Instagram now connects over two billion monthly active accounts. The platform's average engagement rate for brands is 3.5%, though this figure varies significantly by industry and content format.
Key Takeaways
- 2.0 billion people reportedly used Instagram worldwide in 2023 according to Meta’s own public user-size reporting
- Meta reported Instagram has more than 2 billion monthly active accounts across its platforms ecosystem (Facebook/Instagram family context) in 2024 earnings disclosures
- Follower growth: Instagram accounts typically lose 1.2% followers monthly on average in 2023 unless posting consistently (benchmark)
- 6.8% average Instagram engagement rate across posts in 2023 (median across industries, incl. likes + comments)
- 3.5% average Instagram engagement rate for brands in 2024 (likes + comments divided by follower count), per Hootsuite benchmarks
- Average Instagram engagement rate for 'Technology' accounts is 2.0% (likes + comments benchmark)
- Posts with hashtags: Instagram accounts using 11+ hashtags see higher engagement than accounts using fewer than 11 (industry benchmark from 2022 study)
- Carousel ads vs single image ads: Meta reports higher engagement outcomes for carousel creative in a 2023 advertiser study (industry report)
- Instagram is estimated to generate the largest share of social influencer engagement by platform in 2023 at 25% (industry split)
- The global social media management market is forecast to reach $25.8 billion by 2027, supporting measurement tools for Instagram engagement
- The influencer marketing industry reached an estimated $21.1 billion in 2023 globally (context for engagement-driven budgets)
- Instagram users are 1.5x more likely to discover brands on Instagram than on other social platforms (survey result reported by Meta)
- 70% of Instagram accounts follow a business account, showing engagement intent (Meta survey/industry reporting)
- Between 9am–11am local time is among the best windows for Instagram engagement (Sprout Social timing data)
- 5% of Instagram users report buying directly after seeing a product in Stories (survey reported in social commerce research)
Instagram topped 2 billion users in 2023, with engagement strongest on Reels, Stories, and hashtag rich posts.
Related reading
01 · Category
Performance Metrics8 stats
01
Instagram users are 1.5x more likely to discover brands on Instagram than on other social platforms (survey result reported by Meta)
02
70% of Instagram accounts follow a business account, showing engagement intent (Meta survey/industry reporting)
03
Between 9am–11am local time is among the best windows for Instagram engagement (Sprout Social timing data)
04
Comment engagement is a strong signal: accounts with higher comment rates are more likely to appear in recommended surfaces (Meta description of engagement signals)
05
Meta’s Feed ranking uses “signals about whether content is engaging” including likes, comments, and shares (official explanation)
06
Instagram’s “Most Recent” mode changes feed sorting away from predicted engagement; indicates engagement-based ranking difference (official help)
07
Profile visits are measured by Instagram Insights as a performance metric, enabling engagement attribution (official help)
08
Website clicks are measured in Instagram Insights for business accounts, supporting engagement-to-conversion tracking (official help)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For Performance Metrics, Instagram shows strong evidence that engagement is the engine behind discovery and reach, with 70% of accounts following a business and early peak engagement between 9am and 11am highlighting when brands are most likely to drive the likes, comments, and shares Meta uses in Feed ranking.
02 · Category
Engagement Benchmarks4 stats
01
6.8% average Instagram engagement rate across posts in 2023 (median across industries, incl. likes + comments)
02
3.5% average Instagram engagement rate for brands in 2024 (likes + comments divided by follower count), per Hootsuite benchmarks
03
Average Instagram engagement rate for 'Technology' accounts is 2.0% (likes + comments benchmark)
04
Instagram engagement rate for paid partnership content averages 2.6% compared with 1.7% for non-sponsored posts (influencer marketing benchmark)
Interpretation
Engagement Benchmarks Interpretation
Across the 2023 to 2024 engagement benchmarks, Instagram posts averaged around 6.8% and then 3.5% respectively, and even within category-specific comparisons the gap persists with technology at 2.0% and paid partnerships at 2.6% versus 1.7% for non sponsored content.
03 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
Instagram is estimated to generate the largest share of social influencer engagement by platform in 2023 at 25% (industry split)
02
The global social media management market is forecast to reach $25.8 billion by 2027, supporting measurement tools for Instagram engagement
03
The influencer marketing industry reached an estimated $21.1 billion in 2023 globally (context for engagement-driven budgets)
04
Influencer marketing fraud: 8% of influencer audience engagement is invalid according to a 2023 estimate (fraud/integrity affects engagement metrics)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the market size angle, Instagram is projected to account for 25% of social influencer engagement in 2023, and with the influencer marketing industry at $21.1 billion globally plus $25.8 billion forecast for social media management by 2027, the growth in engagement measurement demand is clear even as 8% of audience engagement is estimated to be invalid due to fraud.
More related reading
04 · Category
Stories & Features4 stats
01
5% of Instagram users report buying directly after seeing a product in Stories (survey reported in social commerce research)
02
Live on Instagram: 2x higher average engagement for Live video compared with Feed posts in 2022 (benchmark)
03
Average engagement on Instagram Stories: 0.9% of followers engage via replies (benchmark)
04
Average engagement on Instagram Stories: 4.3% of viewers tap forward (benchmark from analytics provider)
Interpretation
Stories & Features Interpretation
Instagram Stories and features are driving meaningful interaction, with 4.3% of viewers tapping forward and 0.9% replying, while 5% of users report buying after seeing a product in Stories.
05 · Category
User Base3 stats
01
2.0 billion people reportedly used Instagram worldwide in 2023 according to Meta’s own public user-size reporting
02
Meta reported Instagram has more than 2 billion monthly active accounts across its platforms ecosystem (Facebook/Instagram family context) in 2024 earnings disclosures
03
Follower growth: Instagram accounts typically lose 1.2% followers monthly on average in 2023 unless posting consistently (benchmark)
Interpretation
User Base Interpretation
With about 2.0 billion people using Instagram worldwide in 2023 and over 2 billion monthly active accounts across Meta’s broader platform ecosystem, the user base is massive and still expanding, even though accounts typically shed around 1.2% followers each month unless they post consistently.
06 · Category
Industry Overview5 stats
01
Instagram explains that Reels cover “likes, comments, shares” and other engagement metrics for ranking (official)
02
Instagram Reels Insights provides reach, plays, likes, comments, shares, and saves metrics to measure engagement (official feature description)
03
Meta’s 2024 Communities report highlights that Reels are a key driver of video engagement on Instagram (press release with metric)
04
Posts with hashtags: Instagram accounts using 11+ hashtags see higher engagement than accounts using fewer than 11 (industry benchmark from 2022 study)
05
Carousel ads vs single image ads: Meta reports higher engagement outcomes for carousel creative in a 2023 advertiser study (industry report)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
For the Industry Overview, Instagram and Meta data point to Reels and richer ad formats leading engagement, with Reels tracking likes, comments, shares, and saves and Meta highlighting them as a key driver of video engagement in 2024.
report visual · Comparison
Instagram Engagement Benchmarks: What’s Performing Best
Engagement tends to be higher for specific formats and content types—especially paid partnerships and Live video—compared with their counterparts.
Instagram engagement rate for paid partnership content averages 2.6% compared with 1.7% for non-sponsored posts (influen2.6%
Live on Instagram: 2x higher average engagement for Live video compared with Feed posts in 2022 (benchmark)
2
Instagram users are 1.5x more likely to discover brands on Instagram than on other social platforms (survey result repor
1.5
source-verifiedcampaignlive.com · socialinsider.io · thinkwithgoogle.com2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Instagram Engagement Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/instagram-engagement-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Instagram Engagement Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/instagram-engagement-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Instagram Engagement Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/instagram-engagement-statistics.
Sources & references
28 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
about.instagram.comhelp.instagram.com+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)