The trend: Instagram is gaining ground on TikTok across the Asia-Pacific region, accelerated by the 2020 TikTok ban in India.

• Instagram is set to grow significantly in Japan and India, with Japan’s 2025 forecast rising to 44.4 million users and India projected to lead Asia-Pacific with 10% user growth this year.
• In contrast, TikTok’s pace of growth is softening in some countries. For instance, its projected growth in Australia has slowed to just 1.1% for the 2025–2029 period due to tighter age restrictions under Australia’s Online Safety Amendment Act.
• Meanwhile, Facebook is experiencing a slow decline in many Asia-Pacific markets, while Snapchat is growing more modestly, primarily among Gen Z users.

Why it matters: For marketers focused on Asia-Pacific, Instagram’s upward trend signals a rebalancing of audience attention across short-form video apps.

• India remains a high-stakes arena. With TikTok out of the picture, Instagram has become a core platform for reaching younger internet users—particularly important for brands investing in creator-led and visual storytelling.
• Instagram’s presence in Japan is also notable. While not the dominant social network, its steady rise there reflects a growing openness to visual-first content, opening the door to formats like Reels and shoppable posts.
• The shifts are also tied to regulatory constraints. In Australia, YouTube may gain from its purported exemption to the country’s looming social media ban. Other markets, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan, are enacting sweeping child safety laws that could challenge TikTok, Meta, and Snap.

Our take: Instagram’s growing relevance isn’t just a reaction to TikTok’s stumbles—it reflects the platform’s ability to localize content and maintain consistent engagement through features like Reels and broadcast channels, which allow creators to engage with followers in a group chat-like environment.

• In India, where TikTok’s absence left a void, Instagram has quietly become the default short video platform for both users and brands.
• Its resilience in Japan, where Western platforms often struggle, suggests long-term potential that marketers should not overlook.

TikTok may still dominate across the region, but Instagram is proving to be the more adaptable and advertiser-friendly platform in countries navigating regulatory shifts and platform restrictions. For marketers, it may be time to rethink media allocations and creative production—not just chasing TikTok virality, but meeting audiences where they’re actually growing.