25 Interesting Instagram Statistics You Should Know

Instagram is a photo-sharing app that has seen rapid growth and change over the last decade. With the introduction and focus on video content and an increase in ad placement, the platform’s numbers have boomed in every regard.

But how much have those numbers boomed and how has that changed Instagram’s global standing? We’ll answer that and more by gathering some of the most valuable and exciting Instagram statistics from around the web.

25 Cool Instagram Statistics To Be Aware Of

1. Instagram Turned 12 Years Old In 2022

Instagram turned 12 years old in 2022! The platform, which many thought would disappear after a few years, launched on the 6th of October 2010, making it over a decade old in 2022. And it’s still growing.

It’s recently introduced a host of new features and ad campaigns and influencer marketing is flourishing. It’s safe to say the platform is here to stay.

2. The First Instagram Post Was About A Dog

You read that right. The first photo ever posted on Instagram was a photo of the CEO, Kevin Systrom’s, dog. It was taken near a taco stand in Mexico and features his girlfriend’s foot.

The app CEO has stated that if he knew it would be the first photo on the app, he would have tried a little harder. All we know is the photo has cemented its place in history as the first post on one of the biggest platforms ever.

3. The Most Used Hashtag On Instagram Is #Love

The most used hashtag on Instagram is #love, with 1.8 billion posts to the tag. It’s closely followed by #Instagood with 1.1 billion posts and #fashion with 812 million posts.

4. The Platform Has 1.8 Billion Active Monthly Instagram Users

Social media users are extremely active on the Instagram app with more than 1.8 billion users worldwide.

The social media app is booming, with more users flocking to enjoy the recent features like Instagram Shopping and Reels. As the app grows, we can safely assume the number of active users will continue to increase.

5. Instagram Is The 4th Most Active Social Media Platform

As you can see from the number of active users above, Instagram is extremely popular. It’s so popular that it is the fourth most used social media platform in the world! It’s only beaten by major social media platforms WhatsApp, YouTube, and its parent company Facebook.

6. Instagram Demographics Show 18 To 34-year-olds Use The Platform The Most

The overwhelming majority of Instagram users are between the ages of 18 to 34. The Instagram user base is overwhelmingly Gen Z and young Millennials. Many considered it to be their preferred social media platform. As a result, a lot of image and video content on Instagram focuses on younger interests like funny videos, shopping, and influencers.

7. Instagram User Gender Distribution Is Almost Spit Equally

Instagram is truly the place for everyone. The gender distribution of the app has historically been used equally by both males and females. Case in point, 2022 saw another even year with Instagram’s global user base at 49.3% female and 50.7% male.

8. The Most Followed Person On Instagram Is Cristiano Ronaldo

As of November 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram. He is a world-renowned footballer and has amassed a staggering 494 million Instagram followers. He’s followed closely by reality TV star and makeup mogul, Kylie Jenner. She has 372 million followers.

To see more of the most followed accounts on Instagram, visit our page: Top Instagram Influencers in the World.

9. Instagram Is The 7th Most Visited Website In The World

At the time of writing this post, Instagram is the 7th most visited website in the world, falling right behind other social media platforms Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter. This is one of the more impressive Instagram statistics, as most Instagram users access their accounts from the app.

The platform wasn’t built with web browsers in mind and features a very limited version of the app on desktops and mobile search engines.

To have this high a ranking with such a limited website is an impressive display of the platform’s power.

10. India Has The Most Instagram Users

India has the most Instagram users in the world, with a staggering reach of over 248 million. Let’s put that in perspective: if you posted an image that was guaranteed to be seen by every Indian user, you’d be able to access 22% of the population of India.

11. Half Of The United States Uses Instagram

Following close behind India in active Instagram users is the United States of America with 159 million Instagram users.

While it might not sound impressive after the India Instagram stats, it’s jaw-dropping when you consider that this makes up about half of the population of the USA.

12. Brunei Has The Highest Instagram Reach

Brunei, a small country in Asia, has the highest Instagram reach of any country in the world. Here, Instagram users and businesses can reach 78.1 % of the country’s population (Hootsuite Digital 2022, pp. 158).

Granted, the country has a relatively small population. But it’s still an interesting Instagram statistic to know and a great way to showcase how wide the platform’s global reach truly is.

13. The Instagram Stories Feature Sees Over 500 Million Users A Day

Instagram Stories are often overlooked by analytics tools and business accounts. But besides photo posts, it’s the most used feature on the app.

Instagram Stories are used by 500 million users a day and have proven to be an invaluable growth and sales resource.

14. Advertisers Can Reach 1.32 Billion Users From The Instagram Feed Alone

With almost 2 billion active users, advertisers can expect to reach a wide range of users. One of the best places to reach Instagram users and get Instagram users to engage with ad content is from the Instagram Feed. Here, advertisers can reach 1.32 billion users (Hootsuite Digital 2022, pp. 159).

Of this 1.32 billion, 48% are female Instagram users and 52% are male Instagram users.

15. Instagram Stories Are A Close Second For Ad Reach

To get the most out of social media marketing and to improve ad campaigns, businesses need to find new, exciting placements for Instagram ads. This is to increase Instagram’s audience engagement and get those coveted links and product clicks.

Besides Instagram Feeds, Instagram Stories are your next best bet when it comes to reaching power. The potential Stories reach is a staggering 996.0 million users (Hootsuite Digital 2022, pp. 159) and it is split 50/50 between male and female viewers.

16. Instagram Stories Bring In A Quarter Of All Instagram’s Revenue

As you can see from the above Instagram statistics, Instagram users spend a lot of time on the Stories feature. Instagram users follow trends and business from the ads on these Stories more and more.

People use it so much that the Stories feature beats the Instagram Feed in total generated ad revenue.

In fact, it is projected to bring in a quarter of the app’s global ad revenue. With so much engagement in the Stories, it has become an important marketing strategy for Instagram business accounts.

17. Users Become Interested In A Product From Instagram Stories

From an Instagram usage survey, it was found that 58% of users have been more interested in a product or a brand after seeing an advert in their stories. Combined with the above statistics, it’s safe to say ignoring Instagram Stories would be a very big mistake.

18. Reels Are The Third Most Effective For Ad Reach

Instagram Reels are a new addition to the platform but the feature has gained traction on the social media platform extremely quickly. It now has the third-highest reach for Instagram ads with a reach of 758.5 million (Hootsuite Digital 2022, pp. 159). It beats both the Instagram Explore bar and the Instagram Shop feature.

It’s a great resource for building brand awareness. It improves engagement and purchasing, and should be integral to Instagram advertising statistics.

19. Most Instagram Accounts Follow At Least One Business On Instagram

According to Instagram user statistics, 90% of the platform’s users follow at least one business account. Instagram states the platform and its users welcome and celebrate businesses and, we have to say, the statistics agree.

20. 83% Of Users Use The Platform To Discover Products & Services

According to a Meta study, 83% of users use the platform to discover new products and services. This happens through Instagram ads, influencer marketing, the Shop tab, and the Explore page.

21. Users Like Seeing Polls & Quizzes From Brands

Instagram For Business has stated that 57% of users like polls and quizzes from brands. So if you aren’t sure what your audience wants, ask them. This is also an easy way to increase Instagram engagement and grow your account.

22. Instagram Has More Ad Potential Reach Than Facebook

Instagram has more ad potential than Facebook (Hootsuite Digital 2022, pp. 141 & pp. 159) in almost all regards, even though there are more worldwide Facebook users.

Instagram’s average engagement rate is higher and influencer marketing is also bigger on the app than on Facebook.

If you are trying to reach your brand or influencer goals, Instagram would be a great way to do it.

23. Instagram Users Use Instagram For Weekly Shopping

According to Instagram, 44% of the social platform’s users use Instagram to shop every week. This includes using the Shop tab, shopping posts, and carousel posts with product tags.

24. The Business Account Growth Rate Is +0.98%

Instagram business accounts that post consistently and use Instagram effectively will see an average growth rate of +0.98% a month (Hootsuite Digital 2022, pp. 160). It’s down from +1.69% in Oct 2021. While the number has gone down a lot, it’s likely because of the adoption of video content like Reels to Instagram.

As adjustments are made, business accounts that use Instagram videos have seen unprecedented amounts of video reach and account growth.

25. The Average Engagement Rate For Feed Posts Is 0.42%

The average engagement rate for Feed posts has gone down to 0.42% in October 2022 (Hootsuite Digital 2022, pp. 161). This is likely due to the introduction and prioritization of Reel content. Inversely, the average engagement rate for video content has gone up from 0.55% in 2021 to 0.61% in 2022.

If you are aiming to grow your audience and Instagram engagement, learn how to make Reels on Instagram. As the Instagram stats point out, Instagram posts have evolved past just image content, and businesses and Influencers need to as well.

Conclusion

Knowledge is power. It’s a statement that is doubly true when using a platform like Instagram. Knowing what content Instagram prioritizes, what features are the most valuable, and other valuable insider information will help you navigate the platform like a pro.

Combine this knowledge with the best free Instagram analytics tools, and you’ll be able to make smart and informed Instagram choices that help grow your following and build your brand.