Instagram is a tricky platform to get your head around. Just when your Instagram strategy starts delivering solid engagement and positive ROI, the ground shifts under your feet.
This deep dive into 36 important Instagram statistics gives you a snapshot of what’s happening on Instagram right now – from the audience you’ll find there to how people are using the platform and how they expect to interact with brands.
Bonus: Find out what people really want from brands on social—including why they follow, engage, buy, and even unfollow them—in The Social Media Consumer Report.
General Instagram stats
1. Instagram is the world’s third most-used social platform (tied with WhatsApp)
Instagram and WhatsApp both have 2,000,000,0000 active users worldwide as of April 2024. The most-used platform? Facebook, with more than 3 billion monthly active users.
2. However, Instagram has the most impact on cultural trends
That assertion is based on a survey of more than 13,000 internet users from a broad 16 to 64 age group. If you’re trying to kick off a trend, or to better understand what trends might be coming up in your industry, Instagram is the place to be.
Source: GWI
3. Instagram is the 4th most-visited website in the world
According to SimilarWeb, as of July 2024, Instagram.com is the fourth most-visited website globally, behind Google, YouTube, and Facebook.
4. The average engagement rate for Instagram posts ranges from 1.44% to 2.31%
It varies by industry. Real estate has the lowest engagement at 1.44%, with government having the highest (2.31%). Retail comes in at 1.62%
Not sure where you stand? Try our engagement rate calculator here.
5. The most popular Instagram account is… @Instagram
…with 672 million followers. Cristiano Ronaldo comes in a close second (628M), followed by Lionel Messi (502M), Selena Gomez (429M) and Kylie Jenner (400M).
6. More than half of content viewed on Instagram is recommended by AI
2024 marks the first year that people see more content recommended by Instagram’s AI-powered algorithms than content from people they follow. Understanding the algorithms is more important than ever if you want to get your content seen.
Instagram user statistics
7. Instagram has 2 billion active monthly users
That’s about two-thirds of Facebook’s monthly active user base (3.065 billion).
8. There are 169 million Instagram users in the United States
It comes in second behind India, which has 360 million users. Brazil is third with 134 million. These statistics about Instagram users highlight that Instagram is a global channel with excellent potential for reaching international markets.
9. Instagram is the preferred platform of social media users aged 16-26
Despite all the TikTok hype, Gen Zers still say Instagram is their most-used app. It’s also the app they’re most likely to have discussed in a recent IRL conversation.
Source: GWI
10. 57.5% of U.S. residents aged 12 to 17 use Instagram
The Instagram account stats leave no doubt that Instagram remains a valuable platform for reaching younger audiences.
11. 52.3% of U.S. Hispanic consumers use Instagram
That’s higher than the 39.8% of the total U.S. population that uses the platform, meaning Instagram is a particularly important channel for reaching this audience.
Instagram audience demographic statistics
12. 50.6% of Instagram users are male
And 49.4% are female. In other words, the audience is split evenly between men and women. (Male and female were the only gender options offered.)
13. Less than a third (32.2%) of Instagram users are aged 35 or older
And only 7.5% are aged 55 or older. You’re much more likely to reach Gen Z on the platform than Gen X or even older Millennials.
Source: Statista
Instagram usage statistics
14. 47% of U.S. teenagers use Instagram at least once a day
8% of U.S. teens visit Instagram “almost constantly,” and 37% use it several times per day. Of note for marketers: The lag behind TikTok and Snapchat is most significant for “almost constant” users. There’s not a huge difference in the percentage of teens who check each of these apps several times per day.
Source: Pew Research
15. 39.2% of Gen Z checks Instagram more than once a day
That’s a higher number than those who check TikTok (33.3%) or Facebook (22.4%) more than once daily.
16. U.S. Instagram users will spend an average of 16 minutes a day on the app in 2024
That’s an increase of just one minute (5.5%) over the previous year. So while Instagram time spent is still growing, it’s growing at a slower rate than in previous years. From 2022 to 2023, for example, time spent increased 13.9%. For 2025, eMarketer predicts time spent will increase to 17 minutes.
Source: eMarketer
17. Reels account for more than half of the time people spend on Instagram
You need a solid Reels strategy to have the best chance of reaching your audience on the platform. Perhaps even more important in terms of getting your content to new audiences…
18. 694,000 Reels are shared by DM every minute
So it’s not surprising that Meta says Reels account for more than half of content reshared in messages. With shares taking the lead as the most important engagement metric, that means engaging Reels are one of the best ways to connect with your audience and provide real value.
19. 86% of U.S. Instagrammers use the platform because it’s entertaining
Source: Pew Research Center
That’s the most important reason people use the platform. This means your content had better be entertaining if you expect people to watch or engage. In our social media strategy guide, we recommend using 80% of your content to educate, inform, or entertain your audience.
20. 36% of people use Instagram as a search tool
Specifically, they say they search for information on Instagram the same way they would on Google. This represents a significant shift in Instagram use and makes it more important than ever for marketers to understand Instagram SEO.
21. 7% of U.S. consumers start their search on Instagram when online shopping
The number of people who specifically use Instagram to start a shopping search is significantly lower than the number who use it to search for information. But this is still significant for marketers because these are people actively looking to buy a product. Facebook is the only social platform where more people begin their online shopping search (10%).
22. 72.2% of Gen Z social media users send DMs on Instagram
That’s one of the few areas where Instagram beats out TikTok for this demographic. (Only 45.6% use TikTok to send DMs.) For brands focused on engagement through one-on-one messaging, this is a signal that Instagram is an important platform to focus on, even for younger generations.
Source: Insider Intelligence
23. For Reels to be recommended to non-followers, they need to be less than 90 seconds long
A video posted to the @creators account says that the “sweet spot” for Reels is 30 to 90 seconds.You can still create longer Reels if your content justifies that, but know that they will not be recommended to non-followers.
Instagram stats for business
24. 68% of marketers say they are confident that Instagram delivers positive ROI
That’s second only to LinkedIn. With budgets shrinking, it’s more important than ever to understand ROI on a per-platform basis so you can focus your efforts on the platforms that have the biggest impact for your business.
Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2024 Report
25. 86% of organizations have a presence on Instagram
That’s second only to the 91% or orgs with a presence on Facebook. It makes sense that so many businesses are on Instagram given the confidence in ROI.
Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2024 Report
26. Average Instagram posting frequency varies from 0.35 to 1.25 per day based on industry
Finance accounts represent the lowest number in that range, and entertainment the highest. It’s always wise to benchmark your posting frequency against your industry to make sure you’re keeping up with your competitors. You can do this within Hootsuite.
27. Instagram photo posts have the highest engagement rate for business accounts at 2.69%
This is a change from previous years, when carousel posts saw the highest engagement. As of February 2024, carousel posts saw engagement rates of 1.16% and video posts 2.21%.
28. 44% of U.S. Instagrammers use the app to look at product reviews or recommendations
For marketers, this means you need to pay attention to what other people are saying about your brand. A social listening strategy can help. It’s also good motivation to seek out brand ambassadors and influencers who can share first-hand experiences of using your products or working with your company.
29. Fashion brands are the top search category on Instagram (12%)
11% of the total Instagram user base searches for hair and makeup, and 10% search for interior design. It’s a logical breakdown since this primarily visual platform works well to showcase design-oriented brands.
30. Product-tagging increases sales by 37%
Instagram businesses that tag their products in posts enjoy more sales on average than their non-tagging peers. (Learn more about setting up your Instagram Shop here!)
31. 46.8 million people in the U.S. will make purchases via Instagram in 2024
That represents 35% of all U.S. Instagram users. If you’re not yet using social commerce on Instagram, it’s time to start.
Instagram advertising stats
32. Instagram’s ad revenue will reach $30.14 billion in 2024
That’s an increase of 17.1% year over year. eMarketer predicts Instagram’s ad revenue will account for 49.9% of Meta’s total U.S. revenue by 2025 as its growth continues to outpace Facebook.
33. Instagram ads account for 9.8% of all U.S. digital ad spend in 2024
And Instagram’s share of the pie is continuing to grow as marketers see the value of Instagram ad campaigns.
Instagram influencer statistics
34. Instagram influencers see a 2.0% engagement rate on affiliate links
That’s significantly less than the 5.2% rate on TikTok. However, the interesting thing to note is that engagement rates on affiliate links for Instagram stay relatively consistent no matter regardless of the influencer’s Instagram follower stats. However, on TikTok, follower count significantly impacts engagement rates.
35. U.S. marketers will spend $2.21 billion on Instagram influencer campaigns in 2024
That’s about double what they’ll spend on most other platforms. TikTok comes in second at $1.25 billion.
Source: eMarketer
36. Feed posts are the most common surface for sponsored content on Instagram (used by 98.4% of creators)
That’s followed closely by Instagram Stories (98.1) and Reels (98.0%). The lesson here is that influencers are using multiple content formats to promote sponsored content. Make sure you stipulate deliverables on all parts of the platform where your audience engages to maximize return.
How to use Instagram stats to inform your strategy
1. Review the Instagram user statistics to get a sense of whether your audience uses the platform
But go beyond the obvious. Sure, it’s clear you can reach Gen X on Instagram. If you’re marketing to a less dominant Instagram demographic, mine the other stats to improve your odds of connection.
For example, lean into cultural trends, incorporate Reels, and aim for content that users will want to share via DM.
2. Benchmark your performance to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities
We’ve included some benchmarking stats in this post to give you a sense of what kinds of engagement rates and posting frequency you should aim for. To get more personalized insights to inform your strategy, dig into your specific Instagram account stats as part of a competitive analysis.
Hootsuite’s benchmarking and competitive analysis tools give you the full picture of how your Instagram stats stack up. You’ll even get recommendations on how to improve.
3. Believe what the stats are saying
It’s tempting to stick with an Instagram strategy that’s running smoothly. But this social media platform changes so fast that you can fall behind without even realizing it. The latest stats keep you focused on the strategies that are working now, not last year.
For example, we’ve known for a couple of years now that Instagram Reels were critical to growing your audience. But the going wisdom was that carousels provided the best engagement with existing followers. The 2024 Instagram statistics show that’s no longer true. If carousels are still working for you, there’s no need to abandon them. But it would be wise to start testing straight-up photo posts again.
4. Prepare for dark social analytics
These Instagram usage statistics show that DMs are now a critical way for content to spread across Instagram. If you’re not tracking your dark social analytics, you’re building your strategy on incorrect assumptions. Hootsuite Analytics can help make sure you know what’s happening behind the scenes.
Save time managing Instagram for business using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can create, schedule and publish posts directly to Instagram, engage your audience, measure performance and run all your other social media profiles. Try it free today.
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