Instagram: Monthly Active Users, by year
YearNumber of users,
in millions
Dec 20212,000
Jun 20181,000
Sep 2017800
Apr 2017700
Dec 2016600
Jun 2016500
Sep 2015400
Dec 2014300
Mar 2014200
Sep 2013150
Jun 2013130
Feb 2013100
Jan 201390
  • Region: Worldwide
  • Time period: Jan 2013 to Dec 2021
  • Published: Dec 2021

Data Analysis and Insights

Updated: Mar 27, 2024 | Published by: Statistico | About Us | Data sources

Doubling of Monthly Active Users from 2016 to 2021

Instagram's monthly active users saw a dramatic increase, doubling from 500 million in June 2016 to 1 billion by June 2018, and further swelling to 2 billion by December 2021. The platform demonstrated a consistent growth pattern, adding approximately 500 million users every 18 to 24 months during this period.

Rapid Early Growth

Between February 2013 and December 2014, Instagram's user base grew from 100 million to 300 million, marking a 200% increase in less than two years. This period highlighted the platform's rapid early adoption and growth.

Steady Increase in User Base

From its early days until 2021, Instagram's user base consistently increased, never showing a decrease in the number of monthly active users. Each recorded interval shows positive growth, indicating the platform's expanding popularity and engagement over the years.

Significant Milestones

Instagram hit several significant milestones, including reaching 200 million monthly active users by March 2014, a mere three years after its launch. Subsequently, it achieved 1 billion users by June 2018, showcasing the platform's rapid ascent in the social media landscape.

Acceleration in User Acquisition

The time taken for Instagram to acquire each additional 100 million users has decreased significantly since its inception. Initially, it took over two years to move from 90 to 200 million users (January 2013 to March 2014), but by 2017-2018, such increases were happening in as short as six months, underscoring the platform's accelerating growth rate.

Deceleration in Growth Post-2018

While Instagram continued to grow past 2018, the rate of user acquisition showed signs of deceleration. The platform needed approximately 2.5 years to double from 1 billion to 2 billion users (June 2018 to December 2021), compared to the quicker pace observed in earlier years. This suggests a maturing platform facing the challenges of sustaining its initial rapid growth rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many active monthly users did Instagram have by December 2021?

Instagram had 2 billion monthly active users by December 2021.

What was the growth rate of Instagram's user base between February 2013 and December 2014?

Instagram's user base grew by 200% between February 2013 and December 2014.

What has been the growth pattern of Instagram after reaching 1 billion users in June 2018?

After reaching 1 billion users in June 2018, Instagram showed signs of deceleration in growth, taking approximately 2.5 years to double its user base.

Terms and Definitions

Instagram is a free, online photo-sharing and social networking service that allows its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking platforms. It's primarily a mobile platform that supports iOS and Android, but also has functionality on the web.

Monthly Active Users is a performance metric for the success of an internet product such as a social networking service, indicating the number of unique individuals who interact with the service or engage with the product at least once within a month.

An active user is a user who interacted with an app, website, or other product during a particular period of time. This can entail a variety of activities depending on the platform, such as liking a post, commenting, sharing, or even logging in.

Instagram users are individuals who have registered and created an account on Instagram. They are able to upload and share photos and videos, interact with other users by following their accounts and liking or commenting on their posts, and use other features available in the app.

Instagram user engagement refers to the interactions that take place on Instagram involving its users. This includes actions like liking, commenting on or sharing posts, following accounts, and sending direct messages. A high level of engagement is generally seen as a sign of a more active and engaged user base.

Unique users are individuals who have made at least one interaction with a website or app during a given measurement period, whether they are new or returning. This metric is used to count people instead of activities, thereby avoiding duplication and providing a more accurate assessment of an app or website's popularity.

Digital filters are a feature of Instagram that users can apply to their photos or videos before sharing. These filters are software enhancements designed to alter the appearance of an image or video, enabling users to add unique effects that can enhance or manipulate their visual content.

A Social Networking Service is an online platform that allows users to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections. This can include sharing updates, photos, joining groups and a variety of other activities. Instagram is one such service.
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Instagram is a popular social media platform that has millions of users worldwide, known for its image-based sharing, filters, and stories feature. Read more »