In 2023, the Netherlands counted over 13.3 million WhatsApp users, an increase of approximately 6.4 percent compared to the previous year. In recent years, the number of WhatsApp users in the country has experienced slow but steady growth.
Messaging and communication platforms in the Netherlands
As of 2022, instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger were the go-to platforms for social interaction, with 64 percent of Dutch respondents reporting using them regularly. Meta-owned messaging platforms WhatsApp and Messenger were the leading communication platforms for Dutch users in 2022. According to a 2022 survey of Dutch users, almost nine out of every 10 respondents reported using WhatsApp. Facebook Messenger ranked second, with approximately half of the Netherlands digital population reporting using this platform.
Social media use in the Netherlands
Internet users in the Netherlands were also frequent users of social networks, with 64 percent of respondents reporting using social media on a daily basis in 2022. In 2022, among the most common social media activities in the Netherlands was sending private messages, with 48 percent of respondents reporting engaging in this online activity. Social media activities such as following people and liking other users' pictures ranked second, with 40 percent of respondents engaging in each of them.
Number of WhatsApp users in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2023
(in millions)
N 2014 = 15,179; N 2015 = 10,395; N 2016=10,484; N 2017=8,194; N 2018=6,783; N 2019 = 7,012; N 2020 = 7,000, N 2021 = 7,021, N 2022 = 7,057, N 2023 = 7,021
Age group
15 years and older
Method of interview
Online survey
Supplementary notes
The figures have been taken from several publications.
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Newcom. (January 28, 2023). Number of WhatsApp users in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2023 (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/880842/number-of-whatsapp-users-in-the-netherlands/
Newcom. "Number of WhatsApp users in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2023 (in millions)." Chart. January 28, 2023. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/880842/number-of-whatsapp-users-in-the-netherlands/
Newcom. (2023). Number of WhatsApp users in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2023 (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/880842/number-of-whatsapp-users-in-the-netherlands/
Newcom. "Number of Whatsapp Users in The Netherlands from 2016 to 2023 (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Jan 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/880842/number-of-whatsapp-users-in-the-netherlands/
Newcom, Number of WhatsApp users in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2023 (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/880842/number-of-whatsapp-users-in-the-netherlands/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Number of WhatsApp users in the Netherlands from 2016 to 2023 (in millions) [Graph], Newcom, January 28, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/880842/number-of-whatsapp-users-in-the-netherlands/