With over 3 billion people using Instagram, the platform has become a must for marketers looking to reach and engage audiences. From Reels and Stories to shopping and influencer campaigns, Instagram shapes how people discover and interact with brands.
In this blog, we’ve compiled 30+ key Instagram statistics for 2026 to help you understand trends, boost engagement, and grow your business on the platform.
General Instagram Statistics
1. Instagram has approximately 3 billion monthly active users worldwide, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, making it the second-largest social network (with WhatsApp )globally after Facebook (3.12 billion) and helping it maintain a strong position despite rising competition from short-form video platforms such as TikTok.
Source: CNBC
2. In 2025, India remained Instagram’s biggest market with 414 million users, followed by the United States with about 172 million users, and Brazil with roughly 140 million users, highlighting the platform’s enormous global footprint.
Source: Statista
3. With nearly 500 million people using Instagram daily, the platform maintains exceptionally high levels of user engagement compared to other social networks.
Source: DemandSage
4. Instagram is now the 5th most-visited site globally (after Google, YouTube, Facebook, and ChatGPT) with users viewing an average of 8.69 pages per visit and a 50.72% bounce rate. These metrics highlight strong on-site engagement despite its largely app-driven user base.
Source: Semrush
5. As of late 2025, the top 5 Instagram accounts globally by followers
- Instagram — 697 million followers
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 668 million followers
- Lionel Messi — 510 million followers
- Selena Gomez — 416 million followers
- Kylie Jenner — 391 million followers
Instagram Demographic Statistics
6. Globally, Instagram’s user base is slightly male-dominated. Different sources may report varying figures, but Statista indicates that approximately 50.6% of users are male and 49.4% are female. At the same time, U.S. usage is female-dominant, with 55.2% of users identifying as women and 44.8% identifying as men, making it one of the major social platforms with a majority-female audience in October 2025.
Source: Statista
7. Instagram’s global audience is dominated by young adults, with users aged 18–24 making up 31.3% and those aged 25–34 accounting for 31.0%, totaling 62.3% of all users worldwide are young. In the United States, the 25–34 age group leads with 28.3% of users, followed by the 18–24 demographic at 26.5%. So, businesses are much more likely to reach Gen Z on this platform than Gen X or even older Millennials.
Source: DemandSage
8. According to the 2025 “Americans’ Social Media Use” survey by Pew Research, 50% of U.S. adults report using Instagram. The share of U.S. adults using Instagram by household income is:
- Less than $30,000: 41%
- $30,000–$69,999: 46%
- $70,000–$99,999: 54%
- $100,000 or more: 60%
9. United States’ Generation Z prefer visual-first social networks, with Instagram (65%), YouTube (63%), and TikTok (58%) topping their preferences. And nearly half (46%) of them now use these apps as their primary search tools.
Source: Forbes Article
Instagram Usage Statistics
10. 50% of U.S. adults use Instagram, making it the third-most-used platform, behind YouTube and Facebook, and ahead of TikTok. For now, American adults continue to rely far more on Meta-owned platforms than on TikTok, Pinterest, or other alternatives.
Source: Pew Search Center
11. In 2025, half of U.S. teenagers use Instagram almost every day. Among them, about 12% check it constantly, while 28% use it several times a day, and 10% check atleast once a day. Notably, more teens now use Instagram daily than Snapchat or Facebook, a shift from last year.
Source: Pew Search Center
12. In an October 2025 survey, 62.8% of Instagram users reported actively following, researching, or evaluating brands and products on the platform, making it the second most common activity after seeking funny or entertaining content (67.9%) and highlighting Instagram’s key role in influencing purchasing decisions.
Source: DataReportal
13. A DataReportal survey found that Instagram users (see as 100%) also use other social platforms, such as 76.8% of them are YouTube users, 80.5% of Facebook users, 78.4% of WhatsApp users, and 54.5% of TikTok users.
14. Instagram users worldwide spend an average of 32.4 minutes per day on the platform, with U.S. users averaging slightly more at 33.1 minutes daily. In comparison, the average American spends 30–35 minutes on Facebook, 48.7 minutes on YouTube, and 58.4 minutes on TikTok each day.
Source: DemandSage
15. According to DataReportal, 79.9% of all global smartphone users use Instagram, which makes it the third most preferred social platform among internet users (100% use YouTube, and 86% use WhatsApp).
Source: DataReportal
Instagram Engagement Statistics
16. According to SocialPilot analysis, the best global times to post on Instagram are generally between 7 AM and 9 AM, with Wednesday and Thursday showing the highest engagement. In the United States, the most effective posting window is between 8 AM and 10 AM, especially midweek, when user activity peaks. Overall, early mornings on weekdays remain the most reliable time for both global and U.S. audiences, helping brands maximize visibility and engagement.
17. According to the Metricool study, carousel posts generate the highest engagement on Instagram at 10.15%, followed by image posts at 7.36%, Reels shared from the feed at 6.92%, and standalone Reels at 6.27%, making carousels the strongest performer among all content formats.
18. According to SocialPilot’s report 2025, Instagram posts featuring 4–5 collaborators achieved 3.8 times higher reach than standard posts. However, quality matters more than quantity—a smaller, engaged audience will always outperform a larger, inactive one.
19. Instagram engagement rates have steadily declined across all influencer tiers from 2020 to 2025, with nano-influencers dropping from around 4.5% to just below 3%, micro-influencers falling from roughly 3.5% to 2.5%, mid-tier influencers decreasing from about 2.7% to under 1.8%, and macro-influencers slipping from nearly 2.2% to around 1.4%.
Source: AWISEE’s
20. According to Hootsuite analysis, the average Instagram engagement rate dropped from 3.6% in 2024 to 3.4% in 2025, with industry performance varying significantly across sectors. Additionally, Instagram Stories have an average reach of just 0.91 users, meaning fewer than one person on average sees most Stories. In comparison, Reels reach about 11 users, and carousels reach about 7.8 users.
Source: Statista
Industry-Wise Instagram Engagement Rates (2025):
- Education Industry
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 4.2%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 3.1% - Media & Entertainment Industry
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 3.0%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 2.7% - Financial Services Businesses
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 3.8%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 3.1% - Hospitality & Travel Industry
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 3.1%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 2.6% - Healthcare & Pharma Industry
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 3.7%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 2.7% - Real Estate & Legal industry
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 3.7%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 3.0% - Consumer & Goods Businesses
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 3.0%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 2.4% - Tech Industry
• Average Instagram engagement rate: 3.3%
• Average Instagram Reels engagement rate: 2.5%
21. SocialPilot Instagram trends report (stats no. 18) indicates that posts without hashtags achieved 23% higher reach compared to those packed with hashtags. However, hashtags still have value! Instead of relying on them solely to boost growth, use hashtags to organize content and enhance discoverability for the right audience.
Instagram Business and Advertisement Statistics
22. Instagram’s ad revenue reached around $67 billion in 2025 (with Meta’s total revenue at roughly $183 billion), and experts predict Meta will surpass $220 billion in 2026, making Instagram the second-highest-earning social platform for advertising and placing Meta just behind Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Source: EMarketer
23. Instagram has an advertising audience of 1.9 billion people, making it the fourth-largest ad audience worldwide after YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. This huge reach gives businesses a valuable opportunity to increase brand awareness, drive sales, and connect with highly engaged customers across global markets.
Source: Data Reportal
24. About 71.9% of brand content on Instagram is posted as Stories, making them the most common format on the platform. Bigger accounts with over 50,000 followers post an average of 46 Stories each week. To make the most of this high-impact format, explore Instagram Stories guide for tips on creating and optimizing Stories effectively.
Source: Statista
25. More than half of shoppers on every social platform spent under $200 in the past year. But Instagram stood out: a much larger share of its shoppers (at least 7.6% more than on any other platform) spent $200 or more. Instagram also had the biggest spenders, with 8.7% of users spending over $700.
Source: EMarketer
26. About 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business, making the platform a great place to build a community and strengthen relationships with both new and existing customers.Source: Instagram
27. Instagram is one of the most trusted platforms for ROI, ranking second overall and tying with LinkedIn at 76% among marketers who use social listening.Source: Hootsuite 2025 Report
28. U.S. influencer marketing spending is now projected to reach $10.52 billion in 2025. At the same time, industry analysts say that spending on social-video platforms such as Instagram and YouTube will grow by “over $1 billion more” than on other platforms, such as TikTok.Source: EMarketer
29. Instagram lets people shop directly in the app, making it easy to buy without leaving the platform. The feature is growing fast, and according to a Forbes article, about 37.3% of U.S. users are expected to make a purchase on Instagram in 2025, showing how important the app has become for online shopping.
30. People are increasingly using social media, especially Instagram, to find new products and services. An online survey by Forbes Advisor and Talker Research found that 24% of people now use social platforms as their main way to search online, and 44% of Gen Z discover new brands on social media every day. That means your ideal customers are likely already looking for businesses like yours on Instagram
Instagram Reels stats
31. On Instagram, Reels and videos are the main drivers of engagement, with Reels now accounting for half of all the time users spend in the app. Reels are especially effective for reaching new audiences, increasing brand visibility, and boosting interaction, making them a powerful tool for growing your presence and connecting with both existing and potential followers.
Source: Meta Report
32. In 2025, more than 2 billion people interact with Reels each month, making them one of the most popular formats on Instagram. Every day, over 200 billion Reels are played across Instagram and Facebook, and users reshare them more than 4.5 billion times, highlighting their massive reach and engagement potential.
Source: Meta Report
For more in-depth insights across every platform, explore our article on social media statistics.
How to Turn Instagram Stats Into a Smarter Strategy
Instagram statistics aren’t just numbers; they’re insights that can directly impact your business page’s performance. By analyzing the latest data, businesses can understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to optimize their presence on the platform.
Here’s how to use the statistics you’ve gathered:
1. Prioritize Content That Drives Engagement
Use statistics on post likes, comments, shares, and saves to identify which content types and topics perform best in your niche. It helps you keep focus on creating more of the content that the Instagram audience interacts with most, maximizing your reach and engagement. For a deeper framework on planning high-performing posts, check out this Instagram content strategy guide.
2. Target the Right Audience
Statistics on follower demographics, such as age, location, and activity times, help ensure your content and campaigns reach the right people by creating a buyer persona. Tailoring posts to your core audience increases relevance, engagement, and conversion potential.
3. Refine Posting Frequency and Timing
Use insights from engagement metrics to determine the optimal days and times to post. Aligning your posting schedule with peak audience activity ensures higher visibility and interaction rates for each post. To fine-tune your cadence, explore this guide on how often to post on Instagram.
4. Optimize Stories and Reels Performance
Track story and Reel metrics like completion rates, taps forward/back, and interactions. These statistics reveal which formats or messages hold attention, allowing you to refine content that keeps viewers engaged and drives traffic to your page.
5. Measure Campaign and Promotion Effectiveness
Analyze performance metrics from both organic posts and paid campaigns. Statistics on reach, impressions, and engagement rates help identify which strategies generate the best ROI and inform decisions for future promotions.
6. Benchmark Against Industry Data
Compare your page statistics to industry averages or competitor performance. Recognizing where your business stands in the market helps set realistic goals and identify areas for improvement.
By actively interpreting Instagram statistics, businesses can make data-driven decisions that enhance content relevance, boost audience engagement, and strengthen overall page performance, turning raw numbers into tangible growth.
Next Step for Instagram Growth
Instagram statistics provide valuable insights that help businesses understand trends, audience behavior, and content performance on the platform. By learning about engagement rates, follower demographics, post reach, and Reels insights, businesses can make informed decisions that improve their Instagram presence and overall performance.
For businesses looking to improve their Instagram presence, SocialPilot offers an all-in-one solution to track, schedule, and analyze Instagram activity. With this platform, you can easily monitor key metrics, plan content more effectively, and optimize your strategy based on real data, making it easier to turn insights into growth.
Explore SocialPilot pricing plans and start a free trial today.
