EU Users Continue to Dwindle for X

X is experiencing a decline in its user base in the EU, as evidenced by the latest findings in its recent DSA disclosure report.

The European Union’s Digital Services Act mandates that all major online platforms submit biannual reports detailing user counts, content moderation initiatives, staff dedicated to moderation, and responses to government information requests.

X’s most recent report reveals a continued decrease in active users, though the latest figures indicate only minor drops.

This chart illustrates that X’s EU user count has been on a decline since November 2023, marking the first year following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform in late 2022..

Initially, Musk’s modifications to the app appeared to increase interest, leading to a rise in X’s EU active user count according to a report released in October 2025, which covered the first half of that year. in the latter half of 2025, X’s usage in the EU dipped by approximately 15%, and this trend has persisted into 2026.

Despite Musk and X staff’s assertions of record-high usage and interest, the numbers tell a different story.

While these statistics pertain specifically to the EU, they align with external data suggesting that X’s broader user base is also contracting.

Recent data published by SimilarWeb and reported by TechCrunch indicates a substantial drop in X’s monthly active users this year.

According to SimilarWeb estimates, which monitor app store activity, X had roughly 302 million mobile active users in June 2026, while its daily active user count stood at 123.7 million during that period. It is important to note that SimilarWeb’s estimates might not reflect the total accuracy, as they do not encompass web usage. Nevertheless, these figures generally highlight larger trends and significantly differ from numbers X has reported.

In May, within the context of SpaceX’s operations, X claimed to have 550 million monthly active users. While some of this could be attributed to website users, historically, around 85% of X’s user base has accessed the app via mobile devices, making it improbable that this accounts for a 250 million user reporting discrepancy.

Although SimilarWeb’s figures may be lower than actual totals due to its tracking limitations, they still support the trends indicated in X’s DSA reporting, confirming that the app is indeed experiencing a decline in its user base over time.

However, X’s user count represents only one aspect of its performance. The platform is also struggling financially.

TechDirt reported that the recent revenue figures for the app were contained in SpaceX’s Q2 performance update published on August 4.

In the second quarter of 2026, X generated $367 million in advertising revenue, culminating in a total of $710 million in ad revenue for the first half of the year.

This reflects a $160 million decline year-over-year compared to the first half of 2025, equating to an 18.4% decrease.

Furthermore, this figure is significantly lower than the revenue generated by X in the first half of 2022, the last full year before Elon Musk’s acquisition.

In the first quarter of 2022, Twitter achieved $1.2 billion in total revenue along with $1.11 billion in ad revenue; for the first half of 2022, Twitter reported approximately $2.2 billion in ad revenue.

In summary, the company’s ad revenue has plummeted by about 70% from the first half of 2022 to the first half of 2026.

These figures vividly illustrate the extent of the impact Musk’s changes have had on the business’s performance. At one point, he claimed he would generate $12 billion in ad revenue by 2028, as noted by the New York Times.

The NYT also indicated that Musk expected X to reach 69 million paying subscribers by 2025, with projections rising to 159 million by 2028.

SpaceX has yet to disclose specific subscriber data for X, but in February, the platform’s former Head of Product, Nikita Bier, mentioned that X had achieved around $1 billion in annual revenue from subscriptions.

Currently, the average X Premium subscription costs $8 per month, positioned between $3 per month for its Basic tier and $40 monthly for Premium+.

Assuming an average subscription price of $8, achieving a $1 billion annual run rate suggests that X has approximately 10.4 million paying users. Given that X has 550 million monthly active users, this means that only about 1.9% of X’s total audience is currently subscribed.

Clearly, the situation at the app is not as promising as Musk envisioned. The pressing question remains: how significant is this decline considering X is now just one piece of the larger SpaceX conglomerate?

X serves as a vital data source for xAI, leveraging millions of posts within the app to enhance its models. This shift means that X holds a different internal value beyond its ad revenue and subscription income. If xAI becomes profitable, the platform may not need to rely heavily on revenue generation to maintain its sustainability.

Nonetheless, Musk remains reticent about sharing detailed insights into his ambitious plans, which include moon bases, humanoid robots, and orbital data centers.

In Musk’s vision, all elements will eventually align. it is crucial for X to sustain a sufficiently large audience to ensure a continuous flow of data.