WeChat Statistics and Facts (2025)

Saisuman Revankar
Written by
Saisuman Revankar

Updated · Mar 11, 2025

Aruna Madrekar
Edited by
Aruna Madrekar

Editor

WeChat Statistics and Facts (2025)

Introduction

WeChat Statistics: The company named Tencent has actually made use of WeChat as a platform for online social network utility, combined with payments, store-e-systems and many more facilities, and it is increasing in numbers where it was as early as 2010-the actual starting point of the digital space, especially as of 2025, where WeChat remained vital with the proposition that somehow dominates the in-house way of life especially work and otherwise.

This article virtually provides updates on the recent WeChat statistics, delving in detail into its users, features, and economic impact.

Editor’s Choice

  • According to WeChat statistics, WeChat’s revenue stream has been very erratic over the years, from a low of USD 3.6 billion in revenue in 2015 to USD 17.49 billion in the subsequent year before dropping slightly to USD 16.38 billion in 2023.
  • As of September 2024, the platform had more than 1.38 billion monthly active users and ranked sixth as the largest social network in the world.
  • WhatsApp led global messaging app downloads in January 2025, garnering over 57 million, followed by Snapchat with 30 million and Telegram with 27.6 million.
  • At the end of Quarter 1, 2024, WeChat Mini Programs had close to 945 million monthly active users, accounting for over 90% of WeChat’s total user base.
  • Thus, China Mobile was crowned the number one brand influencer on WeChat public accounts as of September 2024, garnering an influence index of 823 points.
  • WeChat’s revenues from in-app purchases increased exponentially over the years from USD 1.13 million in 2019 to USD 71.39 million in 2023, with USD 30.33 million already captured in just the first five months of 2024.
  • WeChat statistics reveal that the number of monthly users on WeChat Pay saw a significant increase, reaching 935 million in 2023, up from 920 million in 2022.
  • There are over 25 million active WeChat Official Accounts, with over 54% of users spending up to 30 minutes engaging with them.
  • 74.2% of users follow Official Accounts for news and 41.9% for promotions.
  • On average, Chinese users spend a daily average of 79 minutes, with 42 seconds on WeChat, down slightly from the 82 minutes they spent in 2022.
  • WeChat statistics state that more than 45 billion messages and 410 million audio and video calls are exchanged daily on WeChat, a six-fold increase from 2016.
  • WeChat users upload 68 million videos daily, placing platforms in competition with YouTube and Snap.
  • Of the users, 60 % input up to 9-11 times a day to log in from usage of the application; 21 % log in more than 50 times a day as well.
  • WeChat cuts waiting time at hospitals in China by an average of 43.6 minutes; around 40% of health institutions use WeChat for appointments and payments.

WeChat Key Facts

  • Most apps under Tencent, such as WeChat, are unmatched within the nation. Foreign internet giants are limited to China, and WeChat happens to be the most influential app in the country.
  • It has only taken WeChat ten years to penetrate the international brand space. It boasts about 1.3 billion monthly active users, which covers nearly 80% of China’s population.
  • However, competition from other emerging social apps as well as the ongoing antitrust regulation from Beijing stands as a challenge to the app toward diversification within the Chinese app ecosystem.
  • Spawned in 2011 by Tencent, WeChat was intended to serve as a messaging platform like WhatsApp.
  • The success of WeChat asserts its uniqueness in speech: it brings different functions within a single environment that allows third-party developers to set up Mini Programs in the application.
  • WeChat has thus evolved from a messaging application to a multi-functional platform where different aspects of digital life are connected.
  • WeChat has revolutionised mobile usage in China by becoming an essential tool for transferring money, shopping, hailing rides, delivering food, or, best of all, finding a date.
  • Through the app, usage increased daily and reached an 88% usage rate in 2020; by 2022, it was expected that Mini Programs would reach a 89% penetration rate.
  • One critical marketing channel WeChat offers businesses is in-app tools like WeChat Search, QR Codes, and Moments to engage traffic and sales.
  • Many companies now operate their businesses through WeChat. Such businesses use WeChat Pay to facilitate transactions and develop Mini Programs for easy establishment at lower costs.
  • WeChat constantly invests in research and innovation in order to keep the super app status.
  • Among the new features introduced by WeChat to counter developing domestic competition are the short-video feeds and bullet comments.
  • The company introduced new features of data transparency in early 2022 as a move to counter stricter privacy regulations.
  • Even more, WeChat, just like the other behemoth companies within the internet space, remains under scrutiny concerning the issue of anti-monopoly and data security laws across China.
  • Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) has been labeled as one of the fiercest rival contenders that might ever threaten WeChat’s crucial long-term predominance, given the repercussions of tightening industry rules.

WeChat Revenue

WeChat Revenue

(Reference: demandsage.com)

  • Revenue trends for WeChat have exhibited considerable volatility. From USD 3.6 billion in revenue in 2015, WeChat underwent slow-and-steady growth to USD 5.52 billion in revenue by 2016.
  • The upward momentum continued into 2017, with earnings reaching USD 8.37 billion and arriving at USD 10.85 billion in 2018. By 2019, revenues saw an upsurge to USD 12.28 billion, a signal of the platform’s growing influence in mobile payment, advertising, and e-commerce.
  • The hype continued even in 2020, with WeChat revenues reaching USD 16.15 billion, followed by a high of USD 17.49 billion in 2021.
  • WeChat revenues fell in the following years, with a small decline from around USD 16.44 billion in 2022 to a further drop of around USD 16.38 billion in 2023.
  • Some factors that may be causing this decline include increased regulatory scrutiny of the sector, market saturation, or shifts in user behavior.
  • Nonetheless, WeChat continues to be a dominant player in China’s digital ecosystem and is upgrading fast to become one of the foremost social and financial platforms globally.

WeChat Monthly Active Users

Number Of Monthly Active WeChat Users From 3rd Quarter 2014 To 3rd Quarter 2024

(Reference: statista.com)

  • As of September 2024, WeChat has continued increasing its reach to over 1.38 billion monthly active users.
  • The Tencent messaging platform has transformed itself from a simple application into a fully-fledged social media platform. It was first marketed in 2011 within the territory of China as Weixin. Shortly after, in 2012, it was renamed for international users WeChat.
  • By 2018, the total count of WeChat and Weixin users crossed 1 billion. This milestone capped a series of major feeding developments in its mobile app.
  • Today, it is the sixth-largest social network in the world, with users from very diverse age groups.
  • While messaging is merely a tab, WeChat offers many features that make interaction exciting. One of the most used features of the app is Moments, which most users access whenever they open the app.
  • Other features available under the platform include those for providing more services, i.e., financial management, mobile shopping, and entertainment. Short videos, online payments, and gaming are among its most frequently used functions.
  • An analysis indicated that half of WeChat users spend six to 30 minutes in every session on the short video feature WeChat Channels, which shows how well the company is doing in this area of digitised entertainment.

WeChat User Distribution By Gender

Gender Distribution Of WeChat Users Worldwide As Of 3rd Quarter Of 2023

(Reference: statista.com)

  • WeChat has indeed turned into a global giant with about two million users worldwide. As of the third quarter of 2023, male users accounted for a slightly higher percentage of the total number of users, at 52%.
  • WeChat also becomes part of daily life in China, and it may offer services beyond the mere exchange of messages and interaction.
  • Everything from digital payments and online banking to ride-hailing and gaming is all integrated in this one-stop solution where it fits seamlessly into the routines of the users, and the importance of the application in China’s digital ecosystem.

Popular Messenger Apps By Downloads

Most Popular Messenger Apps Worldwide In January 2025, By Monthly Downloads

(Reference: statista.com)

  • WeChat statistics show that WhatsApp, a Meta company, was the most downloaded mobile messenger app globally in January 2025, with over 57 million downloads.
  • It was followed by Snapchat in second place, which had downloads of around 30 million. Telegram came in third with approximately 27.6 million downloads around the world.
  • These numbers affirm WhatsApp’s continued supremacy in the arena of messaging, while Snapchat and Telegram equally hold strong user interest with their unique features and fast-growing popularity.
  • WeChat has 5.43 app Downloads.

WeChat Mini Program Users

Year
WeChat Mini Programs Users
2024 (Q1) 945 million
2023 923 million
2022 921 million
2021 921 million
2020 832 million

(Source: coolest-gadgets.com)

  • WeChat statistics state that as of Q1 2024, WeChat Mini Programs had 945 million monthly active users in China, accounting for over 90% of the company’s total user base.
  • The number of Mini Program users registered a 2.38% growth in the first quarter of 2024 from Q4 2023, when it peaked at 923 million.
  • In 2023, WeChat Mini Programs had 923 million users, a fractional growth from 921 million in 2022 and 2021, while the number stood at 832 million in 2020.
  • On average, WeChat users spend 68.1 minutes a day on Mini Programs, while mobile gaming users spend even more on them.
  • The introduction of Mini Programs is an important addition that has contributed significantly to WeChat’s annual transactions, leading foreign businesses to grow more than 600%.
  • These cloud-based sub-applications run in the WeChat ecosystem, providing the users with an array of services that can be accessed directly from the app without any downloads.

Leading WeChat Brands Accounts

Leading WeChat Brand Accounts On September 22, 2024, Based On Influence Index

(Reference: statista.com)

  • WeChat statistics show that China Mobile again ranked the highest among all brands with public accounts on WeChat at 823 points in the influence index towards the end of the week on September 22, 2024.
  • With over 1.3 billion users in the world, WeChat is more than an instant messaging app. It has several features, one of which is WeChat Official Accounts.
  • Official Accounts enable brands to market their products and reach customers efficiently. Many other firms use the platform to promote their offerings to greater audiences.

WeChat In-App Purchases

Year
WeChat IAP Revenue
2024 (As of May)
$30.33 million
2023
$71.39 million
2022
$67.15 million
2021
$50.32 million
2020
$3.85 million
2019
$1.13 million

(Source: demandsage.com)

  • Revenue from in-app purchases (IAP) within the WeChat application has steadily increased over the years.
  • In 2019, WeChat earned only USD 1.13 million from in-app purchase sales; however, revenues greatly increased to USD 3.85 million in 2020.
  • The remarkable climb continued in 2021, with revenues totaling USD 50.32 million, marking a growth in user spending levels on digital services and content.
  • IAP revenues increased further by USD 67.15 million by 2022, indicating greater reliance on IAP for services like premium content, digital goods, and mini programs.
  • Growth continued in 2023, where IAP revenue stood at USD 71.39 million, representing a 6.31% increase over the prior year.
  • WeChat statistics state that by May 2024 alone, WeChat had already accumulated USD 30.33 million in in-app purchases, suggesting it may beat past record figures by the end of the year.
  • This promising increase in revenue reflects the platform’s increasing importance in digital commerce and user interaction, with more individuals than ever willing to spend on several services in the WeChat ecosystem.

WeChat Pay Statistics

WeChat Pay Statistics

(Reference: demandsage.com)

  • WeChat Pay’s user base has grown consistently each year, reflecting the growing reliance on digital payments within China and beyond. In 2023, the platform counted 935 million monthly active users, up from 920 million in 2022 and 900 million in 2021.
  • This steady increase reaffirms WeChat’s adoption for daily transaction purchases, bill payments, and peer-to-peer transfers and indicates the continuing trajectory of growth. This trend is also visible when looking back so much further.
  • By 2020, WeChat Pay registered 865 million users, a significant leap from 800 million in 2019. Growth was accelerated as the digital economy was further driven towards a cashless society, especially catalysed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, up from 600 million in 2017 and 430 million the previous year, the platform boasted 720 million users.
  • The increasing trend underlines the growth of WeChat Pay and its wider penetration into various compartments of daily life. Thus, higher numbers not only constitute an increase in user base but also an indication of Tencent’s continuous efforts towards better payment features, security, and convenience for users.
  • With WeChat Pay tightly woven into China’s financial ecosystem and growing its international footprint, the future holds brighter fortunes for adoption.

WeChat Official Account Statistics

  • WeChat Official Accounts, otherwise known as public accounts, are immensely important for business and organisations that wish to communicate with their clients.
  • The verified accounts allow brands to promote content, attract followers, and link to a mini-site hosted within WeChat.
  • With more and more people in China using WeChat as their primary source of information, WeChat accounts are increasingly being associated with enhancing businesses’ digital presence.
  • WeChat statistics indicate that currently, there are more than 25 million active Official Accounts on WeChat.
  • A sizeable portion of WeChat users actively engage with these accounts, with 54% spending up to 30 minutes following and interacting with them.
  • User engagement with Official Accounts varies, as 49.3% of WeChat users follow between 10 to 20 accounts, while 24% follow fewer than 20 and 20% subscribe to 20 to 30 accounts.
  • The main reasons for following Official Accounts are news and promotions: about 74.2% of users do it in order to keep up with the news, while 41.9% do it for promotional offers.
  • This truly epitomises the usefulness of Official Accounts as a marketing and communication tool in the WeChat ecosystem.

WeChat User Behaviour Statistics

  • WeChat is an app that people use to send money to each other in China. However, it is more than just that; it touches many areas of daily life, especially communication, content sharing, and even health services sharing.
  • WeChat statistics reveal that Chinese people spend so much time using WeChat that researchers found out about the average daily usage being around 79 minutes and 42 seconds in Q3 2023. This is a small drop from the previous 82 minutes and 36 seconds, recorded in Q2 2023, and 82 minutes in Q2 2022.
  • However, user engagement remains high despite this, which clearly indicates that the populations are using it faithfully.
  • WeChat exchanges around 45 billion text messages per day, and users also engage in almost 410 million audio and video calls per day.
  • Compared to 2016, WeChat’s communication activity increased sixfold, which is a very good sign for people’s everyday communication. The users upload around 68 million videos to the platform daily.
  • Although WeChat is far from matching YouTube’s gigantic scale, in which 300 hours of videos are uploaded every minute, it has established itself as a competitor to sites such as Snapchat and YouTube.
  • Video content becoming more popular shows how YouTube has been able to cover different interests among users.
  • WeChat statistics state that the app has a very dedicated user base that uses it throughout the day. Most WeChat subscribers access this platform 9 to 11 times daily, and 21% open the app over 50 times a day. This massive usage speaks to the platform’s significance in most people’s daily lives.
  • WeChat has also made life easier in healthcare services, apart from social exchanges; for instance, the average time spent in line at hospitals in China is less than 43.6 minutes now.
  • Almost 40% of health institutions in the country have used WeChat to provide information, book online appointments, or specify a doctor’s availability for patients. It also facilitates medical payments and other functions in hospitals that reduce the traffic of sick patients.

Conclusion

According to WeChat statistics, WeChat has maintained its position as the sixth most popular social application in the world, with its majority user base being in China. While over three-fourths of the users are from China, many international users use WeChat to stay in touch with their friends and family in China.

Since it is the largest social application available in China, several businesses leverage WeChat to sell to the masses and sell their products. With WhatsApp and Instagram being banned in China, WeChat’s growth seems predestined, thus strengthening its hold over the digital landscape.

FAQ.

How many people use WeChat in 2024?

As of September 2024, WeChat boasted 1.38 billion-plus monthly active users, making it the sixth-largest social network in the world. It firmly holds the Chinese market and yet has a great number of users across the world.

How much revenue does WeChat generate?

WeChat’s revenue peaked at 17.49 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 but observed a slight decline in revenue to 16.38 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The fluctuations stem from regulatory hurdles, saturation in the market, and changing user behaviors.

What is the significance of WeChat Mini Programs?

In Q1 2024, there were about 945 million monthly active users of WeChat Mini Programs, and this accounts for 90% of WeChat’s total user base. Cloud applications allow businesses to provide services directly inside WeChat, thus requiring no extra downloads, and driving further transaction and user engagement.

How popular is WeChat Pay?

In 2023, there were 935 million monthly active users of WeChat Pay, an increase from 920 million in 2022 and from 900 million in 2021. The service has penetrated retail payments, utility bill payments, and person-to-person transfers; thus, it is a linchpin in China’s cashless economy.

How much time do users spend on WeChat daily?

WeChat users in China spend on average 79 minutes 42 seconds daily. About 60% of the users will open the app between nine to 11 times a day, while 21% will go past 50 times a day, showing WeChat’s integration into everyone’s daily life.

Saisuman Revankar
Saisuman Revankar

Saisuman is a skilled content writer with a passion for mobile technology, law, and science. She creates featured articles for websites and newsletters and conducts thorough research for medical professionals and researchers. Fluent in five languages, Saisuman's love for reading and languages sparked her writing career. She holds a Master's degree in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has experience working in a Human Resources firm. Saisuman has also worked with a French international company. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and singing classical songs. Now at Smartphone Thoughts, Saisuman specializes in reviewing smartphones and analyzing app statistics, making complex information easy to understand for readers.

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