Instagram continues to be a powerhouse in the social media scene, especially when it comes to influencer marketing. This isn’t news for brands that have been using Instagram for years. But with so many other platforms on the scene, it’s always a good idea to re-evaluate where you’re putting your time and budget.
Despite the growing popularity of TikTok, Instagram continues to hold its own, adding new features and functions so you can keep engaging your audiences in new and exciting ways.
In another blog, we have basic social media statistics covered already — let’s look at the top Instagram statistics and fun facts for 2026 so you can start planning your Instagram marketing strategy!
Contents
General Instagram Stats
Instagram Growth Statistics
Instagram User Statistics
Instagram Usage Statistics
Instagram Followers Statistics
Instagram Live Statistics
Instagram Reels Statistics
Instagram Stories Statistics
Instagram Influencer Statistics
Instagram Marketing Stats
Instagram and Mental Health Statistics
General Instagram Stats
Instagram boasts global popularity, so it’s no surprise the platform continues to enthrall marketers and users alike. Let’s start with some top level Instagram statistics you’ll want to know:
- Instagram has 3 billion monthly active users (MAU). (Global Digital Report)
- Instagram has been downloaded 3.8 billion times. (Neal Schaffer)
- Users share more than 95 million photos and videos on Instagram each day. (Neal Schaffer)
- Instagram is the 2nd favorite platform for 16.4% of active social media users, behind Whatsapp. (Global Digital Report)
- Instagram is the 3rd most popular app by active users overall. (Global Digital Report)
- 50% of Instagram users engage with brands on a regular basis. (SproutSocial)
Instagram Growth Statistics
Instagram has enjoyed steady growth since it emerged in 2010. With more than three billion users and more than 3.8 billion total downloads, it continues to be a useful and powerful channel for influencers and brands.
Here’s a peek at some key Instagram growth statistics:
- Instagram advertising reach increased by 13.1% between 2024 and 2025 (Global Digital Report)
- Influencer marketing can be partly to thank for Instagram’s continued growth with over half of marketers still preferring Instagram to TikTok for their influencer programs. (Hootsuite)
- Instagram has an estimated advertising reach of 1.91 billion — up 1.7% between July 2025 and October 2025. (Global Digital Report)
Instagram User Statistics
Instagram once represented a stomping ground for Millennials, most of us sharing way too many overly filtered photos. 🫣
For better or worse, those simple days are long gone. The platform now caters to a variety of different age groups, companies, and content creators around the world.
These Instagram user statistics underscore just how diverse the platform's users have become:
- Users in the 16-34 age group make up Instagram’s core user base, led narrowly by women. (Global Digital Report)
- Women between the ages of 16-24 are the most active users (69.4%) who say they log-on to Instagram at least once a day (Global Digital Report)
- Southern Asia has the highest advertising reach for Instagram at 27.3%, followed by South America at 13.1% (Global Digital Report)
- Users in Turkey have the highest ad read potential. (Global Digital Report)
- Teens say that Instagram is their fourth most preferred social network, behind YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat. (Pew Research Center)
- There are over 200 million Instagram business profiles worldwide. (Omnicore Agency)
Instagram Usage Statistics
Here are some Instagram usage statistics to give more context to its popularity:
- About 28% of Instagram total users log on multiple times a day (SocialPilot)
- 21% of users log in on a weekly basis. (SocialPilot)
- On average Instagram users worldwide spends about 1 hour and 13 minutes a day on the platform. (Global Digital Report)
- Carousel posts have the highest average engagement (for businesses) at 3.55% engagements vs post reach (Global Digital Report)
Trying to leverage Instagram for your business? These resources will help you: Ultimate Guide to Social Media Video Sizes in 2024, 5 Quick Tips for Social Video Content, The Complete Guide to Instagram Stories, What is Instagram Reels? The Complete Guide
Instagram Followers Statistics
To succeed on Instagram, you need followers to view, share, and engage with your content.
These Instagram follower stats show just how important it is to build a good following:
- Instagram accounts that post at least 3 times per week have the best engagement. (Shopify)
- The average engagement rate on photos posted by business accounts is 3% (engagements vs followers). (Global Digital Report)
- Business accounts with fewer than 10,000 followers have an average engagement rate of .65%. (Global Digital Report)
- 44% of social users wish brands would use Instagram more frequently (Sprout Social)
- Accounts in the education sector have the highest engagement rate compared to other industries (SocialPilot)
- The most followed account on Instagram is @Instagram which has over than 694.4 million followers. The second most followed account is Cristiano Ronaldo with 663.6 million followers. (Global Digital Report)
Tip: Learn about the best times to post on social media and read our guides about how to get more Instagram followers and how to post on Instagram.
- The second most followed brand account (besides Instagram) is Nike with 299.5 million followers. (Global Digital Report)
- 62.8% of Instagram users say they actively follow at least one brand on Instagram. (SocialPilot)
Instagram Live Statistics
Instagram Live allows users to livestream for their audience. Users can access Instagram Live next to Stories in the app, just above their regular feed.
How popular is this feature? These Instagram Live statistics reveal more.
- More than 100 million social media users tune into Instagram live videos each day. (Headphones Addict)
- The most popular Instagram livestream, with over 3 million views is from Turkish creator Acun Ilicali (Headphones Addict)
- 80% of Instagram users would rather watch a Live video than read a blog post. (EarthWeb)
- 26% of Gen Z and millennial users watch Instagram Live. (EarthWeb)
- During the pandemic there was a 70% increase in Instagram Live usage. (EarthWeb)
Instagram Reels Statistics
Instagram Reels are short-form videos that brands can use to create ads, take part in trends, and relay information in a bite-size format. You can add text, effects, and music to the videos to draw in more viewers and increase your brand’s presence.
Here’s a closer look at Instagram Reels stats:
- 200 billion Reels are played each day across Facebook and Instagram (SocialInsider)
- Accounts with over 50K followers post one Reel roughly every two days on average (Teleprompter)
- Nearly half (45%) of total Instagram engagement is on Reels content (Teleprompter)
- Business accounts see a .45% engagement rate on Reels (Global Digital Report)
- The best time to post Reels for maximum engagement is Saturdays, between 10 PM – 7 AM (Teleprompter)
- Only Reels that are less than 3 minutes long will be recommended to non-followers (Hootsuite)
- In December 2024, Instagram added a "Trial Reel" feature to help creators optimize performance (Instagram)
Tip: Read our full guide about what Instagram Reels is all about and learn how to schedule Instagram Reels.
Instagram Stories Statistics
Instagram Stories allow marketers to connect with followers beyond the feed. These Instagram Stories stats underscore just how essential this feature has become:
- The average reach of Instagram Stories is .91 users (SocialPilot)
- 71.9% of brand content appears on Stories (Hootsuite)
- Brands publish an average of 10 Instagram Stories per month. (StartupBonsai)
- The more Story frames, the lower the retention rate. (Rival IQ)
- Posting between 1-7 Stories per day is recommended by Instagram for maintaining a good completion rate and presence on Instagram. (Buffer)
- Of the influencers using Instagram, 55.4% use Stories for sponsored posts (EarthWeb)
- The top 25% of brands see an average tap-back rate of about 6.5%. (Rival IQ)
Tip: Read our complete guide to Instagram Stories.
Instagram Influencer Statistics
Instagram is a very popular platform for influencer marketing and continues to help brands broaden their reach.
These Instagram influencer statistics show why you should consider working with Instagram influencers:
- 72% of marketers are using Instagram for influencer marketing. (Neal Schaffer)
- Research shows that marketers spend a collective $8 billion a year on Instagram influencers alone. (Neal Schaffer)
- Well over half of influencers (78%) prefer to use Instagram for their branded partnerships. (Neal Schaffer)
- It is estimated that 37% of Instagram users interact with influencers. (Neal Schaffer)
- There are more than half a million active Influencers on Instagram. (EarthWeb)
- Micro influencers are currently seeing a -3% drop in engagement (Social Pilot)
Tip: Learn more about influencer marketing statistics.
Instagram Marketing Stats
Considering using Instagram in your social media marketing? There’s plenty of incentive to do so. Check out these Instagram marketing stats that will make using Instagram an easy choice:
- Projected ad revenue from Instagram ads in 2025 is expected to be over 68 billion (SQ Magazine)
- Carousel posts have a higher engagement rate than single photos for business accounts. (Global Digital Report)
- 44% of Instagram users rely on the platform for product reviews and recommendations. (Hootsuite)
- Instagram is the second most popular app for researching brands and products, after Facebook. (Global Digital Report)
- The cost-per-click for Instagram ads is anywhere from $0.20 to $2. (Influencer Marketing Hub)
- The average conversion rate is between 1-2%. (Sprout Social)
- Advertising options in Instagram include Stories Ads, Image Ads, Video Ads, Carousel Ads, Collection Ads, Explore Ads, and Shopping Ads.
These resources will help you step up your Instagram marketing game: How To Be Successful With Instagram Marketing, How to Use Instagram Ads for Marketers, How to Use Instagram for Business, The Ultimate Instagram Analytics & Insights Guide, What is Social Commerce? Definition, Examples, Tips, A Comprehensive Guide to Social Commerce (Download)
Instagram and Mental Health Statistics
Many experts have shared that Instagram may have a negative impact on users’ mental health. Some studies have linked the platform to depression, body negativity, low self-esteem, and social anxiety. Brands using Instagram for marketing should be mindful of how the platform may affect their target audience.
These Instagram and mental health statistics shed some light on the subject:
- Depression among adolescents is increasing. As of 2021 it had increased by 52% within 1 year. (American Psychology Association)
- 27% of teens who use social media for 3+ hours per day face psychological issues, including an increase in suicidal thoughts. (American Psychology Association)
- Kids and teens spent 17% longer on media platforms in 2019-2020 compared to previous years. (Common Sense Media)
- One in three women say they edit their photos to change their height, weight, or shape before posting to Instagram. (American Psychology Association)
Final Thoughts
These Instagram stats show that Instagram is growing, both in terms of platform usage and in the expansion of features and services. It continues to play an important role in social media marketing, especially when it comes to using influencers. Whether you’re creating a single Instagram post, a whole series of Reels, or uploading to Stories learning more about what makes this platform tick will help you improve your approach.
No matter which social media platform you’re on, Meltwater can help you maximize your Instagram content marketing investment. Our AI-driven social listening and consumer intelligence technology helps you learn more about your audience so you can create content that resonates.
See who’s driving the conversation, learn how they feel about your brand, manage your social reputation, and meet users wherever they are with content that matters.
To learn more, schedule a free demo!
