Instagram has moved from “inspiration” to “transaction.” In 2024, 46.8 million people in the U.S. made a purchase on Instagram, and 130 million users tap shopping tags every month. Those two stats capture the shift: Instagram Shopping is no longer a nice-to-have feature. It’s a mainstream buying channel.
Below is a comprehensive, scan-friendly breakdown of the most important Instagram Shopping statistics, plus what they suggest for brands trying to turn reach into revenue.
Key Instagram Shopping Stats
- Around 70 percent of Instagram users shop on the platform in some way whether they browse products, tap on shopping features, or make purchases indicating widespread shopping activity.
- Over 200 million users interact with shopping posts or visit business profiles every single day showing high daily engagement with commerce content.
- Instagram’s social commerce features helped generate about 37.2 billion dollars in global shopping revenue in 2024 highlighting its role as a major e-commerce channel.
- A large 83 percent of users say they actively search for new brands and products on Instagram underlining its importance for product discovery.
- Roughly 90 percent of Instagram accounts follow at least one business reflecting how common brand engagement is on the platform.
- In the U.S., about 42 percent of social media users have purchased at least one product via Instagram showing direct purchase behavior among a large share of users.
- As of 2025, around 44 percent of users shop or browse products on Instagram each week pointing to regular shopping habits.
- About 29 percent of Instagram users make purchases directly within the app making it a real point-of-sale and not just inspiration.
- Instagram backs over 25 million businesses worldwide using shoppable posts and in-app checkout features revealing widespread business adoption.
- A majority of users discover new products on Instagram with about 61 percent reporting they found a product or brand they now regularly use through the platform.
How Many People Buy on Instagram?
Instagram is now one of the biggest social commerce platforms in the U.S.
- 46.8 million U.S. shoppers bought on Instagram in 2024, representing a substantial share of U.S. social buyers.
- Instagram is consistently ranked among the top platforms where consumers complete purchases, not just discover products.
For brands, this matters because Instagram Shopping compresses the funnel. Discovery, evaluation, and purchase can all happen inside the same app experience.
How Often Do People Interact With Instagram Shopping Features?
Shopping features are used at massive scale.
- 130 million users tap on shopping posts or product tags each month, highlighting how common “tap-to-view” shopping behavior has become.
- 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile every day, showing how often consumers move from content to brand exploration.
- Over 80% of Instagram accounts follow at least one business, meaning brand content is part of the default Instagram experience for most users.
This is why product tagging works. It doesn’t require users to change behavior. It matches how they already use the platform.
How Much Money Does Instagram Generate From Social Commerce?
Instagram is a serious commerce channel in dollars, not just engagement.
- Instagram social commerce sales were estimated at $37.2 billion in 2024.
- A meaningful portion of U.S. social media users report shopping on Instagram, reinforcing that this is not niche behavior.
For many categories, Instagram acts like a product search and discovery engine that also happens to support checkout.
How Strong Is Instagram’s Influence on Buying Decisions?
Instagram doesn’t just capture demand. It creates it.
- 54% of users say they’ve purchased a product after seeing it on Instagram, making shoppable content one of the most direct conversion levers in social media.
- Many users also take follow-up actions after product exposure, including saving, sharing, visiting profiles, and searching for reviews.
The practical takeaway is simple. On Instagram, content is often the ad, the product page, and the “reason to buy” at the same time.
How Important Are Reviews and Recommendations on Instagram?
Instagram increasingly functions like a review layer for e-commerce.
- 44% of U.S. Instagram users use the app to look at product reviews or recommendations.
This matters because purchase decisions on Instagram are often made through social proof: comments, creator content, Stories, and user-generated content can carry as much weight as traditional review sites in certain niches.
How Much Longer Do Users Stay on Instagram Compared to Other Platforms?
Instagram tends to hold attention longer, which increases exposure opportunities.
- Instagram visitors spend 45% longer than visitors from Facebook.
- Instagram visitors spend 62% longer than visitors from Pinterest.
- Instagram visitors spend 40% longer than visitors from X (Twitter).
More time spent means more chances for a shopper to see a tag, revisit a product, and convert after repeated exposure.
What Categories Perform Best for Instagram Shopping?
Instagram Shopping is heavily skewed toward lifestyle-driven buying.
- “Fashion brands” are the #1 search category on Instagram, with 12% of users searching for fashion brands.
- Consumers are most likely to purchase clothing and apparel on Instagram.
- Other high-velocity categories commonly include beauty products and food and beverages.
This aligns with the platform’s strengths: visual discovery, aesthetic differentiation, and creator-led influence.
How Engaged Are Users With Business Content?
Engagement on business profiles helps explain why tagged content works.
- The average engagement rate for Instagram business profiles was 2.18% per post (measured in early 2024).
Engagement matters because shopping actions often start as micro-actions: taps, saves, shares, profile visits, and DM questions. On Instagram, those behaviors frequently precede purchase.
Do Brands Actually See Measurable Results From Instagram Shopping?
Case studies show that product tagging can create outsized results when executed consistently.
- Native Union reported a 2,662% increase in traffic from just 9 product-tagged posts.
- Natori recorded a 1,416% increase in traffic tied to shoppable content and a major lift in revenue during its testing period.
- Magnolia Boutique attributed a 20% increase in revenue to Instagram Shopping activity paired with cross-promotion.
These examples share a pattern. The gains didn’t come from “viral” content. They came from consistent tagging, clear product presentation, and repeated exposure.
What Do Marketers Think About Instagram ROI?
Marketers continue to treat Instagram as a platform that can pay back spend.
- Surveys and industry reports consistently show that marketers view Instagram as a strong ROI channel, especially in B2C categories where shopping discovery and creator content overlap.
The bigger point is that Instagram Shopping reduces friction. Less friction typically means better conversion performance, especially on mobile.
Final Thoughts
Instagram Shopping is no longer experimental. It’s a mature social commerce channel with:
- tens of millions of U.S. buyers,
- hundreds of millions of monthly shopping interactions, and
- tens of billions in estimated annual sales.
Brands that treat Instagram Shopping as “just another social feature” usually underperform. The winners treat it like a commerce surface, with consistent tagging, strong creative, and a system for turning discovery into purchase.
Sources
- Insider Intelligence (eMarketer). Social media is top channel for shoppers worldwide to discover and buy products
- Reuters. Instagram adds shopping feature for U.S. users
- Instagram About. Celebrating Business Community Growth to 25 Million
- Meta for Business. How Instagram Boosts Brand and Drives Sales
- Search Engine Journal. 54% of Users Have Bought a Product Right After Seeing it on Instagram
- Capital One Shopping Research. Instagram Shopping Statistics: User & Revenue
- Hootsuite. 30 Instagram statistics marketers need to know
- Yotpo. Instagram Engagement Rate Data: Average Seconds On Site
- Sprinklr. Instagram Statistics for Brands
- BigCommerce. Is Instagram Shopping Driving Sales? The Results Are In