Key stat: Adults ages 18 to 24 make up just 12.7% of US unique visitors to Instagram, barely ahead of the 65+ crowd at 12.2%, according to a July report from Comscore.

Beyond the chart:

• Younger users still favor Instagram more than anyone else does, they are simply outnumbered. Instagram is the platform 22% of 12- to 34-year-olds use most often, compared with 16% of 35- to 54-year-olds and 9% of those 55 and older, according to Edison Research and SiriusXM Media.
• In fact, the young minority punches well above its weight on engagement. Gen Z social media users ages 18 to 24 spend roughly 1.6 times more time on Instagram than total users do, according to EMARKETER.

Use this chart: Drop this in your next social planning meeting when someone calls Instagram the Gen Z buy. Show it to clients defending a 35-plus media mix, and use it to pressure-test whether your Instagram creative and influencer roster match the age groups actually showing up on the platform.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Gen Z Digital Trends 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Social Users and Time Spent Forecast 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)