Welcome to the digital age where Instagram reigns supreme in the social media kingdom, a landscape continuously shaped and reshaped by its vibrant community of users, creators, and marketers.
To beat your success game on Instagram, content strategy is the king. As we step into 2024, it’s time to look into the core of Instagram’s ecosystem, exploring the latest statistics that paint a picture of a platform in constant evolution.
This blog is your ultimate guide to uncover the secrets behind the Instagram stats and decode what they mean for your Instagram strategy.
Importance of Instagram in digital marketing
Since its inception in 2010, Instagram has transformed from a simple photo-sharing app into a global platform that defines visual storytelling and digital marketing.
By 2024, Instagram has evolved into a multifaceted ecosystem, blending entertainment, commerce, and community. It’s where trends are born and where businesses, small and large, find a voice.
Key Instagram Statistics for 2024
Alright, buckle up and grab your calculators or maybe just your smartphones, because we are about to take a rollercoaster ride through the key Instagram statistics for 2024—and trust me, it’s going to be more thrilling than finding free Wi-Fi!
Let’s dig into the world of numbers and navigate towards strategic success and find out the daily peepers and monthly buzz on Instagram.
Active Users
Active users on Instagram, either daily (DAU) or monthly (MAU), are key indicators of the platform’s vibrancy and engagement. DAUs reflect the number of unique users engaging with the app daily, while MAUs track monthly interaction.
High DAU and MAU numbers not only highlight Instagram’s massive user base but also its role as a crucial channel for digital marketing, offering vast opportunities for businesses to reach and engage their target audience effectively.
User growth on Instagram has been consistently upward. The latest Instagram statistics tell us that starting with 90 million users in Q1 2013, there has been a steady increase each quarter. Year 2023 reflects impressive growth, reaching 2.42 Billion users.
We see no significant dip that indicates sustained user interest and platform engagement over the years. It could be attractive for businesses considering advertising on the platform. It reflects Instagram’s successful expansion and retention strategies.
Instagram and its rank amongst the Social Media giants
Instagram, with over 2 Billion active users, holds a strong fourth place in the global social media rankings.
This chart indicates Instagram’s major role in the digital social space. Its position in the rankings underlines its importance as a go-to platform for social connectivity and digital marketing. Facebook still tops the chart.
Intriguing fact about the platform is its ability to adapt and introduce new features, like Stories and Reels, which keep users engaged and contribute to its growth. Despite being in fourth position in terms of active users, stats show that Instagram is one of the most popular platforms among social media users.
Users declare Instagram as their favorite hangout spot. WhatsApp and Facebook follow closely. And then we have Twitter tweeting out, “Remember when 140 characters were enough?
User Demographics
Age and Gender
Note: Meta’s tools also publish the reach data for Audiences aged 13 to 17, but the data for that age range no longer shows splits by gender, as a result, figures shown here may not sum to 100%
Instagram’s user demographic distribution as of January 2024 reveals a young, vibrant audience with a fairly balanced mix of males and females. The platform is most popular among the young adults, where males slightly outnumber females.
The baton smoothly transitions from men to women, adding a playful twist to the age-old gender dynamics!
Surprisingly, educational attainment also plays a role in Instagram usage; over half of college graduates are active on the platform.
With 54 percent of those earning $100,000 or more reporting usage, Instagram is quite popular among high income groups. Urban settings outpace rural areas in engagement, indicating their urban appeal. This data underscores the importance of tailoring content to resonate with these active user groups on Instagram.
Distribution based on Geography
Instagram’s global footprint is as varied as its vast audience, spanning across continents and cultures with ease. It emphasizes the platform’s potential as a global marketplace, offering boundless opportunities for global reach.
Southern Asia is leading the Instagram parade with a significant 23.80 percent of users and Southern America follows at a distance with 13.8 percent.
Northern America registers as a major player in the Instagram team, and Central America has a smaller yet notable share. Western Europe and Southern Europe have a close match, near to a tie. Oceania and the Caribbean are still gearing up.
Now let’s look at the countries with Largest Instagram Users
In the lively global village of Instagram, India is a bustling busybody; the USA, not wanting to trail too far behind, waves the star-spangled banner, and Brazil sambas loudly, each bringing their own cultural flair to the ‘Gram’.
If you want to dig more into when are these countries active on Instagram check out our research on best time to post on Instagram.
Its a world where double-taps are the currency and everyone strives to be ‘insta-famous’.
Time Spent
TikTok leads the pack, YouTube follows, and Instagram falls back to ‘Twitter’; that’s indeed surprising. When comparing TikTok VS Instagram Users, this trend underscores how video-centric platforms are reshaping user preferences. This data highlights the changing landscape of social media, with video-centric platforms evidently dominating user engagement.
User Preferences
Preference Activity
The most popular activity is ‘posting or sharing photos or videos’, and ‘Looking for funny or entertaining content’ also has a major draw in this activity.
The significant percentage of users involved in brand research indicates that Instagram plays a powerful role in influencing purchase decisions. Thus, it is a critical tool for businesses to connect with potential customers.
Then some wish to stay updated with News and Current events via Instagram. Staying connected with friends and family never goes out of fashion on Social Media Platforms.
Preferred Content Type
Instagram is like a digital buffet, serving everything from snackable chuckles to full-course brain feasts. That’s how the platform attracts its users.
On Instagram, content is like a box of assorted chocolates; there is a flavor for every mood; and an audience for every content. Instagram users know what they want and it’s a giggle.
Funny content tops the chart. These insights reveal that while entertainment, particularly humor, is highly sought after on Instagram. There’s also a strong demand for content that fuels creativity, imparts knowledge, and inspires to achieve.
Trendy and exciting content has always been a popular choice of users and yes, it is essential to stay relevant and significant
Hey creators, If you have some serious business? Don’t worry about adding fun. This variety in content preference underscores the importance of a diverse content type that can cater to the Instagram audience.
Advertising on Instagram
Advertising on Instagram is a canvas for businesses to connect with their audience creatively with visually compelling content. With features like Stories, posts, and IGTV, ads can be tailored to become a seamless part of the user’s scrolling experience.
The statistics present an intriguing landscape across different segments of the population. Marketers can reach more than 20 percent of the world’s population through Instagram which gives us a glimpse of the enormous power these platforms have.
Stories Audience Overview:
Instagram Stories ads stand out as a significant component of Instagram’s overall advertising efforts, reaching a vast majority of its ad audience. This was about the story format. Now let’s look at the Reels.
Reels Audience Overview
Instagram Reels is a significant component of Instagram’s ad reach. The 11.60 percent reach among the population aged 13+ also indicates the popularity of reel content among the younger demographic on the platform.
Instagram’s Reported Advertising Reach
Although the figure for Quarterly Active Users reports nearly 2 Billion people, you can still reach nearly 1.6 Billion people only. It is an important parameter to consider. Also, the chart shows a dip in the audience in January 2023, although it managed to climb back the next quarter. After that, it remained almost stagnant, with only minor improvements in 2023.
For Businesses
With over 200 million business accounts on the platform, Instagram is a vibrant stage for businesses to display their stuff! Instagram helps businesses to chat with customers, get real-time feedback, and even sell directly from posts.
With Instagram, your shop window travels in pockets everywhere, giving ‘window shopping’ a whole new meaning.
Before buying, people even search for brands on different Social Media Platforms. Gone are the days to depend upon a review from a salesperson.
These insights suggest that Instagram is a prime hotspot for brand research. Having an Instagram account thus may improve your brand’s visibility to the audience. Moreover, users after seeing your eye-catching posts and a strong brand voice, may turn into potential customers.
Average Engagement Rate for Posts
Engagement on Instagram business accounts has been a game-changer for the brands, big or small. For businesses and creators, engagement is the golden ticket, as it signifies active participation and interest from their audience.
Check this comparison between Engagement Vs Followers and Engagement Vs Post Reach
These insights suggest that while engagement relative to the total follower count is below 1 percent for all post types, the engagement relative to the actual reach of the post is significantly higher, exceeding 5 percent in each category. It indicates that the posts are engaging other users along with the followers.
Its quite possible that your followers are following some other pages and miss seeing you on their feeds.
IG Shopping and E-commerce Integration
Instagram Shopping has transformed the way brands connect with consumers, offering a seamless e-commerce integration within the social platform.
With a few taps, users can explore products through the Instagram Shopping Bag feature, get detailed information, and even complete purchases without leaving the app. Social commerce has grown in some parts of the world more and less in others.
There are two types of E-commerce engagements:
Used Instagram Shopping Bag / FB Marketplace: This indicates users who interacted with the shopping feature or visited the Facebook Marketplace through Instagram.
Clicked on a sponsored post: This represents users who clicked on posts sponsored by businesses.
Latin America leads in social commerce engagement, while Europe has the lowest percentages in both categories.
Quick Facts as of April 2023: Instagram for Business
- Around 90 percent of Instagram Users report to follow at least one business.
- Instagram Shopping boasts over 130 million users tapping on product tags each month.
- Businesses could see a surge in traffic, with some reporting a 1,416 percent increase in clicks on their products using Instagram Shopping features.
- Instagram’s potential advertising reach was cited at over 850 million users, making it a goldmine for e-commerce.
Social Media Audience Overlaps
A mere 0.1 percent of Instagram’s user base uses exclusively Instagram.
This means 99.9 percent of Instagram users also engage on other platforms, which can be valuable for marketers and content strategists looking to understand where their audiences might be most accessible.
Marketers or Businesses with limited budgets may often feel FOMO with every new platform gearing up, and here we bring a reason why they should not.
So, you can pick a budget friendly Social Media Platform and still reach your target audience. A Facebooker also tweets and scrolls a few reels on Instagram.
This data suggests that the users have accounts on multiple Social Media platforms where they log in regularly. So the businesses do not have to worry about the number of platforms they are active on. The best thing to do is craft a platform specific strategy and actively engage with the audience on selective platforms instead of posting the same content on all the platforms.
Top Instagram Hashtags
Hashtags serve as links to particular topics or themes, enhancing the accessibility of your posts for your audience. They facilitate understanding, connection, and engagement with your content.
This graph is super interesting! It shows us the most popular hashtags on a social media platform, and boy, they’re used a lot! The top one, #LOVE has been used in over 2 billion posts. That’s a billion with a ‘B’!
When you use a popular hashtag, your post can reach a huge crowd, not just your followers. More eyes, more potential likes, shares, and comments. And for a business, you could tap thousands or millions of potential customers without spending a dime on advertising.
Here’s a pro tip: Mix these popular hashtags with some specific ones related to your business or industry. This way, you can catch both the big fish and the right fish. Happy hashtagging!
Revenue and Story of Growth
Note: Facebook does not disclose Instagram revenue, all values are estimated.
Reading the chart is like watching a small tree turn into a giant oak right before your eyes. Instagram made a modest $111 in Q1 of 2015, but as we journey through the years, quarter by quarter, we see the numbers climbing like a climber on a mountain.
By 2018, they reached new heights, crossing the billion-dollar mark in a single quarter. Year after year, the numbers keep getting bigger and bolder.
By the end of 2023, It’s a breathtaking view from up there-the air of success is crisp and heady. This story isn’t just about growth; it is about relentless ambition and the power of connection.
Policy Reinforcement
Meta regularly updates its content policies to protect the safety, privacy, dignity, and authenticity of the community across its various platforms. Instagram and Meta take measurable actions against content that repeatedly violates the policy.
Here are details on the actions taken to keep Instagram a safe place by Q3, 2023.
Actioned Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity Content
Millions of content were removed/actioned for exposing nudity and sexual activity to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all users.
By Q4 2019 6.3 million content was acted upon and the number increased to 13.1 million by Q3 2020. For Q3 2023, the amount of content actioned was 10.1 million, which is a substantial decline as compared to Q2 of the same year.
Actioned Bullying and Harassment Content
There is a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and harassment on Facebook and Instagram. Recognizing the heightened vulnerability of minors, the policies offer increased safeguards to protect them from such harmful behavior.
Starting from 2019, the graph shows that year after year millions of harassment content faced strict actions. In Q3 2021, 7.8 million content was acted upon which was the highest number by then. Q4 2021 witnessed a decline. And Q3 2023, the content acted upon is the highest, 8.4 million.
Actioned Child Endangerment Content
The blue line remains relatively flat and low across all quarters, suggesting consistent and low levels of actioned content for Child Nudity and Physical Abuse.
The red line, representing Child Sexual Exploitation, shows a significant spike in Q4 2022, reaching nearly 10 million actioned content. Maybe we wore spy glasses to detect or more such content was reported.
Notably, after the spike, there is a sharp decline till Q3 2023, indicating a significant decrease in actioned content for Child Sexual Exploitation. So, did folks suddenly have a change of heart, or the glasses fell off?
Actioned Dangerous Organizations Content
Over time, actions against terrorism-related content saw a significant surge, particularly noticeable in recent quarters, overshadowing the relatively stable and lower volume of content actioned for organized hate.
Actioned Hate Speech Content
It reveals a significant ebb and flow in the volume of content addressed. Initially, actions started on the lower side but escalated to a notable peak, followed by a bit of a roller coaster ride. Q2 2021 and Q2 2023, the actions taken appear to have risen, suggesting either a seasonal trend in hate speech posting or Instagram’s sharpening vigilance.
Actioned Restricted Goods and Services Content
Drugs take the lead role, with actions against such content showing a gradual increase over time, reaching occasional peaks, implying either a ‘high’ season for rule-breakers or Instagram’s increasingly ‘sharp’ detection skills. Action against Firearms maintains a low profile.
Actioned Suicide and Self-Injury Content
Over the observed quarters, there is a noticeable upward trend in the volume of content. Initially, the actions taken were relatively modest, but they began to climb steadily. Maybe either the prevalence of such content raised or Instagram’s detection methods improved. The end of the timeline points to sustained vigilance in monitoring this type of sensitive content.
Actioned Violence and Incitement Content
It shows a general upward trend in the volume of content being addressed. Initially, the actions started at a lower level but grew with time. This trend reflects either a rise in the posting of violent and inciting content, or it could indicate that Instagram has been ramping up its detection and enforcement measures.
Actioned Violent and Graphic Content
There is a noticeable fluctuation in the amount of content addressed, indicating varying levels of enforcement or incidence of such content. Overall, the Instagram statistics charts indicates that the platform has been actively engaged in controlling violent and graphic content, with varying levels of action taken in different periods.
Instagram’s policy reinforcement responds to both emerging threats and user safety. Its success can be measured by a decline in harmful content encounters.
However, content actioned on Instagram can be influenced by isolated events such as a coordinated cyberattack. Therefore, spikes in content moderation data might not necessarily signal an improvement in Instagram’s detection capabilities or an increase in breaches.
Similarly, a decrease in actioned content doesn’t always suggest a decline in enforcement effectiveness; it could indicate a reduction in such activities or the success of preventative measures.
Instagram Thread App-Journey 2024
Launched in July 2023, Instagram Threads is a conversation-focused app that quickly gathered a significant user base. It offers a space for text-based discussions and allows users to post content with photos, videos, and links.
A new theme park opens, and word of mouth spreads like wildfire. The first few hours are a trickle of visitors, curious early birds checking out the new rides. By the end of the first day, the park buzzes with excitement, and the visitor count hits 30 million. The park becomes the talk of the town, touching 100 million in 5 days.
But then, the growth starts to steady and then declines. The rush fades, however, by day 21, another 20 million join. The theme park established a community, but then could not keep up the pace. And average time spent dropped from 21 minutes a day as recorded on 7 July’ 23 to 3 minutes daily on the Thread App.
Finally, in six months, the visitor count could reach 160 million.
Conclusion
Instagram’s continuous adaptation, reflected in its steady user growth and innovative features like Stories and Reels, makes it a fertile ground for businesses. The platform’s demographics suggest a youthful audience with significant purchasing power is an ideal target audience for marketing strategies.
The user stats? They are climbing faster, youngsters leading the charge. Businesses flock here! Because let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to flaunt their stuff on a stage where the whole world is watching?
The Instagram statistics. In conclusion, say that Instagram in 2024 is the place to be—it is the digital marketplace, the trendsetter’s paradise, and a wild rollercoaster ride of policy enforcement. For businesses and creators, it’s not just about being seen; it’s about being part of the ongoing show.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check your engagement rates against industry benchmarks as learned from Instagram Statistics. If your rates are on par or higher, you are on track. Also, track your follower growth and the reach of your posts over time to ensure they are trending upwards.
A drop could be due to many factors—algorithm changes, content not resonating with the audience, or even just a natural fluctuation. Analyze your content to see what has changed, and don’t forget to look at competitive accounts for broader trends.
While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, starting with 1-2 posts a day is a good benchmark. Use Instagram Statistics and Insights to find when your audience is most active and schedule your posts accordingly.
Create engaging, high-quality content that resonates with your target audience, use relevant hashtags to reach more people, and engage with other users through comments, likes, and shares. Consistency is key.
Track conversions from Instagram using tracking links and Instagram’s shopping features. Compare these against your spending on the platform to measure your return on investment.
Sources
1) https://www.businessofapps.com/data/instagram-statistics/
2) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 232
3) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 236
4) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 310
5) Demographics of Social Media Users and Adoption in the United States | Pew Research Center
6) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 309
7) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 314
9) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 242
10) What Content Works Best On TikTok, Twitter, And Instagram In 2023 – GWI
11) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 307
12) Digital 2023 – We Are Social USA Pg 247
13) Digital 2023 – We Are Social USA Pg 249
14) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 308 and Digital 2023 – We Are Social USA Pg 241
15) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 250
16) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 319
17) Social media behind the screens – GWI.pdf (hubspotusercontent-na1.net) Pg 70
18) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 235
19) Digital 2024 – We Are Social USA Pg 322
20) Instagram Report, businessofapps.com
21 – 29) Community Standards Enforcement | Transparency Center (fb.com) Here the data for both Facebook and Instagram is present. We need to select Instagram from the drop down.
30) https://www.quiverquant.com/threadstracker/
Debbie Moran is a Digital marketing strategist with 5+ years of experience producing advertising for brands and helping leaders showcase their brand to the correct audience. She has been a part of RecurPost since 2019 and handles all the activities required to grow our brand’s online presence.