Micro (mi)RNAs are involved in multiple cellular processes, and alterations in miRNA expression have been demonstrated to lead to tumorigenesis. Previous microarray analysis revealed that miRNA (miR)‑24 was downregulated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Additionally, miR‑24 has been identified as an oncogene and tumor suppressor in various cancers. The present study assessed the expression levels of two stem‑loops of miR‑24, miR‑24‑1 and miR‑24‑2, in RCC tissues and paired healthy tissues by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results revealed that miR‑24‑2 was upregulated in RCC tissues and ACHN, 786‑O and 769P cell lines compared with healthy tissues and HEK‑293T cells, respectively, whereas miR‑24‑1 was almost absent in RCC and healthy kidney tissues. To investigate the role of miR‑24‑2 in RCC, a synthesized miR‑24‑2 mimic, negative control (NC), inhibitor or inhibitor NC was transfected into 786‑O and ACHN RCC cells, and cell proliferation, mobility and apoptosis assays were performed. The results of the present study revealed that miR‑24‑2 was associated with cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis, thus demonstrating that miR‑24‑2 may serve a role as an oncogene in RCC. Further studies are required to investigate the signaling pathways of miR‑24‑2, and the potential of miR‑24‑2 as a therapeutic target or biomarker for the early detection of RCC.