Instagram User Growth (2020–2028)
Consumers use Instagram for many different reasons, whether it’s sharing photos and videos, looking for entertaining content, or keeping in touch with friends and family.
The platform’s constant tweaks and addition of new features to adapt to the evolving habits of users encourage new sign-ups. If you’re trying to understand Instagram’s user growth, ask not: Is Instagram growing? Instead, a more accurate question would be: How fast is Instagram growing?
Here’s a breakdown of Instagram’s user growth in recent years.
Instagram growth rate table: number of users
|
Year |
Number of Instagram users |
Annual change |
|
2019 |
867.80 million |
|
|
2020 |
1,071.34 million |
+23.45% |
|
2021 |
1,213.38 million |
+13.26% |
|
2022 |
1,245.14 million |
+2.62% |
|
2023 |
1,330.55 million |
+6.86% |
|
2024 |
1,406.38 million |
+5.70% |
|
2025 |
1,468.80 million |
+4.44% |
|
2026 |
1,521.01 million |
+3.55% |
|
2027 |
1,565.34 million |
+2.91% |
|
2028 |
1,767.48 million |
+12.91% |
Instagram’s user growth: 2020–2024
In 2024, the number of Instagram users worldwide is forecast to hit 1.4 billion, a climb from 2023’s figure. To understand this rise, we need to put this into context by comparing it with previous years’ rates.
According to the latest Instagram growth statistics, the popular photo- and video-sharing social network’s gain in users this year marks a 5.7% rise from 2023. This indicates a slump from last year’s 6.86% increment.
The analysis of Instagram’s user growth reveals that from 2020 to 2024, the platform has expanded its user base, but at largely fluctuating rates. In 2020, the number of Instagram users worldwide exceeded the one billion milestone for the first time, after recording a staggering 23.45% increase. This is the largest annual rise expected between 2020 and 2028 and can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. As governments imposed lockdowns, consumers spent more time indoors and on social media.
In 2021, the increase slowed to 13.26%, before plunging to 2.62% in 2022. From 2020 to 2024, the social media platform is projected to broaden its user count by a total of 31.27% and at an average annual growth rate of 7.1%.
Instagram’s user growth: 2025–2028
Looking ahead, analysts predict Instagram will expand its user base for at least four more years, but at varying speeds. The forecast shows that the rise in the number of Instagram users is expected at 4.44% in 2025, before easing to 3.55% in 2026.
The deceleration follows a similar pattern impacting other major social media platforms. For instance, TikTok’s user growth rate is expected to be 4.2% in 2025, a slowdown from the 6.66% forecast for 2024.
A 2.91% gain is anticipated in 2027, before a surge of 12.91% in 2028, which is set to take the number of Instagram users past 1.7 billion. From 2020 to 2028, the average Instagram growth rate is 8.41%.