WhatsApp usage in Europe: figures for your channel choice.
In Germany, 83 % of online adults use WhatsApp every week, but only 63 % of 65 to 74-year-olds use any messenger at all. This guide brings together current figures for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and five more European countries and shows what they mean for verification by WhatsApp, email or SMS.
- WhatsApp in eight countries
- Older people and messengers
- What it means for verification
Christian Schätzlein, Founder and developer of Sendity
3 min read
WhatsApp per week, messengers at 65–74
Right: share of 65 to 74-year-olds using any messenger
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Germany WhatsApp weekly: 83 % 63 %
Messengers overall: 83 % of 16 to 74-year-olds.
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Austria WhatsApp weekly: 80 % 67 %
Messengers overall: 88 %.
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Switzerland WhatsApp weekly: 80 % 79 %
Messengers overall: 92 %.
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Netherlands WhatsApp weekly: 83 % 93 %
Messengers overall: 98 %, almost everyone.
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Spain WhatsApp weekly: 89 % 82 %
Messengers overall: 95 %.
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Italy WhatsApp weekly: 89 % 64 %
Messengers overall: 84 %.
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France WhatsApp weekly: 64 % 51 %
Messengers overall: 75 %. Offer email alongside.
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Poland WhatsApp weekly: 51 % 36 %
Messengers overall: 75 %. WhatsApp alone reaches half.
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Two surveys answer two different questions. Read together, they show who you reach with WhatsApp and who you miss.
Two sources, two questions
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 asks online adults whether they used WhatsApp in the last week. Eurostat asks everyone aged 16 to 74 whether they used any messenger in the last three months. The figures are not directly comparable.
Germany, Austria, Switzerland
WhatsApp reaches 80 to 83 % of online adults every week. Messengers overall reach 83 % in Germany, 88 % in Austria and 92 % in Switzerland.
Older people
Among 65 to 74-year-olds, 63 % in Germany use a messenger, 67 % in Austria and 79 % in Switzerland. People over 75 are not covered by these surveys.
Across Europe
Spain and Italy are at 89 %, the Netherlands at 83 %, the UK at 82 %. France (64 %) and Poland (51 %) use WhatsApp much less.
SMS is shrinking
According to the Federal Network Agency, 2.9 billion SMS were sent in Germany in 2025, after 5.2 billion the year before, against 913.5 billion messenger messages.
From figures to channels.
How to turn these figures into a decision for your sign-up.
Know your audience
Country and age matter more than the national average.
Offer a second channel
WhatsApp plus email covers most people; SMS can follow as a fallback.
Measure your own figures
Which channel your visitors choose beats any survey.
WhatsApp only or WhatsApp and email?
Whom each setup reaches, based on the figures above.
| Aspect | WhatsApp only | With Sendity |
|---|---|---|
| Online adults in Germany | About 83 % | Plus everyone with an email address |
| 65 to 74-year-olds in Germany | At most 63 % (any messenger) | Email as a second way |
| France, Poland | 64 % and 51 % | Email alongside |
| Without a smartphone | Not reachable | Email from a computer, SMS if allowed |
Sources, retrieved on 3 November 2026: Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 (WhatsApp use in the last week, online adults 18+, January–February 2026; the social media question was asked again in a smaller sample after a technical problem); Eurostat isoc_ci_ac_i, indicator I_IUCHAT1 (instant messaging in the last three months, 16–74, 2025); Bundesnetzagentur press release of 5 June 2026.
Reach more with two channels.
What the figures suggest for a sign-up in Europe.
WhatsApp for most
Four out of five online adults in German-speaking countries use it every week.
Email for the rest
Older visitors and countries with less WhatsApp stay reachable.
Per campaign
Set the channels per audience, not once for everything.
Live on your page in minutes.
Sendity runs as a compact widget on your page. Pick the path that fits your website.
WhatsApp usage: common questions.
Why are there two figures for Germany?
Reuters measures WhatsApp among online adults each week (83 %); Eurostat measures any messenger among all 16 to 74-year-olds over three months (83 %). Same value, different questions.
How reliable are the 2026 figures?
Reuters had to repeat its social media question in a smaller sample. Use the figures to compare countries; differences of two points mean little.
What about people over 75?
Neither survey covers them. If they are part of your audience, plan email or a phone call as the main way.
Do I still need SMS?
As a fallback for people without WhatsApp, yes. As the main channel it is shrinking: two SMS per active SIM per month in Germany in 2025.
Keep reading.
Reviewed for accuracy in by Christian Schätzlein.
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