Since its launch in 2010, Instagram grew into one of the most powerful channels to advertise one’s business. The platform accumulated 1 billion monthly active users in just eight years. That is an impressive feat considering that Android users got their hands on the app two years after its original launch on the App Store.
Read on to discover all you need to know about targeting the right audience by deploying Instagram’s features.
Top Instagram Demographics: Editor’s Choice
- More than 1 billion people use Instagram monthly.
- About 40% of adults in the US have Instagram accounts.
- A total of 150 million Instagram users are Indians.
- 17.2% of Instagram users are men aged 25–34.
- 11 of the 20 most-followed Instagram accounts are run by women.
- 13.98% of engagement on Instagram comes from men.
- 90% of Instagram users follow a business on the platform.
- On average, users spend 53 minutes a day on Instagram.
Instagram Demographics and Facts in 2022
Over the past few years, Instagram has become the fastest evolving platform across all social media networks.
What’s the current situation? Is this platform still growing in 2021? Check out these exciting statistics.
1. Over 1 billion people use Instagram every month.
In 2020, the number of Instagram monthly active users surpassed 1 billion. That makes it the third most popular social media platform globally in terms of active users, following Facebook and YouTube.
An October 2020 report forecast that the figure for 2021 will most likely reach 1,074.32 million and continue to set new records in the future.
2. 500 million people are Instagram Stories daily active users.
Instagram launched Stories in August 2016, and since then, the feature has contributed immensely to the platform’s popularity.
Nowadays, over half a billion people worldwide use Stories every day. What’s more, this feature is an excellent advertising channel for brands, as Instagram Stories stats confirm.
3. 45% of Instagram accounts are fake.
This Instagram report indicates that the photo-sharing social network is riddled with bots posing as real accounts.
The number of fake accounts is alarming as they contribute the most to spreading fake news and propaganda. In conclusion, Instagram might be deemed the new frontier to wage war on fake news.
4. 40% of US adults use Instagram.
All that considered, Instagram usage statistics confirmed that this platform is the third most-used social network by the US adult population. While YouTube is taking the lead, Facebook isn’t that far behind with its 68% American adults.
Facebook is expected to experience a decline in user engagement, while Instagram will grow from 26 minutes of engagement a day to 29.
5. 406.44 million followers make the platform’s official account the most followed account on Instagram.
This massive following makes Instagram’s official account the most followed on the entire platform.
However, if we’re talking about most-followed people, there are many celebrities on the list—starting with the soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who has almost 316 million followers.
These Instagram follower demographics also pointed out that Cristiano Ronaldo was the first person to break the 200 million followers milestone. The singer Ariana Grande is the only other celebrity who has matched the feat.
6. The average number of Instagram followers is 150.
It is as far as personal accounts go, of course.
People who only use Instagram to connect with friends and family and share their photos and videos with them tend to have a much lower follower count than influencers.
What Are the Demographics of Instagram Users Worldwide?
It’s no surprise that Instagram has become one of the most engaging platforms in the entire world, together with social media giants like Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.
But, how many Instagram users are out there by country? Keep on reading to find out.
7. The largest user base of the platform comes from India and amounts to 150 million users.
While last year the US was the most influential Instagram market globally, India has now taken the lead. Brazil places third, boasting 100 million Instagram users.
Indonesia has a user base of 86 million, and Russia’s Instagram user base is closing the top five with 57 million.
8. Brunei boasts the highest percentage of reach on Instagram—a whopping 60%.
When it comes to the amount of Instagram users, Brunei is far from being in the top 10.
However, Instagram user demographics revealed that the percentage of the country’s population that uses Instagram is the highest. In comparison, the US population accounts for 37% of all users.
What’s more, Brunei shares the top position with two more countries—Iceland and Kazakhstan.
9. There are 28.89 million Instagram users in the UK.
These Instagram demographics place the UK at number eight on the list of countries with the most Instagram users.
In other words, approximately 39.6% of the entire UK population has Instagram accounts. About 31.8% of those users are aged between 25 and 34.
10. As of January 2020, Canada had more than 12.7 million Instagram users.
According to Instagram demographics of Canada, users of the image-sharing platform accounted for 33.5% of the overall population.
When it comes to gender, Canadian women are the largest demographic, standing at 55.7% against 44.3% of men.
11. Australia has 10.8 million Instagram users.
In February, Australia surpassed the 10 million milestone, counting 42% of the entire population using the photo-sharing platform.
Instagram demographics confirm that, in Australia, women make up 56.9% against 43.1% of men using the social media network. Unsurprisingly, the largest user group of 3.2 million is composed of people aged 25–34.
Instagram Age Demographics
Is it true that young adults make up the largest demographic on Instagram? Are older generations also widely adopting this platform?
The following statistics will provide you with answers.
12. Men aged 25–34 make up 16.4% of all Instagram users globally.
Both men and women aged 25–34 have the most commanding presence on the photo-sharing platform, indicating that the average age of Instagram users likely falls in this age range.
That said, only 1% of men aged 65 and above have Instagram accounts. When it comes to the youngest group in the study, only 3.8% of males and 3.7% of females aged 13–17 are on the platform.
13. 25–34 year-olds are the most active age group on Instagram in the US.
Unsurprisingly, Instagram users vary by age group. The latest report indicates American adults aged 25–34 account for 31.5%.
Compared to the 33.2% reported in August 2020, this figure has seen a slight decline. Instagram users aged 18–24 have a user share currently standing at 22.9%.
14. 72% of American teenagers use Instagram.
Even though Facebook is the reigning champion for users of all ages, Instagram demographics prove that this social media platform is the most popular among teens.
Over seven in ten adolescents say they use Instagram more often than Snapchat (69%) and Facebook (only 51%).
Instagram Gender Demographics
Besides countries and age, gender is another notable demographic that must be discussed.
Let’s take a closer look at the following facts to know the gender of users and creators on the platform.
15. 11 of the 20 most-followed Instagram accounts belong to women.
A massive number of Instagram users follow celebrities on the platform.
It’s no wonder that out of the 20 most-followed accounts, three are brand profiles, and the rest are personal accounts of celebrities from all walks of life—from soccer to reality TV.
16. A total of 50.9% of the Instagram ad audience are women.
The most influential age group of women that Instagram advertises to is 25–34 year-olds (17%), while the 65+ age group is the smallest Instagram advertising audience (1.1%).
Instagram gender statistics also reveal that men and women are more or less equally represented within the platform’s global advertising audience.
17. Men’s profiles have better engagement on Instagram—13.98%.
Contrary to popular belief, women are trailing men in this particular metric, but only slightly, as their engagement stands at 13.75%.
Yet, these Instagram audience demographics prove that men are also at the forefront of the most popular accounts—their profiles with over 1 million followers have a 3.36% engagement rate, compared to 0.83% average engagement on women’s profiles with the same number of followers.
Instagram Audience Demographics for Businesses
While Instagram is a great social media platform for personal use, it is an even more profitable option for brands.
The presence of celebrities and influencers promoting products allows affiliate marketing to operate more efficiently.
18. 59% of Instagram users visit the platform at least once a day.
When it comes to Instagram users, statistics report that Instagram is the second-highest together with Snapchat.
It trails only Facebook, the undisputed leader among social media platforms, with an incredible 70% daily engagement rate.
19. 70% of Instagram users look up brands on the platform.
According to these social media marketing statistics, Instagram advertising is an excellent opportunity for marketers. What’s more, having active Instagram followers can significantly affect your sales and conversions.
Conversely, if a company does not have a profile on Instagram, it is almost definitely missing out on luring in new customers, as well as retaining the existing ones.
20. 90% of users follow at least one business on Instagram.
All that considered, make sure to leverage Instagram to reach your target audience and attract numerous new customers.
Advertising to a whopping 800 million users is an opportunity your business should most certainly seize.
Furthermore, social media users believe Instagram is the best way to keep an eye on their favorite products and services.
21. Brands pay anywhere between $100 and $2,085 for a single post by an Instagram influencer.
Instagram follower demographics denote how important it is to gain insight into an influencer’s follower count before working with them.
The influencer marketing spend may fluctuate from $114 to $3,138 for an Instagram influencer’s videos and from $43 to $721 for an Instagram Story.
However, more prominent influencers have the power to charge brands even more.
22. According to Instagram user stats, users spend an average of 53 minutes a day on the platform.
Most consumers spend almost one hour each day uploading pictures, scrolling through posts, viewing stories, and more.
Instagram is second only to Facebook, whose users spend approximately 58 minutes on the platform each day.
23. The best hours to post on Instagram are between 11 am and 2 pm on Tuesday.
Late mornings are the best time to post on the photo-sharing platform.
Although weekdays are considered to be the most profitable for brands, Tuesdays bring even more engagement. On the other hand, companies should avoid posting on Sundays.
Instagram Demographics: The Takeaway
Only five photos of Neil Armstrong were taken on the moon. Today, Instagram aficionados often take over 100 pictures per day, documenting the most mundane activities. Photography has most certainly evolved since its inception, and so has its impact, as seen in the Instagram phenomenon.
After looking at the latest Instagram user demographics, you cannot deny that Instagram is a marketing juggernaut.
All things considered, brands must leverage the platform to the maximum. Hopefully, these Instagram stats will provide businesses with helpful user trends to further improve their marketing strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people use Instagram?
Being one of the most popular social media networks, Instagram is estimated to boast 1,074.32 million users by the end of 2021. What’s more, India and the US are home to most of those consumers—both surpassing 130 million.
These staggering figures suggest how the photo-sharing platform has constantly grown and evolved over the years, establishing impressive achievements.
Especially during the pandemic, more and more users have used the social media network to browse, post daily activities, and purchase advertised products.
How many Instagram accounts can you have?
Generally, the platform does not put an actual limit to creating accounts, as long as the emails used are different. When it comes to logging onto a device, Instagram has a notable restriction of accounts that can be used simultaneously.
You can have up to five accounts on one device at the moment. Fortunately, you don’t have to log in every time—instead, you can easily switch between your accounts with one click. It can be handy if you have both personal and business accounts to run.
How old do you have to be to have an Instagram account?
Instagram’s age is somewhat limited—the social network requires its users to be at least 13 to sign up. In some places, the age requirement can be even higher, depending on specific jurisdiction.
The only way for a younger person to establish a media presence is with the help of their parent or manager, who needs to state that they are the ones in charge of the content and approve it.
When are people most active on Instagram?
Wednesday is when most people engage with content on Instagram—mostly around 11 am. Another day to expect high engagement is Tuesday, between 11 am and 2 pm.
Out of days when the engagement is at the lowest, Sunday is by far the most ungratifying time to market your product on Instagram—and here’s why. On this day, many people prefer spending time with their family and friends instead of being active on the platform.
How many people use Instagram daily?
Accumulating an astounding one billion monthly active users are, hands down, an incredible feat. Instagram is also one of the most used social media platforms on a daily basis. What’s more, 500 million of its users log in to the photo-sharing app and spend 53 minutes there on average.
It only stresses the importance of being present on Instagram since you can reach half a billion potential customers every day.
Who is Instagram’s target audience?
Instagram includes a broad age demographic; however, no one uses the platform more than Gen Z. The latest studies indicate that 75% of US adults aged 18–24 have Instagram accounts.
US millennials come in second with their 57% engagement, meaning they have a massive role in shaping the platform.
Unsurprisingly, the lowest engagement comes from the people aged 65 and more. Although older generations do not use this platform as young adults and teenagers, they still make up an astounding number.
What is the average age of Instagram users?
There is no valid data to determine the exact average age of users on Instagram—however, as of July 2020, adults aged 25–34 seem to have the most commanding presence on the platform.
As many as 33.8% of all Instagram users fall under this age category. Thus, it is safe to say that the average age of an Instagram user is that of a millennial.
Which country uses Instagram the most?
As of 2020, Instagram demographics revealed that the platform was the most popular in the US, with 130 million Americans having a profile on this social media platform.
This year, India established a new record of Instagram users, standing at a whopping 150 million.
Compared to these staggering figures, the UK only has 34 million Instagram users—almost 40% of its population is using the platform.
Sources
Broad Band Search, Business Instagram, Business of Apps, Hashtags For Likes, Hootsuite, Instagram Business, Instagram Business, Medium, Napoleon Cat, Napoleon Cat, Pew Research, Pew Research, PR Week, Sprout Social, Sprout Social, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista