Instagram Statistics 2026: Users, Engagement, Ad Revenue
Instagram has 3 billion monthly active users, up from 2 billion in 2021, and half of US adults use it. Among 18- to 29-year-olds that rises to eight in 10. Brands are working harder for less: average engagement fell about 24% in 2025, and carousels still edge out Reels. Instagram is also now Meta’s main money-maker in the US, forecast to bring in more than half of Meta’s US ad revenue. Here are the Instagram statistics worth knowing in 2026, each sourced inline with the year noted.
3 billion monthly users, half of US adults
Instagram reached 3 billion monthly active users in September 2025, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced, joining Facebook and WhatsApp at that size (Thurrott, 2025). It passed 2 billion in 2021.
50% of US adults use Instagram, up from 40% in 2021, making it the only platform besides YouTube (84%) and Facebook (71%) used by at least half of Americans, in a Pew Research Center survey of 5,022 US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
Eight in 10 US adults ages 18 to 29 use Instagram, against 19% of those 65 and older (Pew Research Center, 2025).
About six in 10 US teens ages 13 to 17 use Instagram, behind only YouTube (about nine in 10) and level with TikTok, in a survey of 1,458 teens (Pew Research Center, 2025).
Engagement fell about 24% in 2025
Average Instagram engagement for brands fell about 24% year over year in 2025, and follower growth slowed for accounts of every size, by Socialinsider’s analysis of brand accounts (Socialinsider, 2026).
Instagram’s average engagement rate was 0.45% in Q3 2026, measured as engagement divided by followers (Socialinsider, 2026).
Carousels average 0.50% engagement, Reels 0.48% and single images 0.35% in Q3 2026 (Socialinsider, 2026). Over 2025, carousels held at 0.55% while images fell from 0.45% to 0.37%.
Instagram engagement rates fell 16% across 14 industries in Rival IQ’s annual benchmark, with retail and home decor brands down nearly 30%, and carousels outperformed Reels (Rival IQ, 2025). Higher education had the highest engagement despite posting less often than the median.
Engagement rates are not comparable across vendors: some divide by followers, others by views or reach, so the same post can score 0.5% in one report and 3% in another.
More than half of Meta’s US ad revenue
Instagram is forecast to generate $32.03 billion in US ad revenue in 2025, up 24.4%, or 50.3% of Meta’s US ad revenue, the first time it passes half, by eMarketer’s estimate (ICT Business, 2025). Meta does not report revenue by app, so every Instagram revenue figure is an outside estimate.
In 2015, Instagram was 7.7% of Meta’s US ad revenue (eMarketer, 2025).
For the wider picture across platforms, see social media statistics and influencer marketing statistics.
Turning Instagram inquiries into booked calls
Half of US adults are on Instagram, and for many small businesses a DM or a comment is where a lead first shows up. The work is what happens next: replying fast, moving the conversation to email or a call, and logging the lead before it is forgotten. Carly is an AI assistant that works with Instagram: she can log new conversations, draft replies, book the call on your calendar and file the lead in your CRM. Carly connects to thousands of apps, so the follow-up lands in the tools you already use.
For more, see how to connect Claude to Instagram and Instagram’s DM limits.
FAQ
How many people use Instagram? Instagram has 3 billion monthly active users worldwide, a milestone Meta announced in September 2025. In the US, 50% of adults use it (Pew Research Center, 2025).
What age group uses Instagram the most? Adults 18 to 29: eight in 10 use Instagram, compared with 19% of adults 65 and older (Pew Research Center, 2025). About six in 10 teens 13 to 17 use it.
What is a good Instagram engagement rate? The average for brands was 0.45% of followers in Q3 2026, with carousels at 0.50% and Reels at 0.48% (Socialinsider, 2026). Anything above that beats the average.
How much money does Instagram make? Meta does not break it out. eMarketer estimates Instagram brought in $32.03 billion in US ad revenue in 2025, just over half of Meta’s US ad revenue.
Related: Social Media Statistics · Influencer Marketing Statistics · Podcast Statistics · Advertising Statistics · Marketing Statistics
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