Understanding Instagram demographics is key to understanding your users.
And once you do, you’ll be able to create a smart Instagram marketing strategy that will create leads, sales, and an audience devoted to your brand.
But that’s a little easier said than done. After all, the social media platform boasts more than 1 billion users all over the world (more than 1/10th of Earth’s population).
We want to help. That’s why we compiled this list of the six Instagram demographics that matter to businesses who have an Instagram presence (or are thinking of getting one). That way you can make the best decisions when it comes to your social media marketing strategy.
Instagram general demographics
Instagram launched in October 2010. A decade later, the site has grown into a social media powerhouse with the world’s top brands leveraging the account to create engagement, build an audience, and increase sales. Here are a few key numbers to keep in mind for context:
- 30 million users in 2012 when Facebook bought the site
- 1 billion users worldwide by 2018, according to Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom
- More than 1 billion monthly active users (last updated by Instagram in 2018)
- More than 500 million daily active users (last updated by Instagram in 2017)
- 928.5 million people can be reached through Instagram ads (last updated by Simon Kemp in 2020)
- 90% of users on Instagram follow a business account (last updated by Instagram in 2019)
- More than 500 million accounts use Instagram Stories each day (last updated by Instagram in 2019)
Instagram age demographics
When it comes to Instagram, Gen Z takes center stage as the largest user base, followed by millennials who have also made a massive impact in shaping what the app is.
Here’s a look at the age-demographic breakdown among U.S. adults:
- Ages 18–24: 75%
- Ages 25–29: 57%
- Ages 30–49: 47%
- Ages 50–64: 23%
- Ages 65+: 8%
Instagram is most popular with younger users: 67% of 18 to 29 year olds use the social media site. That’s up from 59% in 2016.
According to Piper Jaffray’s 2019 Taking Stock With Teens consumer insights survey, 85% of teens say Instagram is their preferred social network (followed shortly by Snapchat). This is a massive jump from 2017 when a mere 24% said they preferred the site.
It isn’t just the younger demographics logging into Instagram, though.
In the 50- to 64-year-old demographic, 23% say they’re using Instagram, up from 18% in 2016.
Some seniors are even using the platform to showcase their fashion sense. Nonagenarian Instagram sensation @baddiewinkle has almost 4 million followers who love her edgy style!
Instagram gender demographics
According to the Pew Research report, more US women than US men are using Instagram: 43% of female respondents use Instagram, and just 31% of men surveyed do.
Instagram is also more popular with women than it is with men globally—though only slightly, with 52% female and 48% male users.
Five of the top 10 most-followed Instagram accounts (as of Jan 2020) are owned by women.
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- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Ariana Grande
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
- Selena Gomez
- Kylie Jenner
- Kim Kardashian
- Lionel Messi
- Beyoncé
- Neymar
Note: Instagram offers just three choices for gender when registering for the account (male, female, and “not specified”). Despite this, the Pew Research study included only a binary classification of gender.
The country with the most amount of female Instagram users is Laos. And the country with the most amount of male Instagram users is Afghanistan.
Instagram location demographics
The United States is the global leader in active Instagram users, with 116 million users.
The Pew Research survey found that 46% of urban respondents are using Instagram. Of suburban respondents, 34% use Instagram. And of those living in rural areas, just 21% are Instagram users.
Users all over the world are adopting the platform — and some countries are seeing massive growth in their number of Instagram users. Here’s a look at the global top 10 for Instagram users:
- United States: 116 million users
- India: 73 million
- Brazil: 72 million
- Indonesia: 60 million
- Russia: 42 million
- Turkey: 37 million
- Japan: 27 million
- United Kingdom: 22.9 million
- Mexico: 22 million
- Germany: 19.9 million
More than 89% of Instagram’s community lives outside of the U.S.
The top three countries in terms of potential Instagram advertising reach are the U.S., India, and Brazil as well.
Instagram income demographics
Instagram users run the income gamut, from hourly retail employees to Fortune 100 CEOs.
The Pew Survey also broke down the income results of Instagram users. Here’s what they discovered:
- <$30,000: 35%
- $30,000-$74,999: 39%
- $75,000+: 42%
This means there’s room on Instagram for budget brands and luxury labels alike—and plenty of followers to go around.
Zara’s Instagram account boasts more than 28 million followers, posting photos that look luxury, but feature the brand’s affordable styles.
Instagram education demographics
43% of U.S. adults who use Instagram have a college degree or more, according to Pew. Meanwhile, 37% of users have some college education.
Per the same study, just 33% of Instagram users have a “high school degree or less.”
Many colleges and universities are maintaining their own Instagram accounts to keep current students and alumni alike engaged. My alma mater, The University of Kansas, has been showing off professional and amateur photos of campus life since 2012. It now has more than 50,000 followers.
Instagram demographics are just the beginning
60% of people say they discover new products on Instagram—and there are more than 25 million business profiles on Instagram, all working to get the eyes of those 1 billion users on their offerings.
Are you getting your business in front of the right people?
If you’re trying to get more Instagram followers or create the perfect Instagram ad, understanding Instagram statistics and demographics is just a piece of the puzzle in creating your larger Instagram marketing strategy.
Ready to put your Instagram user demographic insights to work? Start scheduling and publishing posts alongside all your other social media channels directly from the Hootsuite dashboard. Try it free today.
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