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Essential Instagram Stats You Need to Know in 2025

Lisha Sahoo · March 11, 2025

Essential Instagram Stats:

Do you think of purchasing something and search it on Instagram before purchasing? Instagram’s founder did exactly this before creating Instagram.

Kevin, a Stanford University graduate, wanted some Whiskey and was curious about all those places that sold Whiskey. So he created an app called ‘Burbn’ where people could share their photos and check-ins.

Gradually, he realized that people were more interested in photo-sharing and specifically focused on a photo-sharing app.

Instagram History

• Launched on Oct 6, 2010 (only for iOS) and reached 25000 users within one day.
• By the end of the first week, it was downloaded by 1 lakh users
• It was already making buzz buzzing by mid-December as 1 million people had downloaded it.(source– historytools)

Date	Event
October 2010	Instagram reached 1 lakh users
December 2010	Instagram reached 1 Million users
January 2011	Instagram reached 2 Million users
September 2011	Instagram reached 10 million users
April 3, 2012	Instagram released an Android app
April 9, 2012	Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock
April 12, 2012	Instagram hit #4 on the Android charts
February 2013:	Instagram hit 100 million users (MAU)
June 2016	Instagram hit 500 million users (MAU)
June 2018:	Instagram hit 1 billion users (MAU)

• The launch of Instagram on Andriod opened the floodgates, and users came rushing in, and ever since, it has been our favorite.
• If we fast forward today, Instagram has 2 Billion active monthly users. ( Source-demandsage, backlinko)

Reasons Of Instagram’s Popularity

• People love that Instagram runs smoothly on their Phones

• People have responded well to images from the beginning, and Instagram was primarily built to share pictures.

• It is extremely easy to use. Its simple interface gives users a platform to express themselves in front of others.

• Instagram has evolved continuously. It added “stories,” “Reels,” “shopping facilities,” “stickers,” “filters,” etc. which helped engage the audience more.

• The platform supports personal branding; many people could become influencers, and businesses could market themselves well.

Let us understand Instagram’s Popularity by 20 Interesting statistics( data-backed)

1. By Region

Instagram Users by Region (millions)(source- Prioridata)

Region	Users (millions)
Asia-Pacific	893
Europe	338
South America	289
North America	222
Middle East	112
Africa	96
Australia	22

• By Number Of Users

Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users, the third highest among all social media platforms.

Out of 8.2 billion people worldwide, 2 billion people use Instagram, and 24.39% of the total population uses Instagram. (monthly)

However, daily Instagram users are 1.40 billion, or 17.07 % of the world’s population.                     

It is forecasted that by 2025 it will increase to 1.44 billion. (Source- Statista)

Year	Number of Instagram Users Worldwide (in Billions)
2020	1.04
2021	1.21
2022	1.28
2023	1.35
2024	1.40
2025*	1.44

• By Country

India has the highest number of Instagram users (as of 2024). The number of Indian users is expected to grow more.

Country	Instagram Audience Size (in Millions)
India	362.9
United States	169.65
Brazil	134.6
Indonesia	100.9
Turkey	57.1
Japan	55.45
Mexico	44.85
United Kingdom	33.1
Germany	30.35
Argentina	27.85
Italy	27
France	25.9

• By Time Spent

An average Android user spends 33.9 minutes daily (16 hours 56 minutes per month) on the app. (Source- backlinko).

This is the 4rth highest amount of time spent on any social media platform

This table shows the average time a US adult spends on Instagram (age-wise).

Age	Average Time Spent per Day
18-24	53 minutes
25-34	37 minutes
35-44	28 minutes
45-54	27 minutes
55-64	26 minutes
65+	20 minutes

• Maximum time spent is by the age bracket of 25-34 years.

• By Gender

• 50% + of the global Instagram population was 34 years or younger. 
• Instagram had more male users
• More millennials use Instagram.

This table shows the data of global active Instagram users as of April 2024. (source-statista)

Age Group	Female Users (%)	Male Users (%)
18–24	15.2	16.5
25–34	14.2	16.4
35–44	8.1	7.9
45–54	4.8	3.9
55–64	2.7	1.9
65+	1.7	1.2

Instagram gender demographics 2023 (%) (source-businessofapps)

Gender	Percentage of Users
Male	50.7
Female	49.3

• By Age

• Approximately 62 % of Instagram users are below 35 years of age
• This shows that more number of youngsters are active on Instagram.

This table shows the data of Instagram users worldwide of April 2024

Age Group	Percentage of Users (%)
18–24	31.7
25–34	30.6
35–44	16.0
45–54	8.7
55–64	4.6
65+	2.9

• By Usage

Most people love to use Instagram to post or share videos. (Source – Obrelo)

This is the data of Instagram Users in 2024.

Activity Of Instagram Users	Percentage (%)
Post or share photos or videos	70.1
Look for funny or entertaining content	66.6
Follow or research brands and products	62.3
Message friends and family	59.7
Keep up to date with news and events	54.4

• By Business Activity

Since Instagram is the third most popular social media platform, businesses never miss a chance to show their presence on Instagram.

• On average, brands posted 4.6 posts /per week. (source-whop)

According to RivalIQ, the top industry present on Instagram (as of 2023)

Industry	Posting Frequency
Higher Ed	3.9 posts per week
Sports Teams	15.6 posts per week
Influencers	4.1 posts per week
Nonprofits	5 posts per week
Media	10 posts per week

• By Growing Number Of Users

The average growth rate of Instagram monthly active users is approximately 26%

This table shows the number of Monthly active users each year( (source- sendshort.ai)

Year	MAU (Monthly Active Users)
2024	2.1 billion
2023	2.08 billion
2022	2.03 billion
2021	2.02 billion
2021	2 billion
2018	1 billion
2017	800 million
2016	500 million
2015	400 million
2014	300 million
2013	150 million
2012	100 million
2011	10 million
2010	1 million

1. By Engagement

People share various content on Instagram, such as photos, videos, reels, and carousels.

• Instagram has the highest engagement rate (higher than any other social media platform) for any kind of post (source- zippia)

This table shows the average engagement rate for each type of post. (by business account) (source- oberlo)

Instagram post type	Average Instagram engagement rate
All Post Types	0.56%
Photo Posts	0.50%
Video Posts	0.55%
Carousel Posts	0.69%

• A study also states that carousels having 10 slides maximum get more engagement. A carousel with four slides gets minimum engagement.
• The engagement rates also depend on the number of followers. Surprisingly, the trend shows that the accounts with more followers have shown less engagement.

This table shows the engagement trend according to follower count in 2024. (source- oberlo)

Number of followers	Average Instagram engagement rate
Fewer than 10,000 followers	0.74%
10,000 to 100,000 followers	0.65%
More than 100,000 followers	0.53%

• Instagram Reels get an average engagement of 6.59% to 8.77%. ( it also depends on the number of followers) (source- backlinko)

Number of Followers	Instagram Reels Engagement Rate
100K-500K	6.59%
500K-1 million	6.68%
1 million – 5 million	6.15%
5 million – 10 million	7.49%
10+ million	8.77%

• The average number of views for Instagram Reels (various accounts & industries) is 120,917. (source- backlinko)

• On average, video posts get more engagement than photo posts. (source- backlinko)

Metric	Value
Average comments on video posts	150
Average comments on image posts	65
Average comments on carousel posts	80

• Instagram stories are also a hit among youngsters (source- backlinko)

Percentage of Gen Z (ages 15-26) watching Stories	78.01%
Percentage of US creators using Stories for sponsored content	98.1%

1. By Revenue

The primary source of income for Instagram is Ads and In-app purchases. (source-whop)

Year	Revenue in Billions
2015	0.5
2016	2
2017	4
2018	10
2019	19
2020>	27
2021	48
2022	51
2023	60

1. By App Downloads

2. Instagram app has been downloaded approximately 3.8 billion times, making itself the 4rth most downloaded app(as of 2025)
3. It was the 6th most searched term on Google, having 414 million searches/per month.
4. In 2024, Instagram had 696 million downloads. (source- saasworthy)
5. In 2022, Instagram had 547 million downloads, which was the highest app download number. (source-alertify)
6. USA is currently at the top in the list when it comes to Instagram app downloads 110 million users (source-earthweb)

1. By Businesses Using Instagram

• 86% of organizations are present on Instagram (source-elfsight, earthweb)

The following table shows the data of businesses present on Instagram (source- searchenginejournal, alertify)

Metric	Value
Number of active businesses on Instagram	Over 200 million
Percentage of users following at least one business	90%
Percentage of users researching brands/products	62.4%
Percentage of users receptive to ads on videos	70%
Average posts per day by business accounts	1.55 posts
Increase in brand awareness reported by businesses	30%
Boost in website traffic reported by businesses	23%
Percentage of businesses using influencers	63%

1. By Marketers Using Instagram

• Researching and following brands is the 3rd most popular activity on Instagram.
• 62.7% of Instagram users research or follow brands and products on Instagram
• In 2020, 26% of Instagram users made social commerce purchases.
• If any marketer uses an Instagram story, the chances of users watching the complete story is 87.2% (higher than any other platform)
• Here is the table showing Instagram and Shopping Behaviour (source-elfsight, metricool)

Metric	Value
Percentage of shoppers using Instagram for purchases	70%
Percentage of users influenced by Instagram content	72%
Percentage of users who bought something directly from an ad	33%
Percentage of consumers more interested in a brand after seeing it in Stories	58%

• Here the table shows the US people’s behaviour on Instagram (source-elfsight, metricool)

Metric	Value
Percentage of users using Instagram as a search tool	36%
Percentage of U.S. businesses using Instagram	71%
Percentage of U.S. fashion brands using Instagram	96%
U.S. Instagram users checking product reviews	44%
Estimated U.S. users making purchases directly on Instagram (2024)	46.8 million (35% of U.S. Instagram users)
Percentage of US marketers using Instagram	Over 97%
Percentage of US marketers using Instagram Reels for influencer marketing	More than 50%
The conversion rate for brands using Instagram DMs	70%

1. By Advertisements on Instagram

2. 76% of marketers agree that Instagram Ads give good ROI.
3. 30% of the marketers say that Instagram gives them the best ROI. (source-metricool)
4. In 2022, 80% of global marketers used Instagram to advertise their business.
5. The table below represents the Instagram ad reach (in millions of users) over time, and the percentage change compared to the previous period. (Source- whop)

Month/Year	Advertising Reach (Millions)	Percentage Change Compared to Previous Period
April 2021	1,287	NA
July 2021	1,386	+7.7%
October 2021	1,393	+0.5%
January 2022	1,478	+6.1%
April 2022	1,452	-1.8%
July 2022	1,440	-0.8%
October 2022	1,386	-3.8%
January 2023	1,318	-4.9%
April 2023	1,628	+23.5%

• The table below shows on average how much cost is incurred on an Instagram ad (Source- whop)

Metric	Cost Range (USD)
Cost per click (CPC)	$0 – $0.25
Cost per 100 impressions (CPM)	$0 – $4
Cost per engagement	$0.03 – $0.08

17. By Influencer Presence On Instagram

• Instagram is the 2nd best platform for Influencer marketing. 46.7% of brands use Instagram influencer marketing in 2024. (Source-Obrelo)

• 30% of the marketers say that Instagram’s Influencer marketing gives them the best ROI.(source- sociallypowerful)

• Almost 5 lakh influencers admit that Instagram is the best space for Influencers.

• In 2023, Instagram influencer marketing spending was $1.9588 billion. ( source-metricool)

• Instagram Influencer marketing will reach $22.2 billion by 2025

Here is the table showing influencers according to their size and presence on Instagram (source- sociallypowerful)

Influencer Category	Followers Range	Percentage Of Presence On Instagram (%)
Nano Influencers	1,000 – 10,000	65.39%
Micro-Influencers	10,000 – 50,000	27.73%
Mid-Tier Influencers	50,000 – 500,000	6.38%
Mega Influencers and Celebrities	More than 1 million	0.23%

• Women comprise 77% of influencers. (Source-hubspot)

Here is the data of top influencers and how much they charge per post. (source- whop)

Celebrity	Followers (in Millions)	Charge per Post (in USD Millions)
Cristiano Ronaldo	624	$3.2
Lionel Messi	501	$2.6
Selena Gomez	430	$2.6
Kylie Jenner	400	$2.4
Dwayne Johnson	398	$2.3

18. By E-commerce Presence On Instagram

E-commerce and social media are not different. The majority of the population sees so many brands and products on Instagram.

• In 2024,130 Million users have clicked on Instagram shopping posts. (source- whop)

The table shows the data on how Instagram users react to e-commerce content.

Statistic	Percentage (%)
Instagram users were more likely to purchase online	70%
Consumers looked for products on the platform	70%
Instagram users followed at least one business profile	90%
Instagram users learned about new brands	60%
Instagrammers made a purchase directly from the app	50%

The table shows how Instagram user’s behavior pattern

Metric	Value
The average order value for Instagram shopping	$65
Percentage of users discovering new products through Instagram shopping	66%
Increase in social media sales driven by Instagram shopping	24%
Increase in Instagram shoppable posts (2017–2021)	1,416%
Accounts using tap-to-reveal shopping tag (October 2020)	Over 90 million
Total business profiles on Instagram Shopping	Over 25 million
Percentage of businesses using the ‘Shop Now’ button	87%

19.  By Number Of Employees

As Instagram has been expanding, so has its employee count.

Here is the table showing its growth numbers since 2010. (Source-seo.ai)

Year	Employee Count	Growth in Numbers	Growth in Percentage
2010	2	–	–
2011	8	↑ 6	↑ 300%
2012	13	↑ 5	↑ 62.5%
2013	50	↑ 37	↑ 284.6%
2014	150	↑ 100	↑ 200%
2015	300	↑ 150	↑ 100%
2016	450	↑ 150	↑ 50%
2017	500	↑ 50	↑ 11.1%
2018	1,000	↑ 500	↑ 100%
2019	3,000	↑ 2,000	↑ 200%
2020	7,000	↑ 4,000	↑ 133.3%
2021	12,000	↑ 5,000	↑ 71.4%
2022	15,000	↑ 3,000	↑ 25%
2023	18,000	↑ 3,000	↑ 20%
2024	20,100	↑ 2,100	↑ 11.7%

‍20. Expected Growth Of Instagram

• Instagram is expected to grow by 56% in 2025 as Asia- the Asia-Pacific region will drive many new users to Instagram.
• Instagram has the potential to hit 3 Billion+ users by 2030.
• Instagram’s ad revenue is supposed to grow by $ 240 billion. (Source-expertbeacon.com)

Some Interesting Facts about Instagram

• A major share of Facebook’s revenue comes from Instagram. In 2023, about 36.9 % of Facebook revenue came from Instagram.(source- businessofapps)
• Instagram is valued at 70.4 billion US dollars as of 2024. (source-statista)

The Ifs, Buts & Pitfalls Of Instagram

• There have been concerns regarding Instagram’s privacy and security policies.

A study found that Instagram collects about 79% of users’ data and shares it with third parties like location, contact, financial info, preferences, etc.

In fact, Instagram has topped the list of invasive apps that collect data and share it with 3rd parties. (source- independent.co.uk)

• Every social media platform wants users to spend more and more time on its platform, and Instagram has many beautiful and addictive features that allow teens to spend a large portion of their day on Instagram.
• Instagram is filled with Influencers, and people trust them blindly. Some Influencers take advantage of this situation and spread misinformation.

For example- During COVID-19 times, many influencers spread the news of fake vaccines and medicines, which received backlash for this.(source-opb.org)

• Instagram has been infamous for promoting fake beauty standards. As Instagram has many filters, users try to gain attention by making themselves beautiful.

Surgeons of the American Academy of Facial and Reconstructive Surgery have reported that they received 30% more patients than usual because of social media. (Source- centralrecorder.org)

If we sum up

It is undeniable that Instagram has become a part of our lives. It has allowed us to be in touch with our friends, new trends, fashion, businesses, influencers, stay updated with the latest happenings of the world, etc.    

However, its drawbacks cannot be overlooked as they cause some mental health and privacy issues. However, if Instagram takes steps to curb these issues, things will work fine.

Instagram has given many opportunities to influencers, creators, businesses, and marketers. As we can see from the data above, it has indeed become a powerful company that matters to everyone.