Emoji Fun Stats
Discover fun statistics and trivia about emoji
Emoji by Year
Fun Facts
😂 was Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year in 2015 — the first time a pictograph won.
🍑 is used as slang far more often than it is used to talk about actual peaches.
The inventor of emoji, Shigetaka Kurita, created the first 176 emoji in 1999 for a Japanese mobile carrier.
🔥 is the most used emoji on Instagram after ❤️ and 😍.
😭 overtook 😂 as the most-used emoji on Twitter/X in 2021.
Finland was the first country to publish a set of national emoji, including one for a sauna.
The 🐙 emoji technically only has 7 arms on most platforms — biologically incorrect!
"Melting Face" 🫠 became one of the fastest-adopted emoji ever after its 2022 release.
🥺 is known as the "pleading face" and became a staple of internet culture and memes.
There is no pineapple pizza emoji, but both 🍕 and 🍍 exist — the debate continues.
Gen Z uses 💀 to mean "I'm dead" (from laughing), replacing 😂 in many contexts.
The 🦄 emoji was added in 2015 and quickly became a symbol for startups valued over $1 billion.
🤔 is one of the most versatile emoji — used sincerely, sarcastically, and philosophically.
Over 10 billion emoji are sent every day across all messaging platforms worldwide.
July 17 is World Emoji Day, chosen because it's the date shown on the 📅 calendar emoji on iOS.
Top 20
Emoji Fun Stats reveals fun statistics and trivia about emojis — discover the most popular emojis, usage facts and surprising emoji history. Free and updated for 2026.
How to use
- Open Emoji Fun Stats.
- Browse popularity rankings and trivia.
- Learn surprising emoji facts.
- Share your favorites.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular emoji?
The face with tears of joy 😂 and red heart ❤️ consistently rank as the most-used emojis worldwide, according to Unicode usage data. The loudly crying face 😭 and thumbs up 👍 follow close behind.
What is the most used emoji in 2026?
😂 (face with tears of joy) remains the single most-used emoji globally, though 🥹 and 🫶 have surged in recent years on TikTok and Instagram.
How many emojis are there?
The Unicode Standard now includes over 3,700 emojis, with new sets added roughly once a year by the Unicode Consortium.
What was the first emoji?
The first emoji set was created in 1999 by Shigetaka Kurita in Japan — 176 simple 12×12 pixel icons for a mobile carrier. The word "emoji" comes from Japanese "e" (picture) + "moji" (character).
Are the emoji stats free to view?
Yes, Emoji Fun Stats is 100% free with no signup.