Myths and reality of Telegram in Ukraine: what the largest audience research by Telemetrio will show
Telegram has long gone beyond a messenger. For Ukrainians, it has become a source of news, a tool for workplace communications, a platform for government services, educational initiatives, and professional communities. But one problem remains the same: the platform is developing rapidly, and there is little reliable data about it.
Unlike classic social networks, Telegram hardly discloses any statistics. The data that is publicly available is often fragmented or outdated. For a market that is increasingly using the platform, this creates an obvious analytical vacuum.
Why Telegram needs systematic research
The last large-scale study of the Ukrainian Telegram audience was conducted in 2023. In two years, both the number of users and the logic of content consumption have changed significantly.
What the 2023 study showed:
- 47% of users used Telegram to communicate with friends and family;
- 63% read news channels daily;
- the average user subscribed to 15-20 channels.
Insights from Telemetrio’s 2023 study
At the same time, it was already clear that Telegram was turning into something more than a messenger. In fact, it has become one of the key elements of the country’s digital infrastructure. And infrastructure platforms require accurate data, not assumptions.
new large-scale research by Telemetrio in partnership with Netpeak
In 2025, the analytical platform Telemetrio is conducting the largest study of the Ukrainian Telegram segment to date. Netpeak, as the first official reseller of Telegram Ads in Ukraine, became a partner of the initiative, combining its experience with Telemetrio data. At the same time, the project has no commercial component – this research is created as an open tool for the market.
What the survey will show
the survey consists of more than 40 questions for three groups:
- ordinary users
- channel administrators,
- community owners, and bots.
The goal is to form a realistic picture of the Ukrainian segment of Telegram in 2025.
Key blocks:
- how many channels people read regularly;
- which Telegram features are used most actively;
- the place of Telegram among other messengers;
- the structure of social connections on the platform.
Our team tested some of the questions in the largest Ukrainian Telegram channel about Telegram Ads. This will allow us to compare the preliminary results with a representative sample and assess the dynamics of changes since 2023.
The results of the study are expected to be published in mid-December. After the publication, Netpeak and Telemetrio plan to publicly discuss the results for the business community.
Myth 1. Ukraine accounts for less than 3% of the global Telegram audience and has more than 25 million users.
Reality. Ukraine indeed accounts for less than 3% of the global Telegram audience. But despite this, it has more than 25 million users, making the platform one of the largest and most dynamic in the country. In Ukraine, Telegram is a strategic communication channel, not a niche tool.
Myth 2: There are more than 100,000 active channels and 20,000 bots in the Ukrainian segment
In fact, the Ukrainian market has not yet reached such a scale. According to research:
- in 2023, there were about 30 thousand active channels,
- today, a realistic estimate is about 50 thousand active channels and at least 10 thousand bots.
Therefore, the statement about 100,000 channels is an exaggeration that is often confused with the total number of created, not active, accounts.
Myth 3. Ukrainians spend more than three hours a day on Telegram
This applies primarily to channel administrators, SMM specialists, and those who work with Telegram professionally.
For an average user, the real average time is about one hour a day. Telegram is an important platform, but it does not take up the entire digital day of a Ukrainian.
Myth 4. Telegram is primarily about entertainment
Telegram has long ceased to be just a messenger. It has transformed into a full-fledged work and business ecosystem:
- companies are moving internal communications to channels and work chats;
- professional communities create expert hubs and educational platforms;
- small and medium-sized businesses build full-fledged sales funnels here;
- brands launch service and product bots.
Entertainment is only a part of the platform, but definitely not the basis of its use.
Myth 5. The largest segment of Ukrainian Telegram is news and government channels
Reality. Demand for news, operational updates, and official announcements remains high. It is news, government, and socially important channels that form the largest segment of Ukrainian Telegram and largely determine the platform’s information dynamics.
Why accurate data is important for business and the media market
The lack of reliable analytics is already creating several systemic problems:
- Decisions are made on intuition, not facts.
- The news channel market is overheating.
- Businesses do not understand the structure of competition and audience behavior.
Telegram has become a key information medium for millions of Ukrainian users. To assess its impact and prospects, we need data, not myths. The new study can be a starting point for a more mature and analytical conversation about how Ukrainians use Telegram and what it means for the market in 2026.
