SMS Marketing Statistics for 2026: Open Rates, Conversion, Market Size, Consumer Behavior, and Industry Benchmarks

In 2026, SMS marketing occupies a unique position in the digital channel mix. It delivers the highest open rates of any marketing channel at 98%, reaches consumers on the device they check more than 100 times per day, and generates ROI figures that dwarf most alternatives. Yet it is simultaneously one of the most constrained channels, bound by strict regulatory requirements, opt-in mandates, and consumer sensitivity to frequency and relevance that makes every message a high-stakes interaction.

The data makes the scale of the opportunity measurable. The global A2P messaging market was valued at USD 71.5 billion in 2024, with SMS accounting for the largest channel share. In the United States alone, the SMS marketing industry is projected to grow from USD 2.9 billion in 2023 to USD 9.96 billion by 2030. Businesses across all sectors are responding: 80% now use SMS marketing software, up from 55% just two years prior, and 70% are actively increasing their SMS budgets. Companies now allocate an average of 18.76% of their total marketing budget to SMS campaigns.

Consumer behavior strongly supports this investment. In recently published data, 79% of consumers opted in to receive business texts, an 11% increase from the prior year. Automated SMS flows generate up to 30 times more revenue per recipient than one-off campaigns. Abandoned cart SMS sequences recover an average of USD 3.07 to USD 10.78 per message sent. And 72% of people have made a purchase after receiving a text from a brand.

This article compiles more than 60 SMS marketing statistics drawn from primary surveys, platform benchmark reports, institutional market research, first-party send data, and regulatory filings published within the last two years. Data spans the global A2P messaging market, SMS performance benchmarks, consumer opt-in and behavior patterns, ROI and revenue impact, industry-specific conversion rates, AI adoption in SMS campaigns, and regional market dynamics.

Scope and Methodology

Includes only publicly available SMS marketing statistics relevant for 2026.
Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Key SMS Marketing Statistics for 2026

SMS messages achieve an average open rate of approximately 98%, based on data from the Mobile Marketing Association cited in a 2025 SMS marketing benchmarks guide by Sakari.
97% of SMS messages are read within 15 minutes of delivery, based on RedEye 2024 research cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
80% of businesses used SMS marketing software to text their customers in 2024, up from 55% two years prior, a 45% increase over the period, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report, a survey of 1,400 consumers, business owners, and digital marketers, published at SimpleTexting.
Businesses that text customers are 683% more likely to report digital marketing success than businesses that do not use text messaging, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
The average SMS click-through rate across all industries ranges between 21% and 35%, compared to email’s average CTR of 1% to 10%, based on a 2025 analysis of SMS marketing benchmarks by Adam Connell.
The global A2P messaging market size was valued at USD 71.50 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 96.73 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.4%, based on a 2025 market report by Grand View Research.
79% of consumers opted in to receive text messages from businesses in 2024, an 11% increase from 71% in 2023, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
Companies now allocate an average of 18.76% of their total marketing budget to SMS campaigns, based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
Automated SMS flows generate up to 30 times more revenue per recipient than one-off SMS campaigns, based on Klaviyo’s 2024 SMS Marketing Benchmarks report built on over 3 billion texts, available at Klaviyo.
Average revenue per recipient for SMS campaigns was slightly higher than email across all ecommerce industries in 2024, based on Klaviyo’s 2024 SMS and Email Marketing Benchmarks report built on over 3 billion texts, available at Klaviyo.
53% of marketers rank SMS among their top three revenue-driving channels, based on Attentive 2024 data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
72% of people have made a purchase after receiving a text from a brand, based on the Klaviyo and Recharge 2024 SMS consumer behavior study cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.

Adoption and Usage Statistics

80% of businesses used SMS marketing software in 2024, and nearly 70% were increasing their SMS marketing budgets, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
87% of businesses that text their customers report their digital marketing is successful, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
Over 64% of businesses plan to increase their SMS marketing costs in the coming year, based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
52% of marketers plan to increase spending on SMS marketing, more than any other paid marketing channel, compared to 45% who plan to increase social media budget and 38% who plan to increase email budget, based on Attentive survey data cited in a 2025 SMS statistics analysis by Adam Connell.
5 billion people globally send and receive SMS messages, representing approximately 65% of the world’s population, based on Vodafone 2024 data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
83% of businesses that text their customers have incorporated AI into their SMS marketing strategy, based on SimpleTexting 2024 survey data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
81% of companies report improved SMS performance after implementing AI tools, with leading use cases including analyzing customer data for targeting (47.7%), personalizing messages based on customer actions (45.4%), and optimizing message timing (41.6%), based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
37% of businesses report that AI saves them between four and six hours per week in SMS campaign management, based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
79% of marketers using SMS use it primarily as a retention channel, based on Attentive 2024 data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.

Channel Performance and Benchmark Statistics

The most common SMS click-through rate for businesses is between 21% and 35%, with the most common email CTR between 1% and 10%, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report published at SimpleTexting.
The average opt-out rate for SMS campaigns ranges from 1% to 2%, with welcome messages having the highest opt-out rate of up to 1.5% and campaign messages having the lowest at 0.3% to 0.6%, based on a 2025 SMS statistics analysis by Adam Connell.
SMS response rates are 295% higher than phone call response rates, based on BSG 2024 research cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
About 3% of SMS messages are considered spam, compared to nearly 85% of emails, based on Textedly 2024 research cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
SMS marketing unsubscribe rates remain consistently below 3.5%, and in many cases fall under 1.5%, based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
SMS messages are read within 90 seconds on average, while emails take 4 or more hours, based on analysis of 38 million messages sent through the DMText platform across 1,892 active businesses between January 2024 and December 2025, published at DMText.
Messages of 80 to 120 characters achieve the highest click rates at 26.8% while keeping costs to a single SMS segment, based on analysis of 38 million messages by DMText.
SMS campaigns see click-through rates between 19% and 36% across all industry verticals, based on data cited in a 2024 SMS marketing statistics overview by Textellent.

Revenue and Business Impact Statistics

Businesses generate an average of USD 71 for every USD 1 spent on SMS marketing, based on data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
Automated SMS abandoned cart flows generate between USD 3.07 and USD 10.78 in earnings per message sent, based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
Businesses attribute 11% to 20% of their total revenue to SMS marketing, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
The top 10% of apparel and accessories brands on Klaviyo see average SMS campaign click rates of 16.65%, placed order rates of 0.59%, and revenue per recipient of USD 0.80, based on Klaviyo’s latest SMS marketing benchmarks built on over 3 billion texts, published at Klaviyo.
The top 10% of health and beauty brands see average SMS campaign click rates of 11.11%, placed order rates of 0.77%, and revenue per recipient of USD 0.85, based on Klaviyo’s latest SMS marketing benchmarks, published at Klaviyo.
The top 10% of toys and hobbies brands see average SMS campaign click rates of 18.76%, placed order rates of 0.73%, and revenue per recipient of USD 0.83, based on Klaviyo’s latest SMS marketing benchmarks, published at Klaviyo.
86% of respondents made two or more purchases in the last year from SMS messages, up from 55% in 2022, based on the Klaviyo and Recharge 2024 SMS consumer behavior study cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
65% of people who made an SMS purchase in the last year bought the item earlier than planned because of a promotional text message, based on the Klaviyo and Recharge 2024 SMS consumer behavior study cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
The U.S. SMS marketing industry is projected to grow from USD 2.9 billion in 2023 to USD 9.96 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 20.3%, based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.

Audience and Behavioral Statistics

81% of consumers check their text notifications within five minutes of receiving a message, and nearly 30% check within just 60 seconds, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
80% of consumers say texting is the most important activity they do on their phones throughout the day, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
60% of consumers like having the capability to text businesses back, based on SimpleTexting’s fifth annual SMS marketing report of 1,400 respondents published at SimpleTexting.
49% of consumers would sign up for an SMS list without ever having purchased from that business, and once opted in, SMS list members are 58% more likely to make a purchase, based on the EZ Texting 2024 Consumer Texting Behavior Report, a survey conducted online in September 2023, published at EZ Texting.
61% of consumers said they unsubscribe from SMS because they receive too many messages, based on the Klaviyo and Recharge 2024 SMS consumer behavior study cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
78% of respondents reported feeling annoyed by text messages from brands, and 28% said they stopped buying from a brand as a result of unhelpful texts, based on Validity 2024 research cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
84% of respondents say they have received SMS messages from a company they do not remember signing up with, based on Validity 2024 research cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
Nearly 50% of consumers feel more connected to businesses that send them texts, based on the EZ Texting 2024 Consumer Texting Behavior Report published at EZ Texting.
61% of consumers began texting significantly more during the COVID-19 pandemic and have maintained higher texting frequency since, based on HubSpot 2024 data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.

Trust, Influence, and Perception Statistics

43% of UK consumers would share their phone number in exchange for free shipping, and 42% would do so in exchange for a free gift, based on Attentive’s 2025 UK SMS and Email Marketing Report, a survey of 1,000 UK respondents conducted in January 2025 published at Attentive.
In 2024, 92% of consumers who subscribed to a brand’s SMS program also engaged with that brand’s emails; by 2025 this rose to 97%, based on Attentive’s 2025 UK SMS and Email Marketing Report published at Attentive.
64% of loyal customers will purchase without waiting for sales when communicated with via SMS, suggesting that brand loyalty significantly reduces price sensitivity, based on Attentive’s 2025 UK SMS and Email Marketing Report published at Attentive.
19% of consumers indicated that being part of a loyalty or VIP program would influence them to spend more than planned, up from 13% in 2024, based on Attentive’s 2025 UK SMS and Email Marketing Report published at Attentive.
68% of consumers have spent over USD 50 on a single item through text messaging, showing SMS drives high-value purchases, based on SAP Emarsys research cited in a 2025 SMS statistics guide at Emarsys.
SMS marketing can reduce missed appointments by 80%, based on Voicesage 2024 research cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
41% of consumers would rather receive brand updates via texts than emails, based on Thrive 2024 data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.

Industry-Specific Statistics

Average SMS opt-in rates by industry are: Healthcare 49%, Finance 46%, Technology 19%, Education 17%, Insurance 12%, Nonprofit 5%, and Other industries average 10%, based on Contact Consumers 2024 data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
The average SMS marketing conversion rate in technology reaches 31% to 40%, the highest of any tracked sector, while consumer services and e-commerce typically achieve 11% to 20%, based on Infobip’s 2025 Messaging Trends research cited in an industry benchmark analysis at Infobip.
Finance and healthcare, both highly regulated sectors, consistently achieve SMS conversion rates higher than 20%, based on Infobip’s 2025 Messaging Trends research cited in an industry benchmark analysis at Infobip.
72% of retailers prioritize SMS and omnichannel marketing for growth, based on a 2024 industry data compilation published at Textellent.
67% of insurance agents send and receive MMS messages to deliver quotes and claims documentation, based on 2025 industry data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing statistics compilation by Tabular Email.
Customers most likely to opt in to texts come from e-commerce and retail brands at 48%, followed by healthcare at 36%, finance at 24%, and consumer services at 23%, based on a SimpleTexting consumer survey cited in a 2025 SMS statistics overview at TrueDialog.

Regional or Geographic Statistics

The global A2P messaging market was valued at USD 71.50 billion in 2024, with Asia-Pacific holding 44.8% of the total market share, based on a 2025 market report by Grand View Research.
The U.S. A2P messaging market held a dominant position in 2024, with the United States accounting for nearly 40% of total SMS advertising spending globally, based on Grand View Research data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation at Omnisend.
SMS’s share of global mobile messaging revenue by value is forecast to decline from 45% in 2024 to 32% by 2029, as total mobile messaging traffic grows from 189 trillion messages in 2024 to 280 trillion in 2029, based on the Juniper Research Global Mobile Messaging Market 2024 to 2029 report published at Juniper Research.
Total A2P messages delivered are set to rise from 2.2 trillion in 2024 to 3.4 trillion in 2028, based on Juniper Research data cited in a 2025 SMS marketing benchmarks guide at Sakari.
The global premium messaging market, which encompasses A2P SMS as the largest segment, was valued at USD 75.44 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2025 to 2030, based on the Grand View Research Premium Messaging Market report cited in a 2025 GlobeNewsWire release at GlobeNewsWire.
Apple’s support for RCS messaging led to a 500% surge in global RCS traffic in 2024, with RCS active users projected to reach 2.1 billion worldwide by 2026, based on a 2025 SMS marketing data compilation published at Omnisend.
Australia had the highest SMS opt-in and engagement performance metrics among English-speaking markets in recently published Attentive data, based on Attentive’s 2025 UK SMS and Email Marketing Report published at Attentive.

References

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