Tencent reports 1,432 million combined monthly active users for Weixin and WeChat, up just 2% year on year. That growth rate is the story: a platform serving more than 1.4 billion people is now adding roughly 30 million a year, which is saturation rather than expansion. The money is moving faster than the user count. Marketing services revenue grew 20% to RMB 38.2 billion while total revenue rose 9% to RMB 196.5 billion. The figures below come from Tencent’s first quarter 2026 results, filed as a Hong Kong listed company.
TL;DR
- Combined Weixin and WeChat MAU is 1,432 million (Tencent)
- That is up 2% from 1,402 million a year earlier (Tencent)
- And up 1% from 1,418 million at the end of 2025 (Tencent)
- Mobile QQ MAU fell 3% to 516 million (Tencent)
- Total revenue was RMB 196.5 billion, up 9% (Tencent)
- Gross profit was RMB 111.3 billion at a 57% margin (Tencent)
- Marketing services grew 20% to RMB 38.2 billion (Tencent)
- Value-added services grew 4% to RMB 96.1 billion (Tencent)
- Fintech and business services grew 9% to RMB 59.9 billion (Tencent)
- Net profit was RMB 59.4 billion, up 19% (Tencent)
- Video Accounts total time spent grew over 20% (Tencent)
- The AIM+ platform powered about 30% of marketing services spending (Tencent)
- Capital expenditure was RMB 31.9 billion, up 16% (Tencent)
1. The User Base
The headline number is among the largest audience figures any company reports. Tencent counts 1,432 million combined monthly active users across Weixin and WeChat as of 31 March 2026, up 2% from 1,402 million a year earlier and 1% from 1,418 million three months before.
The combined reporting is a deliberate choice worth understanding. Weixin is the mainland China app and WeChat the international version, and Tencent has never disclosed the split. That means the widely repeated claim that WeChat has 1.4 billion international users is wrong by construction, since the overwhelming majority of that figure is domestic. What the number does establish is the scale of a single integrated surface covering messaging, payments, mini programs, and short video for a population roughly the size of China plus its diaspora.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Weixin and WeChat MAU | 1,432 million | Tencent |
| Prior year | 1,402 million | Tencent |
| Year-on-year change | up 2% | Tencent |
| Previous quarter | 1,418 million | Tencent |
| Quarter-on-quarter change | up 1% | Tencent |
| Absolute annual addition | approx. 30 million | Derived from Tencent figures |
| Mainland versus international split | not disclosed | Tencent |
| Reporting date | 31 March 2026 | Tencent |
Comparable platform scale sits in our WhatsApp statistics. Source: Tencent announces 2026 first quarter results.
2. QQ Is the One Metric Falling
Alongside the flagship, Tencent still runs its original messaging product, and it is shrinking. Mobile QQ monthly active users fell 3% year on year to 516 million, down from 534 million.
The decline is modest in percentage terms and large in absolute terms, at roughly 18 million users in a year. QQ remains substantial, about 36% the size of Weixin, and retains a distinct position among younger users and in gaming-adjacent communities. But it is the only major user metric Tencent disclosed that moved downward, and a platform losing users while its sibling gains them is being cannibalised rather than merely maturing. Fee-based value-added service subscriptions also slipped slightly, down 0.7% to an average of 266 million daily.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile QQ MAU | 516 million | Tencent |
| Prior year | 534 million | Tencent |
| Change | down 3% | Tencent |
| Absolute annual loss | approx. 18 million | Derived from Tencent figures |
| QQ size relative to Weixin | approx. 36% | Derived from Tencent figures |
| Fee-based VAS subscriptions | 266 million average daily | Tencent |
| Change in subscriptions | down 0.7% | Tencent |
| Direction versus Weixin | opposite | Derived |
Source: Tencent 2026 first quarter results filing.
3. The Revenue Mix
Tencent is not primarily a messaging company by revenue, and the segment breakdown makes that clear. Total revenue reached RMB 196.5 billion, up 9%, split across value-added services at RMB 96.1 billion, fintech and business services at RMB 59.9 billion, and marketing services at RMB 38.2 billion.
Value-added services, which is mostly games plus social network subscriptions, still contributes about 49% of revenue but grew only 4%. Inside it the composition is diverging: domestic games rose 6% to RMB 45.4 billion and international games rose 13% to RMB 18.8 billion, while social networks fell 2% to RMB 31.9 billion. A company whose largest segment grows at 4% while its smallest grows at 20% is one where the revenue mix is actively shifting, and advertising is taking share from subscriptions and game spending.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | RMB 196.5 billion | Tencent |
| Total revenue growth | up 9% | Tencent |
| Value-added services | RMB 96.1 billion, up 4% | Tencent |
| Domestic games | RMB 45.4 billion, up 6% | Tencent |
| International games | RMB 18.8 billion, up 13% | Tencent |
| Social networks | RMB 31.9 billion, down 2% | Tencent |
| Fintech and business services | RMB 59.9 billion, up 9% | Tencent |
| Marketing services | RMB 38.2 billion, up 20% | Tencent |
| VAS share of total revenue | approx. 49% | Derived from Tencent figures |
Payments context sits in our digital wallet statistics. Source: Tencent announces 2026 first quarter results.
4. Advertising Is the Growth Engine
One segment is running at more than double the company’s overall pace. Marketing services grew 20% year on year to RMB 38.2 billion, with Tencent attributing part of that to its AIM+ advertising platform, which powered approximately 30% of marketing services spending.
Two things make this significant. First, advertising growth on a mature user base has to come from either more inventory or better targeting, and Tencent points at both: Video Accounts time spent rose over 20%, creating inventory, while AIM+ improved conversion. Second, advertising carries higher incremental margin than games or payments, which is visible in gross margin reaching 57% and gross profit growing 11% against 9% revenue growth. Profit is expanding faster than revenue because the mix is tilting toward the highest-margin line.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing services revenue | RMB 38.2 billion | Tencent |
| Growth | up 20% | Tencent |
| Company-wide revenue growth | up 9% | Tencent |
| Marketing growth versus company | more than 2x | Derived from Tencent figures |
| Share of spending powered by AIM+ | approx. 30% | Tencent |
| Gross profit | RMB 111.3 billion, up 11% | Tencent |
| Gross margin | 57% | Tencent |
| Gross profit growth versus revenue growth | 11% against 9% | Derived from Tencent figures |
Source: Tencent Q1 2026 results, Weixin ecosystem summary.
5. Profitability and Investment
The bottom line grew considerably faster than the top line. Net profit reached RMB 59.4 billion, up 19% on an IFRS basis, with IFRS operating profit up 17% to RMB 67.4 billion against revenue growth of 9%.
That gap between 9% revenue growth and 19% profit growth is operating leverage, and it coexists with rising investment rather than cost cutting. Capital expenditure grew 16% to RMB 31.9 billion, free cash flow grew 20% to RMB 56.7 billion, and the net cash position expanded 63% to RMB 146.9 billion. A company simultaneously increasing capex, expanding margins, and growing free cash flow faster than revenue is converting a saturated user base into cash efficiently, which is the characteristic financial signature of a mature platform rather than a growth one.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net profit, IFRS | RMB 59.4 billion, up 19% | Tencent |
| Operating profit, IFRS | RMB 67.4 billion, up 17% | Tencent |
| Operating profit, non-IFRS | RMB 75.6 billion, up 9% | Tencent |
| Revenue growth for comparison | up 9% | Tencent |
| Capital expenditure | RMB 31.9 billion, up 16% | Tencent |
| Free cash flow | RMB 56.7 billion, up 20% | Tencent |
| Total cash | RMB 533.7 billion, up 12% | Tencent |
| Net cash position | RMB 146.9 billion, up 63% | Tencent |
Source: Tencent 2026 first quarter results filing.
6. What the Combined Figure Hides
Before using any WeChat number in an international comparison, one limitation deserves stating plainly. Tencent reports Weixin and WeChat as a single combined MAU and does not disclose the mainland and international split, which makes cross-platform comparison harder than it looks.
The practical consequence is that WeChat cannot be ranked against globally distributed messengers on equal terms. A comparison against a platform with a genuinely worldwide footprint is comparing one national market plus a diaspora against many markets, and the resulting ranking says more about the size of China than about relative product success. The engagement picture has the same problem: Video Accounts time spent grew over 20%, but there is no way to know how much of that is mainland behaviour. These are reliable audited disclosures about a business, and considerably less reliable as inputs to a global platform league table.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting basis | Weixin and WeChat combined | Tencent |
| Mainland versus international split | not disclosed | Tencent |
| Video Accounts time spent growth | over 20% | Tencent |
| Geographic breakdown of engagement | not disclosed | Tencent |
| Nature of the financial figures | audited listed company disclosure | Tencent |
| Nature of the user figures | self-defined platform metric | Derived |
| Suitability for global comparison | limited | Derived |
| Filing entity | Tencent Holdings, Hong Kong listed | Tencent |
Broader platform context sits in our social media statistics and messaging comparison in our Telegram statistics. Source: WeChat revenue and usage statistics.
Summary: WeChat and Tencent by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Combined Weixin and WeChat MAU | 1,432 million | Tencent |
| Prior year | 1,402 million | Tencent |
| Year-on-year change | up 2% | Tencent |
| Previous quarter | 1,418 million | Tencent |
| Mobile QQ MAU | 516 million, down 3% | Tencent |
| Fee-based VAS subscriptions | 266 million daily average | Tencent |
| Total revenue | RMB 196.5 billion, up 9% | Tencent |
| Gross profit | RMB 111.3 billion, up 11% | Tencent |
| Gross margin | 57% | Tencent |
| Value-added services | RMB 96.1 billion, up 4% | Tencent |
| Domestic games | RMB 45.4 billion, up 6% | Tencent |
| International games | RMB 18.8 billion, up 13% | Tencent |
| Social networks | RMB 31.9 billion, down 2% | Tencent |
| Marketing services | RMB 38.2 billion, up 20% | Tencent |
| Fintech and business services | RMB 59.9 billion, up 9% | Tencent |
| Net profit | RMB 59.4 billion, up 19% | Tencent |
| Operating profit, IFRS | RMB 67.4 billion, up 17% | Tencent |
| Capital expenditure | RMB 31.9 billion, up 16% | Tencent |
| Free cash flow | RMB 56.7 billion, up 20% | Tencent |
| Video Accounts time spent | up over 20% | Tencent |
Methodology and Sources
- All user, revenue, profit, and cash flow figures come from Tencent Holdings’ announcement of its 2026 first quarter results, filed as a Hong Kong listed company and covering the three months ended 31 March 2026 (Tencent results filing, Tencent supplementary filing, PR Newswire release).
- Ecosystem commentary and independent aggregation were cross-checked against the primary filing (Business of Apps, DemandSage, Marketing to China, Tencent Q1 2026 ecosystem summary).
- Data watch: financial figures are audited listed company disclosures and are the most reliable class of data in this roundup, but the user metrics are self-defined by Tencent and cannot be independently verified. The combined Weixin plus WeChat monthly active user figure is never broken into mainland and international components, so any claim about WeChat’s international user base does not come from this source. Revenue is reported in renminbi; converting to other currencies introduces exchange rate movement unrelated to business performance, which is why no conversion is offered here. Quarterly results capture a three-month window and seasonal effects are significant in games and advertising, so single-quarter growth rates should not be annualised. Engagement disclosures such as Video Accounts time spent are given as directional percentages without absolute baselines. Rows marked as derived are arithmetic on published figures.
- Last updated: August 2, 2026. We update this roundup quarterly, and the next major refresh is expected when Tencent publishes its next quarterly results.