023.
• This represents a 40% increase from 500 million MAUs in January 2021.
• Telegram has added on average 87.5 million new users per month over the past two years.
• Telegram's user base has grown at an average rate of 40% year-over-year since launch in 2013.

Daily Active Users

• Telegram has around 55.2 million daily active users globally across all platforms.
• This is up over 30% from 41 million DAUs in November 2020.
• On October 4, 2021, during a Facebook outage, Telegram exceeded 70 million DAUs.
• In March 2014, Telegram had just 15 million DAUs.

User Growth Rate

• Telegram has sustained an average 40% annual growth rate in monthly active users since launch.
• It added 100 million new users in January 2021 alone, during a viral growth spurt.
• Approximately 1.5 million new users join Telegram daily, according to 2020 data.

Downloads and Installs

• Telegram surpassed 1 billion downloads on iOS and Android in August 2021.
• It was the 7th app ever to cross 1 billion downloads on the major app stores.
• The app saw over 63 million downloads in January 2021 across iOS and Android.
• India leads with over 220 million downloads, followed by Russia (100 million) and Indonesia (80 million).

Demographics

• 58.6% of Telegram users are male, while 41.4% are female.
• The largest age group is 25-34 years old at 30.6% of users.
• 38% of users are from Asia, 27% from Europe, 21% from Latin America.

Engagement

• The average Telegram user spends 2.9 hours per month on the app.
• Daily message volume exceeds 15 billion texts sent.
• Users send an average of 150 messages per day.

Telegram Usage by Country

Telegram has found particular popularity in certain countries, where it is the dominant messaging app.

Where Telegram is #1

Telegram is the most widely used messaging app in the following countries:

• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Cambodia
• Egypt
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Lithuania
• Moldova
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela

Telegram in Russia

Russia is Telegram's largest market by users:

• Over 30 million MAUs in Russia alone.
• Accounts for 7.5% of Telegram's user base.
• Saw 5.6 million downloads in Russia from Jan-Mar 2021.
• 50% of Russian smartphone users have Telegram installed.

Telegram in India

India is Telegram's largest market by total downloads:

• 220+ million downloads in India to date.
• Accounts for 22% of all Telegram downloads.

Telegram in Indonesia

Indonesia has also fueled Telegram's growth:

• 80+ million downloads in Indonesia so far.
• Accounts for 8% of global Telegram downloads.

Telegram in Italy & Spain

Telegram has strong penetration rates across Italy and Spain:

• 32% market penetration in Italy.
• 9 million MAUs in Italy as of early 2021.
• 25% market penetration in Spain.
• 6.5 million MAUs in Spain.

Telegram in the United States

• Less than 10 million MAUs in the US.
• Accounts for just 2% of Telegram's user base.

Telegram Usage Patterns and Behaviors

Let's look at how people are actually using Telegram around the world:

Average Monthly Time Spent

• Global average time spent is 2.9 hours per user per month.
• Russian users top the list at 5.1 hours per month.
• Followed by Singapore (4.7 hours), Germany (3 hours), and India (2.2 hours).

Daily Messages Sent

• Over 15 billion messages are sent daily on Telegram.
• The average user sends around 150 messages per day.

Downloads and New Signups

• Telegram averaged 8.33 million new signups per day during a viral spike in January 2021.
• It sees approximately 1.5 million new users join daily on average.

Top Use Cases

Surveys of Telegram users reveal the most common use cases:

• 82% use it for news.
• 59% for entertainment content.
• 59% for political content.
• 55% for education.
• 43% for industry news.

User Retention

• 66% of new Telegram users are still active on the platform after one month.
• Retention drops to 41% after three months.
• After 6 months, retention stabilizes around 26%.

This indicates Telegram has room to improve long-term user retention.

Telegram Demographic Breakdown

Telegram boasts a diverse user base across multiple demographics:

Gender Split

• 58.6% male users
• 41.4% female users

Age Distribution

• 30.6% are aged 25-34
• 22% are 18-24 years old
• 21.3% are 35-44 years old
• 18.5% are 45-64 years old
• 7.7% are under 17 years old

Geographic Distribution

• 38% of users are in Asia
• 27% are in Europe
• 21% from Latin America
• 8% from Middle East and North Africa

This points to Telegram's global reach, with users spanning multiple continents.

Biggest Telegram Channels and Bots

In addition to one-to-one messaging, Telegram supports public broadcast channels - let's look at the most popular:

Top Telegram Channels

• Telegram Tips - 7.5 million subscribers
• Telegram News - 6.3 million subscribers
• Bollywood HD Movies - 4.1 million subscribers
• Proxy MTProto - 3.3 million subscribers
• Crypto Trading Bitcoin - 2.9 million subscribers

The top channels highlight users' interests in Telegram itself, movies, and cryptocurrency content.

Top Bots by Category

• Cryptocurrency - 1,001 bots
• Casinos and Betting - 682 bots
• Dating - 567 bots
• Games - 289 bots
• Spam - 234 bots

This illustrates the variety of purposes Telegram bots are used for. Crypto and dating bots are particularly popular.

Business Use of Telegram

Telegram is also emerging as a valuable business tool:

• 31% of Spanish internet users use Telegram for online shopping.
• The top ecommerce categories on Telegram are Chinese goods, digital devices, and loans.
• Total sales of Chinese products via Telegram exceeded $12 million.
• Telegram supports payments in 84 currencies through its integrated Telegram Payments system.

Political Leaders on Telegram

Numerous world leaders and politicians leverage Telegram to reach constituents:

• Jair Bolsonaro - 1 million subscribers
• Recep Erdogan - 277,300 subscribers
• Shavkat Mirziyoyev - 181,100 subscribers
• Andres Manuel Lopez - 136,000 subscribers

Security and Privacy on Telegram

With its strong encryption and privacy features, Telegram has gained a reputation for security:

• 3.77% of malware disguised as messaging apps was spread through Telegram.
• Telegram was used in 2.1% of ecommerce fraud cases in Singapore in 2020.
• Telegram collects limited user data including IP address, contacts, user ID, phone number.

However, some vulnerabilities have emerged:

• 680,000+ users were targeted by a deepfake bot, primarily women and minors.
• 70% of deepfake bot users were located in or near Russia.
• 15 terrorist channels have been removed from Telegram to date.

Telegram Web Statistics

In addition to mobile apps, Telegram offers a web-based interface:

• 247 million visitors per month on Telegram Web as of June 2022.
• 27% of visitors to Telegram Web are from Russia.
• 46% of referrals come from YouTube.
• 19% of referrals come from WhatsApp.

Telegram Web provides a convenient alternative for desktop users to access Telegram without downloading any software.

Telegram Downloads by Country

Telegram has seen massive adoption in certain countries. Here is a breakdown of where Telegram has been downloaded the most:

India leads with over 70 million downloads, accounting for 10% of Telegram's total. Russia and Indonesia follow as key growth countries.

Telegram Revenue

As a free app, Telegram has limited ways to monetize. But revenue is growing from premium subscriptions:

• Telegram Premium was launched in June 2022 as its first monetization model.
• Premium provides extra features like expanded limits and exclusive stickers.
• Revenue topped $1 million per month by October 2022.
• Telegram previously attempted launching its own cryptocurrency Gram in 2018, but was blocked by regulators.

Telegram Web Traffic Sources

Here is a breakdown of the top traffic sources and countries driving visits to Telegram's web interface:

Russia drives over a quarter of Telegram's web traffic. Youtube and WhatsApp are key external referrers.

Most Valuable Telegram Usernames

Telegram recently auctioned off coveted one-word usernames. Here are the top sales:

News-related usernames fetched the highest prices, highlighting the value of distributing information on Telegram.

The Future of Telegram

Given Telegram's remarkable growth over the past two years, what does the future look like?

User Growth Projections

• Telegram is projected to reach 1 billion monthly active users between 2023-2024.
• This would represent growth of around 43% from its current 700 million MAU base.

Monetization Efforts

• Telegram Premium represents its first monetization model, generating over $1 million per month.
• Additional revenue streams around content, bots, and advertising could be explored.

Cryptocurrency Ambitions

• Telegram may attempt relaunching its own cryptocurrency after previous failed efforts.
• Cryptocurrency channels already prove extremely popular on Telegram.

If Telegram can maintain its rapid growth and effectively monetize its large user base, it will cement itself as a major force in social media over the next 3-5 years. Since bursting onto the messaging scene in 2013, Telegram has rapidly emerged as a top global communications platform with over 700 million users. It now ranks among the top 10 social networks worldwide. Telegram has found particular success in Eastern Europe and Asia, fueled by its security and privacy features. Going forward, Telegram's popularity and usage statistics will likely continue rising as it adds new users and explores monetization models. While challenges remain around combating malicious bots and improving user retention, Telegram has shown product innovation and user growth that makes it a formidable messaging app. We will be keeping an eye on Telegram's stats and trends into 2023 and beyond.

Telegram Usage in North and South America

While Telegram has found huge success in Eastern Europe and Asia, adoption has been slower in the Americas. However, usage is picking up in many countries.

United States

• The telegram penetration rate reached 3% in 2020, up from 1.85% in 2019.
• 10 million people in the US access Telegram monthly.
• But the US still only represents 2% of Telegram's global user base.

Brazil

• 29.4% of Brazilian social media users are on Telegram.
• 23% use Telegram daily.
• Only 3% indicated they never used Telegram.

Canada

• 5% of Canadians use Telegram regularly.

This shows Telegram gaining traction in major American markets, albeit at a slower pace than other regions so far.

Telegram in Europe

Europe represents Telegram's second largest user base geography. Let's examine some country-specific data:

United Kingdom

• 3% of UK citizens use Telegram currently.

Netherlands

• 8% of the Dutch population uses Telegram.

Ukraine

• Ukraine accounts for 7 million of Telegram's downloads in Europe.

Italy

• 32% market penetration in Italy.

Telegram Usage in Africa

Telegram has also seen strong adoption across parts of Africa. Here are some key markets:

Nigeria

• 56.3% of Nigerians use Telegram.

South Africa

• 19.7% of South Africans are on Telegram.

Ghana

• 40.8% of Ghanaians use Telegram regularly.

This data shows Telegram's popularity within Africa's youthful, tech-savvy population. As internet access grows across the continent, Telegram is well-positioned to add more African users.

Telegram Languages

With a global user base, Telegram supports multiple languages:

• Telegram is available in 59 languages.
• The top languages are English, Arabic, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese.
• This language breadth helps fuel Telegram's adoption across continents.
• Users can select their preferred language when signing up for Telegram.

By supporting languages spoken by billions worldwide, Telegram eases navigation and drives engagement across geographies.

Telegram Security

Telegram prioritizes security and privacy for its users:

• Chats are encrypted end-to-end by default.
• Calls are also encrypted end-to-end.
• Users have extensive control over privacy settings.
• Self-destructing messages can disappear automatically.

However, Telegram must still combat malicious bots and accounts:

• 15 terrorist channels have been shut down to date.
• 680,000 users targeted by deepfake bots.
• But only 3.77% of malware originates on Telegram.

Through encryption and moderation, Telegram aims to balance privacy with safety. But challenges remain in fighting abuse while preserving anonymity.

Telegram Bots

In addition to channels, Telegram supports chatbot automation:

• There are over 2 million Telegram bots.
• Bots can conduct conversations and transactions.
• Top categories include cryptocurrency (1,001 bots) and dating (567 bots).
• 277,000 bots help users find COVID vaccine appointments.

Bots allow businesses to automate customer service and reach users at scale. As monetization develops, bots may become a key revenue stream.

Telegram Marketing and Ads

As Telegram grows, it holds potential as a marketing platform:

• 31% of Spanish internet users utilize Telegram for online shopping already.
• $12 million in Chinese goods sold via Telegram channels.
• Loans and digital devices are other top ecommerce categories.

However, Telegram currently has no native advertising platform. As monetization advances, Telegram could launch its own ads API. This would enable businesses to target relevant audiences at scale. With strong ecommerce activity already, Telegram has major marketing potential pending ad products. Brands should start planning for this emerging opportunity.

Final Thoughts

Telegram has cemented itself as a leading global communications hub - and the growth shows no signs of slowing. Its security, engagement and commercial possibilities set Telegram up for continued expansion in the 2020s. As Telegram evolves new products like premium subscriptions, its platform power and revenue will compound. And with potential reaching 1 billion monthly active users soon, Telegram's impact is only getting started. We'll be keeping a close eye on how Telegram charts its path in the years ahead. 

References Statista, Telegram, SimilarWeb, Sensor Tower, TechCrunch, Apptopia, Deloitte, Medium, Admitad, MarketWatch, Business Insider, Securelist

Telegram Statistics FAQ

What year was Telegram founded?

Telegram was founded in 2013 by Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov.

Where is Telegram headquartered?

Telegram is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

How many monthly active users does Telegram have as of 2023?

As of 2023, Telegram has over 700 million monthly active users globally.

What was Telegram's user growth rate in 2021?

In 2021, Telegram's user base grew by 40% year-over-year.

How many daily active users does Telegram have?

Telegram has around 55.2 million daily active users globally across all platforms.

When did Telegram reach 1 million daily active users?

Telegram reached 1 million daily active users in March 2014.

How many messages are sent on Telegram daily?

Over 15 billion messages are sent daily on Telegram.

How many times has Telegram been downloaded from app stores?

Telegram has been downloaded over 1 billion times from the iOS and Android app stores.

Which country has contributed the most Telegram downloads?

India leads with over 220 million Telegram downloads to date.

What percentage of Telegram's user base is in Asia?

38% of Telegram's total user base is located in Asia.

Which countries is Telegram the most popular messaging app?

Telegram is the dominant messaging app in countries like Russia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

How does Telegram make money?

As of 2022, Telegram introduced a premium subscription model as its first monetization method.

Does Telegram have advertising?

No, Telegram does not currently have a native advertising platform.

What are some top use cases for Telegram?

Top uses include consuming news, entertainment, political content, education resources, and industry updates.

How much time do users spend on Telegram monthly?

The global average time spent is 2.9 hours per Telegram user per month.

Which demographic uses Telegram the most?

30.6% of Telegram's users are aged between 25-34 years old.

What is Telegram's gender split?

58.6% of Telegram users are male, while 41.4% are female.

How quickly is Telegram's user base growing?

Telegram's user base has grown at an average of 40% year-over-year since launch.

How many new users join Telegram daily?

Approximately 1.5 million new users join Telegram daily on average.

Does Telegram have strong user retention?

While new user retention is medium-strong, Telegram has room to improve long-term retention rates.

How many people use Telegram Web?

Telegram Web sees 247 million visitors per month as of mid-2022.

What are Telegram's most valuable usernames?

Usernames related to news fetched the highest prices at auction, such as @news and @auto.

Will Telegram reach 1 billion users?

Yes, Telegram is projected to hit 1 billion monthly active users between 2023-2024.

How does Telegram make money from premium subscriptions?

As of October 2022, Telegram was generating over $1 million per month from its premium subscription.

Does Telegram have strong privacy protections?

Yes, Telegram uses end-to-end encryption for chats and calls to protect user privacy.

How does Telegram moderate for safety?

Telegram aims to balance privacy with safety by restricting malicious bots and removing terrorist channels.

How many languages is Telegram available in?

Telegram supports 59 languages, helping drive its global user base.

Which countries drive the most traffic to Telegram's website?

Russia accounts for over a quarter of visits to Telegram's web interface.

How reliant is Telegram on mobile apps?

While Telegram has web access, mobile apps account for the vast majority of Telegram's usage.

Is Telegram popular in the United States?

No, the US represents just 2% of Telegram's total user base.

How popular is Telegram for online shopping?

31% of Spanish internet users already use Telegram for online shopping and transactions.

How does Telegram growth compare to rival apps?

Telegram has grown much faster than messaging rivals like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger in recent years.

What is a profile?

A profile represents a user account or an individual's information within a system, platform, or network.

How can I join the Telegram group?

To join a Telegram group, you need to have the Telegram app installed on your device. Then, search for the group name in the search bar and click on the group to join.

What is Telegram analysis?

Telegram analysis refers to the process of examining data, trends, and statistics related to Telegram usage, engagement, and performance.

What does "U.S" refer to?

"U.S" stands for the United States, which is a country located in North America.

How can I check the statistics of a Telegram channel?

To check the statistics of a Telegram channel, you can use Telegram's built-in analytical tools or rely on third-party services that provide detailed channel statistics and data.

How can I analyze a Telegram channel?

To analyze a Telegram channel, you can evaluate various metrics such as engagement rate, growth rate, reach, audience demographics, and content performance.

What are the top 5 Telegram channels?

The top 5 Telegram channels refer to the most popular and influential channels on the Telegram platform based on factors like membership count, engagement, and content quality.

How can I access revenue statistics of a Telegram channel?

To access revenue statistics of a Telegram channel, you may need to rely on the channel owner or use tools specifically designed for monitoring and tracking monetization strategies on Telegram.

How do statistics and data help in understanding Telegram usage?

Statistics and data offer insights into user behavior, engagement patterns, growth trends, and other important metrics. They greatly simplify the understanding of Telegram usage and its impact on various communities.

What is the difference between Telegram chats, groups, and channels?

Telegram chats refer to individual or group conversations within the Telegram app. Telegram groups are communities where multiple users can interact and share.