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Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular messaging platforms worldwide, but it’s much more than just an app for staying in touch with friends and family.
For marketers, it offers ample opportunity for lead generation, advertising, and customer interaction. Unfortunately, many business owners are deterred from using Messenger due to a lack of knowledge of the platform.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the latest statistics relating to Facebook Messenger. These stats can help you learn more about who uses the app, what the current trends are, and how it can be used for business.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Editor’s top picks – Facebook Messenger statistics
These are our most interesting statistics about Facebook Messenger:
- People send over 100 billion messages through Facebook Messenger every day. (Source: Facebook News1)
- 2.5 million Messenger groups are started every day. (Source: Inc.com)
- There are over 300,000 bots operating on messenger. (Source: Venture Beat)
Facebook Messenger usage statistics
We all know that Facebook Messenger is popular, but the question is how popular? The Facebook Messenger statistics below will help you learn more about how many people are using the platform and, perhaps even more importantly, what they are using it for.
1. People send over 100 billion messages through Facebook Messenger every day
That includes messages sent across Facebook’s family of apps (including Instagram, WhatsApp, etc.). However, seeing as Messenger is a dedicated messenger service, it’s probably safe to assume a huge chunk of those messages go through the app.
Even if only 50% of those 100 billion messages are sent through Messenger, that’s still a whopping 50 billion. To put that into perspective, that’s the equivalent of almost 7 times the total number of people on earth.
Source: Facebook News1
2. The app has over 1.3 billion active users worldwide
This technically makes it the 5th most popular social platform in the world and shows just how huge the messaging app’s reach is. It follows hot on the heels of Instagram, which has just 86 million more users at 1.386 billion.
This also means that Facebook inc. owns 4 of the top 5 most popular social networks in the world: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
Source: Statista2
3. Facebook Messenger is the second most popular messaging app worldwide
Despite Facebook Messenger’s incredible success, it’s not the most popular messaging app out there. That title goes to WhatsApp, Messenger’s closest rival in the social network space and another Facebook Inc. subsidiary.
Whether Messenger will continue to grow its user base and rise above WhatsApp in the next few years remains to be seen.
Source: Statista3
4. Facebook Messenger was downloaded over 181 million times in North and Latin America in 2020
2020 was a meteoric year for pretty much every social network – and Facebook Messenger was no exception.
The silver lining to the pandemic was that a huge number of people took to social media to stay in contact with their friends and family as national lockdowns kept them physically apart. As a result, the app was downloaded a whopping 181.4 million times in the Americas alone.
Source: Statista1
5. Over 500,000 Facebook users are added to Facebook Messenger on a daily basis
Over the last few years, a lot of people have expressed concerns that Facebook and Facebook Messenger are losing popularity amongst younger generations and that as a result, they’re ‘slowly dying’. However, as this stat shows, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
On the contrary, Facebook Messenger continues to grow rapidly. According to Inc, Messenger gets around 100 million new users every five to six months. That works out at around 555,555 to 666,666 (I know, creepy) new users every day.
Source: Inc.com
6. Over 7 billion conversations take place on Messenger every day
That equates to over 2 and a half trillion conversations each year. In other words, it’s a lot. If we compare this figure to the number of active users, we can detract that, on average, each user has over 5 conversations on Messenger every day.
Source: Inc.com
7. 2.5 million Messenger groups are started every day
Most messages sent through Messenger are direct, i.e. they’re sent to a single person. However, a large number of Messengers are also sent via group chat.
Messenger makes it easy to communicate with several people at once. All you have to do is start a group chat, add all the people you want to reach, and send a message. That single message will go to all the people in the chat. The average group has 10 people in it.
Source: Inc.com
8. Over 150 million video calls are made on Messenger every day
Messenger isn’t just for direct text messaging. Many people also use it as a voice or video call platform. In fact, more than 150 million video calls go through the platform every single day. That’s even more than many other dedicated video calling apps.
Source: Facebook News2
9. Over 200 million videos are sent via Messenger
People don’t just use Messenger to communicate with their friends and family, they use it to share video content too.
In response to this new way of using Messenger, Facebook recently released the ‘Watch Together’ feature, which allows users to enjoy watching videos together in real-time.
It works like this: users start a regular Messenger video call and then swipe up to access the menu. From there, they select Watch Together, and can then browse suggested videos or search for a specific video. You can then watch the video together with up to 8 people in the Messenger video call.
Watch Together presents a lot of opportunities for influencers/creators on the platform who want a new way to connect with their audience and build an engaged community.
Source: Facebook News2
Facebook Messenger demographic statistics
If you’re planning on using Facebook Messenger for keeping in touch with your customers, it’s important to know exactly who is using the app. Here are some Facebook Messenger statistics related to user demographics.
10. Around 56% of US Messenger users are men
As of July 2021, male users accounted for 55.9% of the total number of Facebook Messenger users in the US. This lines up with Facebook’s audience at large, which has a similar gender split (56% male: 44% female).
It’s important to note, though, that this figure was based on Facebook Messenger’s advertising audience data. It might not correlate exactly accurately with the number of monthly active users, but it provides a pretty good indication.
The takeaway for marketers and businesses here is that Facebook Messenger might be a better channel to focus on if your target customers are mostly male.
Source: Datareportal
11. 23.9% of Facebook Messenger users in the US are aged 25-34
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Facebook Messenger would be most popular amongst older age groups. After all, Facebook has garnered a reputation for being somewhat of a ‘boomer’ social platform that’s fallen out of favor amongst younger users.
However, the data paints a different story and suggests that the idea that Facebook Messenger caters mostly to older users may be a myth.
On the contrary, Facebook Messenger’s largest user demographic by age is 25-34-year-olds. Almost a quarter of Facebook Messenger users are in this age range, which means the messaging app is technically more popular amongst millennials than boomers.
Source: Statista5
12. Facebook Messenger Kids has more than 7 million monthly active users
Facebook Messenger Kids were launched in 2017 in response to the huge demand for parents to have an app that was safe for their kids to interact and communicate with. The app allows parents full oversight on what their children are doing on the app, which provides an extra level of safety and security for both parents and children.
As kids under 13 are technically not allowed to use Facebook and other social media platforms, this app has become quite popular with preteens that want to stay in touch with their friends.
According to WSJ, the app has more than 7 million monthly active users, and the growth of the app was quite rapid. A Facebook spokesperson reported that the number of users of Facebook Kids increased by 3.5x in a few months.
Source: WSJ
13. Facebook Messenger is the most popular messaging app in 15 different countries
The countries where Facebook messenger had the highest popularity of any messenger apps include the US, Australia, Canada, France, Belgium, Philippines, Poland, Thailand, Denmark, and Sweden. In other countries such as the UK and most of South America, WhatsApp is the most popular. In China, WeChat is the most popular messaging app.
Source: Similarweb
Facebook Messenger business and marketing statistics
As we mentioned earlier, Facebook Messenger can be an extremely valuable resource for businesses. Here are some Facebook Messenger statistics relating to using the platform for marketing and business.
14. Facebook Messenger increased its revenue by almost 270% in 2020
Facebook Messenger has seen consistent revenue growth since its inception, and many predict that the app turnover will continue to increase year on year.
In 2017, Facebook Messenger generated just $130,000 in revenue. By 2018, that increased more than tenfold to $1.68 million. By 2019, it had more than doubled again to around $4 million. And last year, it increased again to a whopping $14.78 million.
That’s a pretty dramatic revenue improvement – Those are the kind of figures that would put a smile on any investor’s face.
Source: Statista7
15. 40 million businesses are active users of Facebook Messenger
Facebook and Messenger alike are a hub for business. With many features available for businesses to utilize, Facebook and its messaging app are extremely popular amongst small businesses in particular.
According to an article published by Facebook Messenger, the app is used by around 40 million businesses.
Source: Facebook Messenger News1
16. 85% of brands reported they use Facebook Messenger regularly
Facebook Messenger is particularly popular in the US and Canada, and many brands in the region utilize the app for marketing and customer support. According to a study carried out by Statista around 85% of brands use Facebook Messenger.
In the study, brands were asked “Which instant messenger or video call services do you use regularly?” and most brands responded with “Facebook Messenger”.
Source: Statista6
17. Daily conversations between users and businesses grew by more than 40% in 2020
For many Facebook users, the Facebook platform is a great way to interact with the businesses they love. Aside from businesses pages on the main Facebook platform, users can also contact businesses for help and support using Messenger.
According to figures published by Facebook, this is becoming a common way for people to contact businesses. In 2020 alone, the number of daily conversations between businesses and users is thought to have grown by almost half.
Source: Facebook Messenger News2
18. There are over 300,000 bots operating on messenger
One of the key features of Facebook Messenger that makes it so attractive for businesses is the availability of chatbots. Chatbots allow businesses to automatically respond to customer queries and answer FAQs and more. It’s a great way for businesses to stay in touch with their customers on social media without too much hassle. According to the Venture Beat article, the number of businesses using bots on Facebook Messenger stands at over 300,000.
Source: Venture Beat
19. Facebook messages can yield 88% open rates and 56% click-through rates
According to an article published by marketing expert Neil Patel, Facebook messages can be an extremely effective lead generation and sales tool. According to the article, a study found that messages sent by businesses on Facebook could yield as much as 88% open rates. The study showed similarly high click-through rates too, with figures of up to 56%.
These kinds of figures are significantly higher than the average email open and click-through rates. The upshot of this is clear: if you want audiences to engage with your messages, focus on Messenger rather than email.
Source: LinkedIn
Related Reading: The Latest Lead Generation Statistics & Benchmarks.
20. Facebook Messenger ads are up to 80% more effective than emails
Email is a go-to for many marketers, but in the age of social media, some experts believe that it’s not the most effective way to reach out to customers and generate leads.
According to an article published by Search Engine Journal, Facebook Messenger ads have been proven to be up to 80% more effective than those sent via email.
Source: Search Engine Journal
Facebook Messenger growth and trends statistics
Facebook Messenger is a popular platform that is continuing to evolve and grow. Here are some Facebook Messenger statistics that will help you learn more about the growth of the app and uncover some current trends.
21. There’s been a 20% uptick in audio messaging on Facebook Messenger
Messenger offers a range of ways for users to share messages from text to video calling and more.
One of the most popular in recent months has been audio messaging. Facebook reported that there has been an increase in the use of audio messaging on the platform of around 20%.
As a result, Facebook has recently implemented some new features to make audio messaging easier. The new tap-to-record feature means you no longer need to hold down the mic to record audio.
Source: Facebook News3
22. Privacy is becoming more important to Facebook Messenger users
Facebook reports that over the last four years, more consumers have been choosing messaging apps that offer better privacy features across the world.
The average internet user is becoming more aware of cybersecurity, and they are keen to ensure that their private conversations remain private. As a result, Facebook is now prioritizing privacy on Messenger and implementing new, more robust privacy settings.
Source: Facebook News4
23. Video calling on Messenger and WhatsApp more than doubled last year in various countries
The pandemic brought local lockdowns across the world that prevented families and friends from meeting up face to face. This meant people were forced to find new ways to connect with one another, and video calling became the standard for many.
As a result, the use of apps like Messenger for video calling more than double in 2020. Facebook even released the Facebook Portal device, which aimed to make it easier for people of all ages to connect via video on Messenger.
Source: Facebook News5
24. Over 700 million accounts now take part in video calls every day across Messenger and WhatsApp
Messaging apps have come so far since the days of instant messengers like BBM or MSN, and many people now use the apps to video call instead of contacting their friends and family via text.
According to Facebook, around 700 million accounts engage in video calling every day, and this has led to Facebook innovating to provide more video calling features.
As a result, Facebook recently introduced the new Messenger Rooms feature.
Source: Facebook News5
25. New Year’s Eve 2020 saw the most Messenger group video calls of all time
2020 was a turbulent year for many businesses, but it’s safe to say that it was a great year for social media apps and platforms, including Facebook Messenger. On New Year’s Eve of 2020, the app saw more group call ever before, with friends and family keen to virtually connect as many couldn’t attend parties or events.
It was the app’s biggest day ever for group calls consisting of 3 or more people in the US. Nearly twice as many group video calls were made on New Years’ Eve 2020 than on an average day.
Source: Facebook News6
26. Over 18 billion GIFs are sent per year via messenger
If you don’t already know, GIFs are moving pictures or clips that can be sent easily in a message format.
Messenger is many people’s go-to app for texting and calling their friends and people also love to share multimedia elements like GIFS, emojis, and photos using the app. In addition to GIFs, around 500 billion emojis are used on the platform each year.
Source: Inc.com
27. Users lost around $124 million as a result of Messenger scams in 2020
With so many people spending time indoors and online in 2020, cybersecurity threats and scams increased substantially. Unfortunately, Facebook Messenger wasn’t able to avoid this uptick in cybercrime, and many messenger users fell victim to scams amidst the pandemic.
According to an article published by AARP, in total, users lost over $100 million to scammers operating on Messenger. The majority of these scams are a result of identity theft, and hackers taking control of other people’s accounts. Although scams like this increased during 2020, hopefully, Facebook will work on helping its users become more aware and guard against cyber threats on the platform.
Source: AARP
Facebook Messenger statistics sources
Final thoughts
And that’s a wrap! Hopefully, you’ve found our roundup of 27 intriguing statistics that tell you just about everything that there is to know about the 2nd most popular messaging app in the world useful.
If you’re keen to find out more about using social media platforms in your marketing strategy, be sure to check out some of our other statistics articles including 38 Latest Twitter Statistics: What Is The State Of Twitter? and 33 Latest Facebook Statistics And Facts You Need To Know.
Or if you need help managing your social media efforts, check out our roundup of the best social media management software.
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