When Instagram company head Adam Mosseri announced this year that Instagram was no longer a “square photo-sharing app,” he was really just stating the obvious: one look at this year’s Instagram statistics and it’s clear just how far it’s come from its humble roots.
Over the past decade-plus, Instagram has evolved, and so has its user base, its business features, its algorithms, and technological capabilities. So as you plan your Instagram marketing strategy for 2022, it’s important to know the latest facts about all things Insta. To make sure you’re working with the right information, we’ve compiled all the most important Instagram stats that marketers should know in 2022.
General Instagram stats that marketers should know
1. Instagram is celebrating its 12th birthday in 2022
Instagram is practically a teenager at this point (at the very least, a lovably moody tween) so if your marketing team is still considering the platform to be a flash in the pan, we’ve got news for you: your girl isn’t going anywhere.
Of course, the platform has evolved considerably (hello, Reels!) since it first launched back in October 2010 with a filtered pic of the founder’s dog, and will continue to do so. Make sure you’re up to date on the latest Instagram trends and features as it ventures deeper into its second decade of existence.
2. Instagram is the 7th most visited website in the world
According to Semrush, based on total website traffic, Instagram is one of the world’s top 10 most-visited websites globally, with 2.9 billion total visits per month. That’s a lot of eyeballs.
Importantly, while most users login through the mobile app, this stat is a good reminder that people may be viewing your posts on their desktops or laptops, too: make sure those images are looking good at any scale.
3. Instagram is the 9th most-Googled search term
What’s easier than typing “instagram.com” into your browser? Letting Google take you there.
Facebook, Youtube and “weather” all beat out Instagram, but considering that Insta is primarily accessed through the app, this is an impressive showing and more proof that your audience might be viewing your content through a browser — whether a mobile one or via their computer.
(Weird fact: the number one Google search query is “google.” We don’t understand, either.)
4. Instagram is the 4th most-used social platform
Only Facebook, Youtube and WhatsApp beat out Instagram in terms of daily active global users, but Instagram clocks in an impressive 1.3 million.
That’s a lot of eyeballs. At this point, it’s beating out TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat, so if you’re looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of audience reach, Instagram may be a stronger option.
5. Just 0.1% of Instagram users only use Instagram
The likelihood that an Instagram user also has an account on another social platform is 99.99%. 83% of Instagram users, for example, also use Facebook, while 55% are also on Twitter.
What does this mean for marketers? You’re likely reaching the same people across different platforms, so try not to repeat yourself to make sure your content is unique and engaging, wherever your followers are encountering it.
6. Instagram is the second most-downloaded app in the world
Only TikTok beat out Instagram in downloads in Fall 2021 — pretty impressive, given that the app has been around for 12 years. Stilllll got it.
You probably already assumed that most of your Insta audience was experiencing your content through their phones, so please, kick back and enjoy this statistic that proves just that.
Instagram user stats that marketers should know
7. 1.22 billion people use Instagram each month
In case it’s not clear: Instagram is very, very popular. That’s still only half as many people as Facebook and Youtube each have logging in each month, however.
8. 18 to 34 year olds make up the biggest share of Instagram’s audience
This key demographic accounts for about 60% of Instagram’s audience.
9. Instagram is Gen Z’s favorite social platform
Global internet users aged 16 to 24 prefer Instagram to other social platforms — yep, even ranking it above TikTok. If that’s an age cohort you’re looking to reach, Insta is apparently the place to be.
10. Gen X males are the fastest growing Instagram audience
Last year, the number of 55 to 64 year old males using Instagram grew by 63.6%. So, yes, it’s a place where the kids are hanging out, but don’t discount the fact that you can find other generations represented here too.
11. Instagram’s audience is split pretty evenly between males and females
Unfortunately, we don’t have any stats at this point on users who fall outside of the gender binary, but according to what Facebook’s reporting tools can tell us, Instagram’s audience self-identifies as 50.8% female and 49.2% male.
12. India has the most Instagram users in the world
This is a great reminder that Instagram offers access to a global audience, with 201 million users logging in from India (followed by the U.S. at 157 million). In the third place spot, you’ll find Brazillians, with 114 million users, followed by Indonesia and Russia.
This is important information when thinking about how to define your target audience on Instagram, and what kind of content to create.
13. India is also Instagram’s fastest-growing market
Increasing its audience by 16% quarter-over-quarter, India is the fastest growing region for Instagram currently. If this is a market your brand is looking to target: congrats! Now you know just where to find ‘em.
14. 5% of U.S children under 11 use Instagram
That’s despite Instagram user guidelines that require users to be 13 years old before they can create an account. Among kids aged 9 to 11, 11% use Instagram.
15. 14% of U.S. adults have never heard of Instagram
Keep in mind that while Instagram does have a huge reach in the U.S., it does not reach everyone. That’s why understanding your audience is so important.
16. Instagram saw 17.0% user growth in Western Europe in 2020
The region will end 2020 with 132.8 million users, eMarketer predicts. That’s an increase of 19.3 million users since 2018.
Before the pandemic, eMarketer had predicted only 5.2% growth for the region. They revised their estimate upwards twice this year.
17. The country with the highest Instagram percentage reach is Brunei
Brunei might not have the most Instagram users, but it is the country where Instagram reaches the highest percentage of the population: 92%, to be precise.
Rounding out the top five countries with the highest percentage reach are:
- Guam: 79%
- Cayman Islands: 78%
- Kazakhstan: 76%
- Iceland: 75%
If you’re marketing to people in these countries, Instagram could be an especially effective platform for both organic content and paid Instagram posts.