WeChat Users by Country 2024

WeChat, which is one of the most popular social media communication platforms in the world, has more than 1.2 billion active users. While the service initially began as a messaging service, it has now become a comprehensive social media platform. Essentially, it has turned itself from WhatsApp into Facebook. The app was founded in 2011 by Tencent. It is based in China, so it should come as no surprise that that is where the overwhelming majority of its users are located. At the same time, it is still popular outside of China, and there are a lot of people who use WeChat in other parts of the world to communicate with loved ones and friends who reside in China.

How Many People Use WeChat in China?

Of the more than 1.2 billion people who use WeChat regularly, more than 1 billion people are located in China. The overwhelming majority of people between 16 years old and 64 years old use WeChat. This amounts to approximately 78 percent of all people who fall under that category. There are also about 1.5 million people located in the United States who use this social media networking platform. Approximately a quarter of all people in the United States between the ages of 18 and 24 use this platform. Among those who use the platform, the average daily use time is 82 minutes. It is one of the main competitors to other major social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram.

Is WeChat Allowed in Hong Kong?

Even though Hong Kong is technically a part of China, Hong Kong is governed differently. During the past few years, China has taken a lot of steps to rein in the autonomy of Hong Kong. The people who live in Hong Kong are still largely free from censorship. More than half of people in Hong Kong use WeChat, and concern about Chinese government surveillance and censorship of WeChat has remained relatively low. A lot of people in Hong Kong use WeChat because they have relatives and friends located in China. It is one of the easiest ways for them to keep in touch with these individuals.

Does the Chinese Government Own WeChat?

No, the Chinese government does not own WeChat. It is a private company owned by Tencent, which is responsible for a large number of other social media apps that come from China. Because of the “Great Firewall” of China, it is notoriously difficult to get information related to WeChat, but it is obvious that it is one of the most popular platforms in the world. Given that the vast majority of people in China use this program, it is possible that the Chinese government could turn to WeChat if it was looking for information about something specific, but it does not appear to be a significant concern among people who live in China. WeChat will probably become more popular outside of China in the near future.