What is Instagram?
Instagram is a popular online place where people share photos and videos. 📹
Before you post anything, you can add interesting effects, music, and labels to your pictures or videos.
Once it's online, your friends and other users can like it or leave comments.
With a '#' (a hashtag), you can categorise your posts so that certain groups can easily find them.
Over time, Instagram has added many new features to keep its community engaged.
Among these are:
- IGTV for longer videos
- Stories for quick snaps
- A shopping feature
- Voice chats
- Fun GIFs in messages
- Online status indicator for direct messages
- Reels for short videos (a bit like TikTok)
- Live videos
- Insta Live for real-time interaction
History of Instagram
Instagram began its journey in 2010.
By 2012, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) bought Instagram for 1 billion US dollars.
In 2016, the 'Instagram Story' feature was introduced. 🎥
Within a few months, 100 million people were already using Stories every day.
In June 2018, Instagram celebrated reaching 1 billion users around the world per month.🗺️
In January 2022, Instagram was the fourth most-used social medium, with 1.48 billion monthly users.
Number of employees
Currently, Instagram has a team of 459 members. 👥
Before joining the Meta family, only 13 people were part of the team.
How many monthly active users does Instagram have?
In 2022, 2.35 billion people were using Instagram every month.¹
That is almost 45% of all internet users worldwide.
It looks like more people are joining it because the numbers keep rising. 📈
It's predicted that by the end of 2023, around 2.5 billion people will be active on Instagram every month.
Here is a clear breakdown of the growth of Instagram users over the years.
|
Year |
Monthly active users on Instagram |
|
2020 |
1.04 |
|
2021 |
1.25 |
|
2022 |
2.35 |
|
2023 |
2.5 |
How many monthly active users does Instagram have in the UK?
In the UK, Instagram has witnessed a rollercoaster ride in user numbers. 🛝
In 2020, around 30 million people in the UK were using Instagram.2
But in September 2021, that number dropped to 26.98 million.2
The decline is largely due to the popularity of other social media platforms, namely TikTok.
In 2023, however, things changed. Between January and February 2023, many people in the UK rejoined Instagram.
By June 2023, there were 35 million people on Instagram in the UK, an increase of 13% in two years.²
Here are the numbers in a little more detail:
|
Year |
Number of users in the UK |
|
September, 2018 |
23.34 |
|
September, 2019 |
22.80 |
|
December, 2020 |
30.60 |
|
September, 2021 |
26.98 |
|
September, 2022 |
32.34 |
|
June, 2023 |
35.12 |
How many daily active users does Instagram have?
Instagram has changed a lot over the years, adding numerous features that keep people returning daily. 🌞
In October 2016, out of 550 million people using Instagram monthly, only 100 million used the platform daily. That's about 18%.³
Now, with all its engaging updates, more than 50% of monthly users open the app daily.³
In January 2023, Instagram had over 500 million daily active users worldwide.³
That means that out of every 8 people with the internet in the world, 1 uses Instagram at least once a day. 🧍♀️
Age and gender distribution of Instagram users
Wondering who uses Instagram all over the world?🤔
Let's take a closer look at the age and gender of Instagram users.
Gender of global Instagram users
Have you ever wondered whether more men or women use Instagram?
Currently, men are a slight majority, with 51.8%.²⁴
On the other hand, women aren't far behind, with 48.2% of users.²⁴
This means that the gender split is almost equal on the platform. 👫
Age of global Instagram users
Men between the ages of 18 and 24 seem to be on Instagram the most.²³
They make up 16.9% of the total Instagram community.²³
In fact, 70.8 % of all Instagram users are under 34 years old.²³
So, it's mainly the younger people who often use the app. 👧🏼
Here are the figures in more detail:
|
Age group |
Female users |
Male users |
Total users |
|
13 - 17 |
3.7% |
4.3% |
8% |
|
18 - 24 |
13.9% |
16.9% |
30.8% |
|
25 - 34 |
13.9% |
16.4% |
30.3% |
|
35 - 44 |
8.1% |
7.6% |
15.7% |
|
45 - 54 |
4.7% |
3.7% |
8.4% |
|
55 - 64 |
2.6% |
1.7% |
4.3% |
|
65 and above |
1.5% |
1.1% |
2.6% |
Gender of Instagram users in the UK
Although Instagram is loved by many, there is a bit of a twist here compared to the global numbers.
In the UK, it's women who are ahead on Instagram.
56.4% of British women used the app in 2021, compared to 43.6% of men.⁴ 👩🏻🦰
Age of Instagram users in the UK
As of June 2023, around 35 million people in the UK were avid Instagrammers.
Most users are between 25 and 34, making up 29%.⁵
This is followed by the 18-24 age group.
People older than 65 make up the tiniest chunk of the users. 👵🏼
Let's look into the numbers more closely:
|
Age |
Percentage of users in the UK |
|
13 - 17 |
4.4% |
|
18 - 24 |
24.8% |
|
25 - 34 |
28.8% |
|
35 - 44 |
19.1% |
|
45 - 54 |
11.7% |
|
55 - 64 |
7.5% |
|
65 and above |
3.9% |
Which countries have the highest number of Instagram users?
As of January 2022, India had the most Instagram users worldwide, with 230.25 million people.⁶🇮🇳
It was followed by the USA, with 159.75 million users who like to share photos and stories.⁶
The UK was in 9th place with 31.75 million Instagram users.⁶🇬🇧
Let's take a detailed look at these statistics to get a clearer picture.
|
Country |
Number of Instagram users |
|
India |
230.25 |
|
USA |
159.75 |
|
Brazil |
119.45 |
|
Indonesia |
99.15 |
|
Russia |
63 |
|
Turkey |
52.15 |
|
Japan |
46.10 |
|
Mexico |
37.85 |
|
United Kingdom |
31.75 |
|
Germany |
29.85 |
|
Italy |
27.50 |
|
France |
26.55 |
|
Argentina |
24.70 |
|
Spain |
22.85 |
|
South Korea |
20.65 |
|
Philippines |
18.65 |
|
Thailand |
18.50 |
|
Colombia |
18.30 |
|
Canada |
17.40 |
|
Ukraine |
16.10 |
Instagram user growth trends
Instagram, which belongs to Meta, has published some interesting figures on user growth in 2020. 📆
Every 4 to 9 months, the platform received over 100 million new users.³
That is a growth of about 6.7%.³
But from September 2017 to June 2018, they have achieved even more.
During these months, 200 million users were added.³ 👏
|
Growth period |
New users |
|
March 2014 to December 2014 |
100 million |
|
December 2014 to September 2015 |
100 million |
|
September 2015 to June 2016 |
100 million |
|
June 2016 to December 2016 |
100 million |
|
December 2016 to April 2017 |
100 million |
|
April 2017 to September 2017 |
100 million |
|
September 2017 to June 2018 |
200 million |
How much time do people spend on Instagram?
Have you ever wondered how often people use Instagram? 🤨
In 2022, the average Instagram user spent about 12 hours and 30 minutes per month on the app.⁷
That's an increase from 11.2 hours per month last year.
Meta's CFO, Dave Wehner, backs this up, sharing similar numbers during a recent investor chat.⁸
But we shouldn't forget that Instagram habits vary across countries.
In Turkey, for example, users are highly engaged and spend an incredible 21.4 hours a month on the app. 🇹🇷
On the other hand, South Korea and Mexico spend less than 7 hours per month.
But what about the UK?
The average Brit spends only 7.7 hours a month using the app. That's 35% less than the global average.
Let's dive deeper into how different countries use Instagram.
|
Country |
Average time spent per month on Instagram (in hours) |
|
Mexico |
21.4 |
|
Argentina |
17.6 |
|
Brazil |
15.9 |
|
Indonesia |
15.4 |
|
India |
14.9 |
|
Russia |
9.6 |
|
Canada |
9.5 |
|
Singapore |
9.5 |
|
Australia |
8.6 |
|
France |
8.6 |
|
Germany |
8.5 |
|
U.K. |
7.7 |
|
U.S.A. |
7.7 |
|
Mexico |
6.9 |
|
South Korea |
6.1 |
How much time do people spend on Instagram daily?
In 2023, users spend an average of 29 minutes daily on Instagram.⁹
Whereas in 2019, the average was only 15 minutes per day.⏰
This means that daily usage has effectively doubled in just four years.
Furthermore, by 2023, 63% of global Instagram users opened the app daily.⁹
In the UK, people spend around 53 minutes a day on Instagram.🇬🇧
Back in 2020, around 54% of people in the UK opened Instagram multiple times a day.¹⁰
How often do people use Instagram stories each day?
Instagram stories allows people to post photos and short clips only visible for 24 hours.
These stories can be spiced up with features such as text, melodies, stickers and even GIFs.
In 2019, around 500 million users turned on Instagram stories daily.¹¹
It's been a while since Instagram announced its numbers, so there are no updates after 2019.
Here's an in-depth look into these numbers:
|
Year |
Daily Instagram story users |
|
October, 2016 |
100 |
|
January, 2017 |
150 |
|
April, 2017 |
200 |
|
June, 2017 |
250 |
|
October, 2017 |
300 |
|
June, 2018 |
400 |
|
January, 2019 |
500 |
Among younger adults, 60% of millennials interact with stories by posting or watching them.
Meanwhile, Gen Z is even more involved, with 70% viewing stories.
Companies are also getting in on the action, with 36% using stories to showcase their products.¹²
How many hashtags do people typically use in a post?
Hashtags are like topic tags that start with '#'. They help organise posts.
If you tap on a hashtag or search for it, you'll be taken to a page with posts on it. 🔎
You can use up to 30 hashtags in an Instagram post, but it's often best to use between 3 and 5 to stay relevant.
Choosing hashtags that fit your post, match your brand, and engage your audience is important.
According to a 2020 study by HubSpot, an Instagram post typically has about 10.7 hashtags.¹³
What’s the best time to post on Instagram?
Usually, the prime window for Instagram posts is between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.³
The day you publish a post can greatly influence how your followers interact with your content.
So, what are the best days and times to post on Instagram? 🤔
You should post on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. and Fridays between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.³
Let's dive into the optimal daily posting times on Instagram:
|
Days |
Best posting time on Instagram |
Best engagement time on Instagram |
|
Monday |
10:00 am - 3:00 pm |
12:00 pm |
|
Tuesday |
10:00 am - 4:00 pm |
1:00 pm |
|
Wednesday |
10:00 am - 3:00 pm |
11:00 am |
|
Thursday |
10:00 am - 3:00 pm |
11:00 am |
|
Friday |
10:00 am - 2:00 pm |
11:00 am |
|
Saturday |
10:00 am - 12:00 pm |
12:00 pm |
|
Sunday |
9:00 am - 3:00 pm |
10:00 am |
How many times has Instagram been downloaded?
Instagram is certainly one of the most popular social media apps.
Over the years, millions of people have downloaded the app to join the buzzing Instagram community. 👥
App Store Instagram downloads
In January 2022, Instagram was downloaded 10.8 million times worldwide.
This is a notable 13.51% increase compared to the previous year.
But January 2017 remains unsurpassed, with 12.21 million downloads.
Let's break these numbers down further:
|
Year |
App store Instagram downloads |
|
January, 2017 |
12.21 |
|
January, 2018 |
11.81 |
|
January, 2019 |
9.90 |
|
January, 2020 |
8.95 |
|
January, 2021 |
9.58 |
|
January, 2022 |
10.84 |
Over the last three years, the average annual increase in Instagram downloads via the App Store is about 10%.
Google Play Store Instagram downloads
As of January 2022, Instagram had 33.6 million downloads on the Google Play Store.¹⁴
Let's take a closer look at these figures:
|
Year |
Google Play store Instagram downloads |
|
January, 2017 |
35.03 |
|
January, 2018 |
36.70 |
|
January, 2019 |
34.44 |
|
January, 2020 |
41.57 |
|
January, 2021 |
21.82 |
|
January, 2022 |
33.64 |
|
June, 2023 |
70 |
What is the average number of followers per Instagram user?
Most Instagram users have fewer than 1,000 followers.¹⁵
Companies often work with micro-influencers, who usually have 50,000 and 100,000 followers, to showcase their products.
Here are the numbers in a little more detail:
|
Number of Instagram followers |
User percentage |
|
0 - 1,000 |
53.62% |
|
1,001 - 10,000 |
38.03% |
|
10,001 - 50,000 |
6.2% |
|
50,001 - 100,000 |
0.94% |
|
100,001 - 500,000 |
0.94% |
|
500,000 - 10 million+ |
0.27% |
Who tops the list for most followers on Instagram?
It might surprise you, but Instagram's account takes the top spot with 648 million followers.¹⁶
Next is football star Cristiano Ronaldo, with 595 million followers.¹⁶
The list is full of famous singers, sports stars and movie actors.
Interestingly, the well-known brand Nike has also earned a place on this list.¹⁶
Let's explore these numbers further:
|
Instagram account name |
Number of followers |
|
|
648 |
|
Cristiano |
595 |
|
Leomessi |
477 |
|
Selenagomez |
425 |
|
Kyliejenner |
397 |
|
Therock |
386 |
|
Arianagrande |
376 |
|
Kimkardashian |
362 |
|
Beyonce |
314 |
|
Khloekardashian |
310 |
|
Nike |
301 |
|
Justinbieber |
293 |
|
Kendalljenner |
292 |
|
Natgeo |
281 |
|
Taylorswift |
266 |
|
Virat.kohli |
254 |
|
Jlo |
249 |
|
Kourtneykardash |
223 |
|
Nickiminaj |
223 |
|
Mileycyrus |
212 |
Most popular Instagram accounts in the UK
In the UK, David Beckham leads the list with 82.8 million Instagram followers.¹⁷
Emma Watson is close behind, with 73.8 million followers.
Here are the numbers in a little more detail:
|
Instagram account name |
Number of followers |
|
Dualipa |
88.8 |
|
Davidbeckham |
82.8 |
|
Emmawatson |
73.8 |
|
Tomholland2013 |
66.4 |
|
Milliebobbybrown |
63.5 |
|
Adele |
54.1 |
|
Garethbale11 |
52.5 |
|
zayn |
50.9 |
|
Thenotoriousmma |
46.7 |
|
Harrystyles |
49.2 |
|
Caradelevingne |
42.7 |
|
Niallhoran |
32.6 |
|
Brooklynpeltzbeckham |
15.9 |
|
Samsmith |
14.5 |
|
Ksi |
13 |
|
Zoesugg |
9.2 |
Are there fake bot accounts on Instagram?
Have you ever seen strange profiles on Instagram and wondered if they were real? 🤔
About 95 million of them aren't real — they're bots!3
So, for every 10 profiles, one could be just a computer program and not a real person.
Brands lost roughly $1.3 billion in a year due to fake Instagram accounts tricking the influencer advertising system.³
In 2015, about 7.9% of Instagram accounts were bots. 🤖
By 2019, this figure had risen to 9.5%.
Instagram for businesses
Many brands choose Instagram to connect with people because many users like to follow and interact with them there. 🛍️
In fact, 9 out of 10 Instagram users follow a business, which shows that it's an important
place for businesses to advertise.
Advertising on Instagram can increase interest in a brand by 50%.
Such ads can potentially reach around 849.3 million users.¹⁸
Most people who see these ads are young adults between 18 to 34 years old.¹⁹
Let's delve deeper into the age and gender demographics of these ad viewers.
|
Age group |
Percentage of female ad audience |
Percentage of male ad audience |
|
13 - 17 |
4% |
4.7% |
|
18 - 24 |
13.5% |
17.1% |
|
25 - 34 |
13.9% |
16.5% |
|
35 - 44 |
7.9% |
7.5% |
|
45 - 54 |
4.5% |
3.8% |
|
55 - 64 |
2.4% |
1.7% |
|
65 and above |
1.4% |
1.1% |
Influencer marketing
Companies are now increasingly turning to Instagram influencers for their marketing.
The trend has grown strongly in recent years. ⏳
The global market size was 13.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and is expected to almost double by 2025.²⁰
Let’s look into these numbers in a little more detail:
|
Year |
Instagram influencer market size |
|
2021 |
13.8 |
|
2022 |
15.2 |
|
2023 |
17.4 |
|
2024* |
19.8 |
|
2025* |
22.2 |
Leading platforms for influencer marketing
Instagram emerged as the first choice for influencer marketing in January 2020. 💁🏼♀️
A whopping 89% of advertisers think it's a good fit for their campaigns.²¹
Other platforms on the list are YouTube with 70%, Facebook with 45% and blogs with 44%.²¹
Let's take a closer look at these platforms:
|
Leading platforms for influencer marketing |
Percentage share |
|
|
89% |
|
YouTube |
70% |
|
|
45% |
|
Blogs |
44% |
|
|
33% |
|
|
19% |
|
|
15% |
|
Twitch |
6% |
|
Snapchat |
3% |
|
Others |
1% |
How popular is Instagram compared to other social media platforms?
At the top of the charts is Facebook, with around 2,958 million active users.²² 👯♀️
YouTube is in second place with 2,514 million active users, closely followed by WhatsApp.²²
Instagram is the world's fourth most popular social media platform, with 2,000 million users.²²
Let’s look into these numbers in a little more detail:
|
Social media platform |
Monthly active users |
|
|
2,958 |
|
YouTube |
2,514 |
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
1,309 |
|
TikTok |
1,051 |
|
Facebook Messenger |
931 |
|
Douyin |
715 |
|
Telegram |
700 |
|
Snapchat |
635 |
|
Kuaishou |
626 |
|
Sina Weibo |
584 |
|
|
574 |
|
|
556 |
|
|
445 |
Instagram revenue
In 2021, Instagram earned around 47.6 billion US dollars. 💰
This significant jump represents a 77.61% increase over the previous year.
Here are the figures in a little more detail:
|
Year |
Instagram annual revenue |
|
2015 |
0.5 |
|
2016 |
1.8 |
|
2017 |
4.1 |
|
2018 |
10.3 |
|
2019 |
19.4 |
|
2020 |
26.8 |
|
2021 |
47.6 |
In 2020, the platform took in $17.4 billion from US ads alone. 📽️
According to forecasts, this figure could rise to $40 billion by 2023.
|
Year |
U.S. Advertising Revenue on Instagram |
|
2019 |
12.40 |
|
2020 |
17.40 |
|
2021 |
26.46 |
|
2022 |
33.25 |
|
2023 |
39.70 |
Final thoughts on Instagram statistics - Our conclusion
Instagram was founded in 2010 and quickly became one of the most popular social media sites.
In January 2022, an impressive 1.48 billion people used it every month. 👥
The platform not only brought us features like Stories and a plethora of creative tools but also reshaped online advertising.
Annual Instagram’s revenue in 2021 was around $47.6 billion, showing the platform's huge impact on the business world. 📈
The evolution from 13 employees before the acquisition to a robust team of 459 today speaks volumes about the company's success and growth.
Instagram has become an integral part of our digital lives as a company and platform, influencing personal connections and business strategies.
List of Sources
*1 - DemandSage
*2 - Statista
*3 - Backlinko
*4 - NapoleanCat
*5 - Statista
*8 - Meta Conference Call
*9 - MixBloom
*10 - CyberCrew
*11 - Statista
*12 - TechJury
*13 - HubSpot
*14 - Statista
*15 - Mention
*16 - Statista
*17 - Influencer Marketing Hub
*18 - Content Studio
*19 - HootSuite
*20 - Statista
*21 - Statista
*22 - Statista
*23 - Statista
*24 - Social Shephard
Table of Content
How many monthly active users does Instagram have?
How many daily active users does Instagram have?
Age and gender distribution of Instagram users
Which countries have the highest number of Instagram users?
How much time do people spend on Instagram?
How often do people use Instagram stories each day?
How many hashtags do people typically use in a post?
What’s the best time to post on Instagram?
How many times has Instagram been downloaded?
What is the average number of followers per Instagram user?
Are there fake bot accounts on Instagram?
How popular is Instagram compared to other social media platforms?
Frequently asked questions
-
Where can you find Instagram Insights, and what are they?
Instagram Insights helps you understand your posts and who's looking at them.
With Insights, you can better tailor your posts to what your followers like. 👍🏻
In Insights, you'll see numbers on:
- How many people have seen your post (impressions)
- How many people interacted with your post (e.g. engagement rate)
- Your total follower count
To access Insights, switch to a Creator or Business account.
Head to your profile to find the Insights. 📊
Below your profile is an "Insights" button that you can click on.
-
How many times a day should you post on Instagram?
There is no universal answer to this question. 😕
How often you post depends on the nature of your business, who you want to reach and what you want to share.
Some studies suggest that posting once daily can help your followers grow faster.
But what matters is that you're consistent, even if it's only 3-4 times a week.
You can also look at your personal Instagram insights to get a clear picture.
You should focus on when your followers are most active and your posts get the most interactions.👩🏼💻
Why trust us?
> 150 products tested
3,528 hours of research
6 Smart Home Experts
Smart Home Fox is represented throughout Europe
> 1 million written words
> 5 million satisfied readers per year
