WeChat Pay Statistics By Users, Demographics, Revenue And Future

Introduction

WeChat Pay Statistics: With smart business plans, Tencent’s WeChat has become the most popular app in China, where big global tech companies have little presence. In just 10 years, this powerful app has grown into one of the world’s top brands, with nearly 1.3 billion monthly users—about 80% of China’s population.

However, it’s unclear how long WeChat will stay at the top. As new social apps gain popularity and China continues its antitrust regulations, the country’s app market may become more competitive and diverse in the future. We shall shed more light on WeChat Pay Statistics through this article.

Editor’s Choice

• WeChat has 1.671 billion users who use the app every month.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that almost 73.7% of internet users in China use WeChat regularly.
• In China, 330 million people make video calls on WeChat every day.
• As of March 2023, WeChat is worth $50.2 billion.
• Views on original content in WeChat Channels went up by 350% compared to last year.
• 1% of people in Hong Kong use WeChat.
• WeChat is the fifth most popular social media app in the world.
• By 2025, the number of active users of WeChat Mini-Programs is expected to reach 764 million.
• WeChat users send 45 billion messages every day.
• On average, each user spends 77 minutes per day on WeChat.
• Every day, 6.1 billion voice messages are sent through the app.
• WeChat has more than 2 billion users worldwide.
• Users send about 205 million video messages daily.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that almost 82% of China’s internet users are active on WeChat.
• WeChat is the 5th most popular social media app, with 1.309 billion monthly users.
• By 2023, WeChat users are expected to reach 1.671 billion.

What is WeChat Pay?

WeChat Pay, called Weixin Pay (微信支付) in China, is a mobile payment and digital wallet service from WeChat. It lets users make online payments and money transfers using their phones. By March 2016, WeChat Pay had 300 million users, and by 2023, its active users had grown to 1.133 billion.

Its biggest rival in China is Alipay, the top online payment platform owned by Alibaba Group. Alibaba’s founder, Jack Ma, saw WeChat Pay’s red envelope feature as a serious threat, calling it a “Pearl Harbor moment” as it started to take away Alipay’s lead in peer-to-peer transactions. In response, Alibaba launched its own virtual red envelope feature on Laiwang. Other competitors, like Baidu Wallet and Sina Weibo, also created similar features to keep up.

General WeChat Statistics

• As of 2023, WeChat has over 1.3 billion monthly users, and it is expected to reach 1.67 billion by the end of the year.
• This makes WeChat the fifth most popular app globally, behind Facebook (2.9 billion), YouTube (2.5 billion), WhatsApp (2 billion), and Instagram (1.4 billion).
• Every day, users send around 45 billion messages on WeChat, making it China’s most popular social media app.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that about 73.7% of internet users in the country use the platform frequently.
• People in China spend over 30% of their online time on WeChat, proving its growing influence. The app also contributes to 34% of China’s total mobile data usage.
• WeChat has become one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, with 1.3 billion monthly users in 2023. This number is expected to grow to 1.67 billion by the end of the year.

(Reference: coolest-gadgets.com)

• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that almost 22.3% of users are under 24 years old.
• The smallest group is people aged 25-30, making up 13.7% of users.
• 22% of users are between 31-40 years old, while 19.2% are 41-50 years old.
• Older users are also active, with 22.7% being 51 or older.
• WeChat has a nearly equal split between men and women: 9% are male, and 1% are female
• More than 60% of active users open WeChat every day.
• 83% of users rely on WeChat for work.
• WeChat made USD 50.2 billion in revenue in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 62 billion by year-end.
• By 2023, there were 20 million Official Accounts on WeChat.
• 72% of users follow official accounts to get news.
• 41% follow them for promotions and deals.
• 3% of users find new accounts through recommendations from other WeChat Official Accounts.
• Over 50% of users follow 10 to 20 official accounts.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that nearly 74.2% follow them for news.
• 9% follow them for promotional offers.
• Seven hundred and eighty million users interact with WeChat Moments every day.
• One hundred twenty million users regularly post updates.
• WeChat continues to grow, playing a key role in social networking, business, and digital payments in China and beyond.

WeChat Users Statistics

(Reference: oberlo.com)

• By Q2 2024, WeChat had nearly 1.4 billion users worldwide.
• This is a 3.3% increase from last year and a 0.9% rise compared to the previous quarter.
• WeChat’s user base keeps growing every year.
• At the end of 2014, just four years after launching in 2011, WeChat had 500 million users.
• By 2018, its user count had more than doubled, reaching 1.1 billion, crossing the 1 billion mark for the first time.
• Between 2014 and 2023, WeChat’s users grew at an average rate of 12.2% per year.
• The fastest growth was recorded from 2015 to 2018, with a 22.3% yearly increase.
• Growth slowed to 4.1% annually between 2019 and 2023.
• Looking at quarterly data from Q1 2014 to Q2 2024, the only time WeChat’s user numbers dropped was in Q2 2022, when they declined by 2%.

(Reference: oberlo.com)

• As of 2024, China has 845.4 million WeChat users, which is 1% of the total population. This means that more than half of China’s people use WeChat at least once a month.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that WeChat usage in China is steadily increasing every year. Experts estimate that by 2025, the number of users will reach 864.8 million, making up 4% of the population.

WeChat User Behavior Statistics

• On average, people in China spend 79 minutes and 42 seconds daily on WeChat. This is slightly lower than 82 minutes and 36 seconds in mid-2023 and 82 minutes in mid-2022.
• WeChat users send an incredible 45 billion messages daily.
• The app also handles 410 million voice and video calls per day, which is six times more than in 2016.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that around 68 million videos are uploaded to WeChat every day.
• While it still lags behind YouTube’s 300 hours of uploaded content per minute, WeChat is becoming a strong competitor to Snapchat and YouTube.

(Source: statista.com)

• Tencent’s WeChat has continued to expand its user base. By September 2024, the popular Chinese social media platform had more than 1.38 billion active users each month.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that almost 60% of users open the app 9 to 11 times per day.
• 21% of users check WeChat over 50 times a day.
• WeChat has helped cut hospital wait times by 43.6 minutes on average.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that almost 40% of hospitals in China now use WeChat for things like online doctor appointments, medical updates, and digital payments.
• WeChat continues to be a key part of daily life in China, making communication and services easier.

WeChat Official Account Statistics

• WeChat Official Accounts help businesses share content, attract followers, and connect users to mini-websites inside the app.
• Since many people in China use WeChat as their main news and information source, more companies are using it for marketing and customer service.
• Men make up a larger share of Official Account followers (57.2%) than women, which is slightly higher than their 53% share of total WeChat users.
• Men mostly follow finance-related accounts, while women prefer shopping-related pages.
• The age group of WeChat Official Account users is fairly balanced. About 49.5% are under 30, while just over 50% are 31 or older.

(Reference: coolest-gadgets.com)

• Among them, 2.2% are younger than 18, and 4.3% are 46 or older.
• More than half of WeChat users find new Official Accounts through recommendations from other accounts they follow.
• Additionally, 45% find them by searching, 41% get recommendations from friends, and 34.3% see them on WeChat Moments.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that nearly 49.3% of WeChat users subscribe to 10-20 Official Accounts.
• Another 24% follow fewer than 10, while 19.7% follow between 20-30.
• Only 4.3% follow 30-50 accounts, and just 2.7% follow more than 50.
• More than half of users (54%) spend 10-30 minutes a day on WeChat Official Accounts. Another 22% spend between 30 minutes to an hour.
• WeChat Official Accounts help businesses attract customers by providing valuable content.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that around 74.2% of users follow accounts for news updates, while 41.9% follow them for promotions and deals.
• 34% of Businesses Cut Costs by Over 30% Using Official Accounts
• WeChat Official Accounts help companies save money and increase sales.
• Around 34% of businesses reduced costs by more than 30%, 32% use them to sell products, and 40% use them for customer support and business operations.
• WeChat Official Accounts are a powerful tool for businesses to save money, grow their audience, and engage with customers.

WeChat Penetration Rates in Chosen Countries

(Reference: statista.com)

• United Kingdom: Only 2% of people in the UK use WeChat, while WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app with an 81% user rate.
• Netherlands: Just 3% of Dutch users are on WeChat, while WhatsApp dominates with a huge 93% market share.
• Brazil: Only 2% of Brazilians use WeChat, while WhatsApp leads the market with a 99% penetration rate.
• Germany: WeChat has a small 2% user base, while WhatsApp is the top messaging platform, with 94% of Germans using it.
• Italy: Just 3% of Italians use WeChat, whereas WhatsApp remains the most used app with 82% of users.
• Russia: Only 1% of Russians are regular WeChat users, while WhatsApp dominates with an 89% share.
• Finland: Similar to Russia, WeChat is used by just 1% of the population.
• Spain: WeChat has a low 2% user base, while other messaging apps are much more popular.
• Canada: 6% of Canadians use WeChat, while Facebook Messenger is the most used app, with an 82% penetration rate.
• France: Only 2% of people in France are regular WeChat users, while Facebook Messenger leads with 79% market share.
• Australia: Around 5% of Australians use WeChat, whereas Facebook Messenger is the top messaging app, with an 83% user rate.
• United States: Just 3% of Americans use WeChat, while Facebook Messenger remains the most popular, with 88% of people using it.

WeChat Statistics By Device Allocation

• In the last six months of 2023, 9% of WeChat’s social media traffic came from mobile devices, totaling 4.5 million users.
• Meanwhile, 1% of the traffic, or 1.5 million users, accessed WeChat from desktop devices.

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

• In the last six months of 2023, apart from China, the United States and Hong Kong had the highest WeChat traffic from different devices.
• The U.S. ranked #1, accounting for 11.7% of total traffic (618.7K users). Out of this, 43.19% came from desktops, while 56.81% were from mobile devices.
• Hong Kong followed with 9.59% of total traffic (531K users), where 44.9% accessed it via mobile, and 55.1% used desktops.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that Taiwan and Malaysia contributed 6.84% of the total.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that India ranked 5th, generating 6.49% of WeChat’s total traffic.
• Looking at these numbers, it’s clear that most users prefer mobile devices over desktops when using WeChat.

WeChat Pay Demographic Statistics

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

WeChat’s user statistics by age group show that the largest number of users are between 25 and 34 years old, making up 35.82% of the total users.

• The 18 to 24 age group follows closely, with 22.61% of users.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that about 20.03% of users are between 35 and 44 years old.
• Those aged 45 to 54 years account for 11.12%, while the 55 to 64 age group makes up 6.51%.
• The smallest group of users is 65 years and older, contributing just 3.90% of WeChat’s total user base.

WeChat Statistics By Marketing Channels

(Reference: enterpriseappstoday.com)

In 2023, the largest share of WeChat’s traffic came from organic searches, making up 57.37% of total visits.

Other traffic sources included:

• Direct visits – 37.62%
• Referral traffic – 3.75%
• Social media referrals – 0.61%
• Email marketing – 0.54%
• Paid search ads – 0.11%
• Display ads – 0%, meaning no traffic came from display advertising.

WeChat Revenue Statistics

WeChat makes money in different ways by using its various features.

In 2024, the platform’s total revenue is expected to reach $62 billion, showing steady growth from past years. This plays a big role in Tencent’s overall earnings and increases WeChat’s market value.

WeChat’s main sources of income include:

• WeChat Ads – Many businesses use WeChat’s large user base to promote their products, making advertising a major source of revenue.
• WeChat Pay – Millions of people rely on WeChat Pay for daily purchases, which brings in a big share of Tencent’s earnings.
• Mini-Programs – These built-in apps provide services like online shopping, gaming, and more, helping WeChat earn even more money.

WeChat Mini-Program Statistics

• The launch of WeChat Mini-Programs changed the game by allowing users to access small apps inside the WeChat platform. These lightweight apps, each under 10MB, have turned WeChat into much more than just a messaging app—it’s now a full digital ecosystem.
• By the end of 2023, WeChat had over 4.3 million Mini-Programs, and more than 95% of Chinese businesses had their mini-programs on the platform.
• WeChat Pay Statistics stated that there are 450 million daily active users, and on average, each user interacts with 8 mini-programs daily.

(Reference: bankmycell.com)

WeChat Mini-Programs provide a variety of services that make daily activities easier for users. The most popular types include:

• Online Shopping: These mini-programs are the most widely used, allowing users to shop directly on WeChat. The built-in payment system and social sharing features make purchases quick and simple.
• Local Services: Apps for ordering food, booking taxis, and making salon appointments are in high demand. Around 47% of users consider these services and shopping apps more useful than other types of Mini-Programs.
• Games: WeChat offers fun and social games that attract both men and women.
• Helpful Tools: Mini-programs for translation, weather updates, and other daily utilities enhance the user experience.
• Education & Online Learning: Many users turn to WeChat for language courses, coding lessons, and other educational programs.
• Other Services: Mini-programs also include health, fitness, travel, and other specialized services catering to different interests and needs.

In China, WeChat Mini-Programs are very popular, especially among women, who make up 67% of users. Many people use these mini-apps to shop and buy different services.

• 6% of users spend less than $28 (200 RMB) per month.
• 4% of users spend between $28 and $140 (200–1,000 RMB) monthly.

WeChat Mini-Programs have become a convenient shopping tool, making it easy for users to browse and pay for products without leaving the app.

Future Trends in WeChat Statistics

#1. Smarter AI and Machine Learning

• WeChat will likely use artificial intelligence (AI) to make the app more user-friendly. AI-powered chatbots in business accounts and customized content suggestions in Moments will help users find relevant information quickly and easily.

#2. AR & VR for a More Interactive Experience

• With the rise of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), WeChat may introduce virtual shopping experiences, interactive games, and 3D social interactions through its Mini-Programs.

#3. Eco-Friendly Features

• As people become more environmentally conscious, WeChat could launch green initiatives. This may include recommending sustainable products in Mini-Programs or partnering with environmental groups to promote eco-friendly actions.

#4. Health and Wellness Upgrades

• Since health and fitness are now a priority, WeChat might add features like fitness tracking, online doctor consultations, and mental health support, making it a go-to app for well-being.

Conclusion

WeChat Pay has become one of the most popular mobile payment platforms, especially in China. Every day, billions of transactions take place using this system, covering everything from online shopping and in-store purchases to bill payments and money transfers. Its smooth integration with WeChat Mini-Programs and Official Accounts has helped increase its widespread use.

As WeChat Pay expands to other countries, it is expected to play a bigger role in global digital payments, shaping the future of cashless transactions worldwide. We have shed enough light on WeChat Pay Statistics through this article.