Instagram’s 2016 global report revealed the most-followed celebrities, most-liked photos, top hashtags, and key moments that defined the year on the platform.
Most-Followed Celebrities
Selena Gomez led with 103 million followers, followed by Taylor Swift (93.6M), Ariana Grande (89.6M), Beyoncé (88.9M), and Kim Kardashian (78.8M).
Most-Liked Photo
Cristiano Ronaldo’s EURO 2016 celebration became Instagram’s most-liked photo, earning 3.6 million likes.
Most Geo-Tagged Cities
New York topped geo-tagged locations globally, ahead of London, Moscow, São Paulo, and Paris.
Top Drinks
Coffee was Instagram’s most popular drink hashtag, followed by water, beer, wine, and cocktails.
Top Athletes
Cristiano Ronaldo led with 42 million followers, followed by Messi (29M), Neymar Jr. (26M), Gareth Bale (13M), and James Rodríguez (11M).
Key Moments
Leonardo DiCaprio’s first-ever Oscar win was among the year’s top Instagram moments.
Top Sports Brands
Sports brand hashtags like Nike and Adidas dominated Instagram’s 2016 sports conversations.
Top Eating Lifestyle Hashtags
Healthy and indulgent food hashtags trended among Instagram users in 2016.
Most Popular Emojis
Heart and laughing emojis were the most-used on Instagram in 2016.
Top Sports Events, Leagues, and Teams
Major sports events and teams fueled top Instagram hashtags during the year.
Top Fruit Hashtags
Strawberries, bananas, and pineapples topped Instagram’s fruit hashtags.
UAE’s Top Geo-Tagged Places
Dubai landmarks led geo-tagged locations in the UAE.
Top Travel Hashtags
Popular travel hashtags included #Travel, #Vacation, and #Adventure.
KSA’s Top Followed Accounts
Saudi Arabia’s most-followed accounts highlighted local influencers and stars.
Top Art Hashtags
Art and photography hashtags captured Instagram’s creative community in 2016.
All infographics were produced by Digital Boom in collaboration with Digitree, using official Instagram data from 2016.
