WhatsApp continues to witness the highest number of users in India, as per the eMarketer report. WhatsApp reached 340 million users in India, followed by other key markets, including Brazil, the US, Indonesia and Mexico. eMarketer also forecasts that over 90 per cent of all smartphone users will use WhatsApp in India this year. As far as the user penetration among smartphone users is concerned, counties such as India, Brazil and Indonesia are the top three markets for WhatsApp. Researchers also note that WhatsApp has previously been used to spread misinformation amid elections in two of its key markets: India and Brazil.

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Following India with 340 million users, Brazil is in second place with 99 million users. At 68.1 million users, the US is in third place. Markets like Indonesia (59.9 million) and Mexico (57.2 million) come in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Top 10 countries with the most number of WhatsApp users

1. India -- 340 million
2. Brazil -- 99 million
3. US -- 68.1 million
4. Indonesia -- 59.9 million
5. Mexico --  57.2 million
6. Russia -- 54.1 million
7. Germany -- 43.9 million
8. Italy -- 32.9 million
9. Spain -- 30.5 million
10. UK -- 27.6 million

"India has been able to amass such a high number of WhatsApp users, partly because the platform can be used on some feature phones, like the JioPhone, which is popular there,” eMarketer senior analyst Jasmine Enberg said. “India’s wide user base has also made it a testing ground for new WhatsApp capabilities, including a payment system. The company has been testing the service in India since 2018, and it is expected to launch nationwide this year, pending regulatory approval."

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