Instagram is in many ways the definitive social success story. Launched in October 2010, within two months it already had 1 million users. Then in 2012 Facebook bought Instagram for US$1 billion.

More than a vehicle for pretty pictures, Instagram has one of the fastest growing and engaged communities. Here are the latest stats from the snap-happy platform, courtesy of Digital Marketing Ramblings. 

Global vision

One of the reasons Instagram is so successful is that it appeals to a global audience. Over 60 per cent of its users are based outside the US.

At latest count, Instagram has 150 million monthly active users, 70 per cent of whom check in daily. 

And the figures keep increasing – Instagram has grown 66 per cent year on year since 2013. 

Gender lines

Instagram is generally split evenly between the sexes, while some countries skew sharply.

Thailand has the highest proportion of female Instagram users, with 65 per cent. On the other hand 85 per cent of Instagram users in Saudi Arabia are men, making it the most male dominated market.

South-East Asia and Russia have the highest adoption rates by women, while the Middle East and India display the strongest adoption rates by men. 

Share the love

Those users share 55 million photos and generate 1.2 billion Likes every day – or 8500 per second.

Over 16 billion photos have been shared on Instagram so far. 

Brands

There are at least 1300 brands on Instagram, and 88 per cent of these have shared at least one Instagram video. A quarter of Fortune 500 companies are on Instagram, and they most commonly post on a Thursday.

The most popular followed branded account on Instagram is National Geographic, which has over 3 million followers and adds another 300,000 every month.

The most talked about account is Nike, with over 19 million posts featuring the #Nike hashtag. 

No Filter

And finally the most popular filter? None – most Instagram users don't use one. The rest prefer to use the filter Mayfair.

To find out more visit expandedramblings.com. 

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