This analysis is based on country-level data from the WhatsApp Census research project by SBA Research. The dataset originates from metadata published in connection with a security study titled “Trivial WhatsApp Security Issue Exposed 3.5 Billion Phone Numbers.” That research demonstrated how a simple flaw could reveal phone numbers globally. Using the anonymized metadata from that disclosure, I compiled statistics on WhatsApp adoption, penetration, OS market share, Business account share and some unexpected findings across more than 230 countries and territories.
Because the dataset includes Android and iOS distribution for each country, these figures can potentially represent the broader smartphone OS market share in those regions—making this analysis useful not only for messaging trends but also for understanding platform dominance worldwide.
Summary
- Total WhatsApp accounts (all countries combined): ~3.456 billion accounts. (Note: this is accounts, not unique users—some countries exceed 100 accounts per 100 people.)
- Global OS split (weighted by accounts):
- Android ~80.75%
- iOS ~19.25%
This dominance is driven by massive Android usage in high-population countries like India, Indonesia, and Brazil, where Android accounts for over 90% of smartphones.
Top Markets by OS
Android Giants
- India: ~711M WhatsApp accounts on Android
- Indonesia: ~217M
- Brazil: ~168M
iOS Strongholds
- United States: ~93M WhatsApp accounts on iOS
- United Kingdom: ~38M
- Brazil: ~38.5M
- Saudi Arabia: ~16M
Market structure: majority by OS
- Android‑majority countries: 206
- iOS‑majority countries: 29
Top 10 Android-majority countries
- India — 749M accounts (Android 94.95%, iOS 5.05%)
- Indonesia — 235M (Android 92.35%, iOS 7.65%)
- Brazil — 207M (Android 81.42%, iOS 18.58%)
- Russian Federation — 133M (Android 75.60%, iOS 24.40%)
- Mexico — 128M (Android 81.73%, iOS 18.27%)
- Pakistan — 98M (Android 94.65%, iOS 5.35%)
- Germany — 74.6M (Android 58.13%, iOS 41.87%)
- Türkiye — 72.1M (Android 72.72%, iOS 27.28%)
- Egypt — 69.3M (Android 90.07%, iOS 9.93%)
- Iran — 64.9M (Android 76.24%, iOS 23.76%)
Top 10 iOS-majority countries
- United States — 138M accounts (iOS 67.38%, Android 32.62%)
- United Kingdom — 66.8M (iOS 57.28%, Android 42.72%)
- Canada — 22M (iOS 63.06%, Android 36.94%)
- Australia — 16.3M (iOS 66.97%, Android 33.03%)
- Hong Kong — 9.7M (iOS 50.78%, Android 49.22%)
- Switzerland — 8.4M (iOS 57.26%, Android 42.74%)
- Sweden — 6.1M (iOS 61.68%, Android 38.32%)
- Vietnam — 4.7M (iOS 54.97%, Android 45.03%)
- New Zealand — 3.0M (iOS 53.18%, Android 46.82%)
- Japan — 2.7M (iOS 70.06%, Android 29.94%)
More Than 100 Accounts per 100 People?
Yes, you read that right. In 32 countries, WhatsApp accounts exceed the population count—thanks to multi-device usage, dual SIMs, and business accounts.
Top examples:
- Monaco: 480 accounts per 100 people
- UAE: 175
- Sint Maarten: 143
- Qatar: 142
- Cayman Islands (138)
- Turks and Caicos (133)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (130)
- Hong Kong (130)
- Anguilla (128)
- Montserrat (125)
Top countries by WhatsApp Business share
Business accounts dominate in some unexpected places:
- Sierra Leone: 34.7%
- Burundi: 33.7%
- Rwanda: 31.9%
- DR Congo: 29.5%
- Haiti: 28.9%
(Full top 10 includes Somalia, Malawi, Togo, UAE, Mauritania)
Media usage patterns
- Average Picture usage: ~55.7%
- Average WhatsApp Status usage: ~25.2%
This suggests Status is less popular globally compared to sharing pictures.
Unexpected findings
- China: Extremely low penetration (0.16 per 100) but 25% Business share and 25.1% Companions ratio. Indicates WhatsApp is niche but heavily used for enterprise and multi-device setups.
- Monaco: Penetration 480 accounts per 100 people, Business only 1.3%. Suggests heavy personal/multi-device usage, not business-driven.
- Japan: iOS 70%, penetration 2.1 per 100. Rich iOS-dominant region where WhatsApp adoption lags behind other messaging apps.