There is only one word to describe the current state of Instagram: ‘ Skyrocketing.’ So when Adam Mosseri, head of the company, said that Instagram is “no longer a photo-sharing app,” he was absolutely right. It has indeed transformed into a new phenomenon full of different features.

This article will prove how this aesthetic social media platform gained new ground by presenting you with mindboggling statistics. By deep-diving into the latest Insta growth and performance stats, we will clearly show you how far Instagram has come from its roots.

Along with stating some surprising facts, we will also shed light on upcoming trends that you should know to make the most of this valuable network. One look at these insights, and you will run toward Insta and make it a crucial aspect of your marketing strategy:

Top 10 Insta statistics you need to be aware of

In the past 10 years, Instagram has developed from a simple social media platform into a full-fledged marketing channel. From new algorithms and elements to expanding user base and capabilities, a lot is going on. So it has become crucial for businesses to keep themselves up-to-date on key Insta trends and statistics.

There are 3 subcategories we are going to discuss today, which will contain a total of ten key metrics:

1. General Stats

User base: 1.47 billion

The active users on Instagram saw a gigantic leap in 2021, helping it reach number four on the most popular social media channel list. 2 years back, it had just 1 billion followers. But with the drastic increase in the user base of 400 million, it overtook Facebook messenger and WeChat.

Now only Youtube, WhatsApp, and Facebook have more users than it. Interestingly, Instagram isn’t far behind them and might climb higher in the upcoming years. Businesses should know that this platform has a lot of untapped potentials, and more than 17% of the world’s population uses it.

Instagram global advertising audience statistics page

Source: DataReportal

7th most visited website

Semrush says Instagram is among the world’s top 10 visited sites. Even though most users log in through their mobile app, it still receives 2.9 billion website users per month. Based on this traffic data. Business eyeballs should roll when using Instagram in your marketing strategy.

This statistic is vital for those accounts that wish to improve the desktop version of their Insta feed. In addition, the amount of traffic on the website is a good reminder that users do use Insta via computers and laptops. So the posts and videos published should also look good on this scale.

India tops the chart with most Insta users.

From 2019 to 2022, India saw a leap in Insta usage from 73 million to 180 million users. This helped it climb to the top of most Instagram using country. To be exact, it beat Brazil and US on active accounts in just 2 years, thanks to its 1.4 billion population.

However, it is surprising to know that what propelled this growth and helped India double its Insta users was the global pandemic. So Indian businesses should understand that due to covid-19 now, they can target their audience better by strengthening their Instagram marketing strategies.

9th most-searched term

Even though it’s easy to use Insta via its app, the stats reflect that people still Google it. Instagram is one of the top 20 most googled search terms. This shows how popular it is amongst internet users. It is an impressive statistic as Google search stats are authentic and competitive.

The only searches that top Instagram is Facebook, “weather,” Youtube, and Google. So you should know that viewers do visit Insta through search engines with significant numbers. Hootsuite‘s research showed that in 2019 Instagram was as high as 10th on the list of most searched queries on Google.

top google queries of 2019

2nd most-downloaded application

TikTok was the only application that had more downloads than Instagram in 2022. However, even after 12 years, Instagram still rules the app stores on Android and iOS devices.

So you need to work more on your Insta strategy as users keep downloading it. Businesses need to brew fresh content to keep the new audience happy. This statistic proves that social media marketing remains crucial.

2. Demographic Stats

More female usage

As per Statista, Instagram has more female users. Women have led the demographic count on this platform for quite some time but with little margin only. They make up 51.6% of total Insta users. Moreover, females are more active on the platform as well. Both business accounts and influencers receive more engagement from women. So if your target audience is females, you may have an advantage.

Gen Z’s favourite

Even though Generation X has used Instagram considerably and continues to do so, Gen Z makes up most of the users. As more and more 16 to 24 years old join this platform, Instagram is beating TikTok in terms of the most favourite platform for youngsters.

If a business wishes to target people in this age cohort, then Insta is probably the best source for that.  Apparently, the youth are taking a lot of interest in influencer marketing, so you should make the most of it to grow your reach. Lastly, 25-34-year-olds make the most significant chunk of Insta demographics (31.2%), so you should also keep their interests in mind.

Fastest growing audience: Gen X males

As per the stat above, Insta is becoming quite popular with the young; however, 55 to 64-year-old generation X are also joining it too.  Especially males. Their contribution to Insta grew by 63.6%.

Moreover, 36% of Instagrammers are above 34 years of age, so this platform is not just a place where young adults hang out. You can find older generations connecting with each other here too.

3. Usage and Engagement Stats

Instagram is visited daily by 60% of users.

Unlike other platforms that are visited once a week, Instagram users are pretty loyal, and 60% of them visit it daily. Moreover, they spend an average of atleast 28 minutes scrolling through it. This is especially true for Stories that have been audience favourites, and 70% of Instagrammers watch them daily.

Moreover, reels are also becoming quite popular, and 58% of users rely on them. So if you want to swat up your marketing strategy, add more stories and reels to your content. Lastly, images remain dominant, with 100 million photos published daily, making for 72% of the Insta content.

Businesses thrive on Insta by 83%

Instagram has paved the way for many businesses, and these statistics prove it:

  • 25 million companies use Insta for marketing
  • 90% of insta users follow at least one business account.
  • 83% of companies found new customers via Instagram
  • 44% of promotional material uses Insta stories
  • 73% of the audience favour influencer marketing.
  • Business accounts grow by 1.46% every month.
  • 500,000 influencers are on Insta for business promotions.
  • 54% of users follow nano-influencers, while 33% follow micro-influencers.
  • 70% of shopaholics visit Instagram to discover new products.
  • Professional accounts with less than 10,000 followers on instagram receive 1.11% engagement.
  • Professional accounts with more than 10,000 followers receive 0.93% engagement
  • Shopping post receives 130 million taps every month.

Final thoughts

As per the stats above, Instagram is a highly beneficial platform that keeps growing daily. So, making the most out of this buzzing and budding application has become essential for marketers and influencers. For average users, Instagram has also become the need of the hour.

Therefore, if you are keen to level up your social media usage, keep an eye on Instagram and take advantage of its new features and elements. Hopefully, these 10 statistics will help you understand Instagram better and apply it optimally.