Key Takeaways
- 98% of text messages are opened, compared with 20% for emails
- 45% of consumers say they are more likely to make a purchase when they receive text message marketing
- 90% of SMS messages are read within three minutes
- Text messages have a 2–3% conversion rate on average
- SMS marketing can produce 4.5x the ROI of other channels
- 3.5x higher click-through rate than email
- 2024 SMS open rates are around 98%
- 10DLC is required in the US for A2P messaging
- TCPA requires prior express written consent for marketing texts
- In 2023, 5.35 billion people used mobile phones worldwide
- In 2023, 5.44 billion people used mobile phones
- Globally, there are 5.35 billion mobile subscribers (2023)
- 160 characters is the standard length of an SMS message
- SMS messages can be concatenated to exceed 160 characters (multipart)
- MMS is typically used for multimedia content when SMS is insufficient
SMS marketing delivers near instant attention with 98% opens and can boost purchases and ROI far more than email.
Engagement & Open Rates
Engagement & Open Rates Interpretation
Conversion & Revenue Impact
Conversion & Revenue Impact Interpretation
Audience, Opt-in & Compliance
Audience, Opt-in & Compliance Interpretation
Market Adoption & Usage
Market Adoption & Usage Interpretation
SMS Channel, Timing & Best Practices
SMS Channel, Timing & Best Practices Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Text Message Marketing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/text-message-marketing-statistics
Daniel Varga. "Text Message Marketing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/text-message-marketing-statistics.
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Text Message Marketing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/text-message-marketing-statistics.
References
- 1growthrocks.com/text-message-marketing-statistics/
- 2salesforce.com/blog/sms-marketing-stats/
- 3moEngage.com/resources/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 4godaddy.com/resources/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 5campaignmonitor.com/resources/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 6wildnet.com/blog/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 7sailthru.com/resources/mobile-marketing-statistics/
- 8twilio.com/resources/sms-marketing/industry-reports
- 19twilio.com/docs/10dlc
- 34twilio.com/docs/messaging/tutorials/how-to-create-opt-out-system
- 37twilio.com/docs/glossary/cta
- 38twilio.com/en-us/pricing/messaging
- 39twilio.com/docs/usage/monitoring/deliverability
- 40twilio.com/docs/messaging/api/mediation
- 41twilio.com/docs/messaging/tutorials/what-is-sms/
- 43twilio.com/docs/messaging/tutorials/track-delivery-status
- 9merkle.com/blog/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 10litmus.com/blog/sms-marketing-stats/
- 11klaviyo.com/blog/sms-marketing-statistics
- 12ibm.com/thought-leadership/ai-and-analytics/sms-customer-engagement/
- 13growthbadger.com/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 14slicktext.com/resources/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 15emailtooltester.com/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 16redpointglobal.com/learn/mobile-marketing-statistics/
- 17audienceproject.com/research/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 18cleverism.com/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 20ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/telemarketing-sales-rule-and-certain-telemarketing-practices
- 21itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics/
- 24itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/Statistics%20spreadsheets/ITU%20ICT%20data%20service/
- 32itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.164-201610-I/en
- 33itu.int/en/ITU-T/Pages/default.aspx
- 22gsma.com/mobileeconomy/
- 23statista.com/statistics/251891/number-of-text-messages-sent-per-day-worldwide/
- 25statista.com/statistics/284202/smartphone-user-share-worldwide/
- 28statista.com/topics/1140/sms/
- 29statista.com/statistics/183227/mobile-text-message-usage-in-the-united-states/
- 36statista.com/statistics/257939/mms-marketing-statistics/
- 26pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
- 30pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/
- 27ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/adults-media-use/
- 31mailchimp.com/resources/sms-marketing-statistics/
- 35ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC/
- 42ctia.org/initiatives/resources-for-businesses/opt-out







