Who Has The Most Followers On Instagram? A Closer Look At The Most Popular Accounts In 11 Different Categories

Getting more followers on Instagram is the goal for almost every person, brand or business with an Instagram account. After all, more followers means more reach. Whether you’re using that reach for business or bragging rights, having more followers lets you impact and influence more people. Let’s take a look at who has the most followers on Instagram in 11 different categories.

Quick Links

• Athletes
• Actors & Actresses
• Musicians
• Television Personalities
• Brands
• Models
• Magazines
• Comedians
• Politicians
• Non-Celebrity Influencers
• Magicians

1. Athletes With The Most Followers 

Cristiano Ronaldo (234 million)

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese soccer player who plays for Juventus, and he’s also the captain of the Portugal national team. He has the most followers on Instagram out of all the users in the world. His posts vary from photos with trophies to team shots to images with his family.

Lionel Messi (161 million)

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian soccer player who plays for and is captain of the Barcelona team and the Argentina national team. When you scroll through his Instagram, you’ll see plenty of soccer pictures, images with his friends and teammates, and also some sponsored posts and ads.

Neymar (140 million)

Neymar is a Brazilian soccer player who plays for the Paris Saint-Germain team, as well as the Brazil national team. His Instagram account shows plenty of soccer moments, wins and celebrations.

LeBron James (69.4 million)

LeBron James is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. In his Instagram posts, he shares plenty of basketball pictures, as well as behind the scenes images, fan art, social activism, inspiration and more.

David Beckham (63.8 million)

David Beckham used to be an English soccer player, and now he is co-owner and president of Inter Miami CF, a soccer club in Miami, Florida, and also co-owner of the club in Salford City in England. His Instagram account shows his life, family and the things he cares about and values.

2. Actors & Actresses With The Most Followers

Dwayne Johnson – The Rock (192 million)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is an American-Canadian actor, producer, businessman and more. He is also a former pro wrestler, and his ring name was “The Rock.” He created a tequila brand, which is often featured on his Instagram. Also in his posts you’ll find his family, his workouts, his cheat meals, previews of his TV shows, and many customer reviews of his tequila.

Kevin Hart (96.7 million)

Kevin Hart is an American comedian, actor and producer who had most recently appeared in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, as well as Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw. On his Instagram, you’ll find promoted posts, comedy, his specials and movies, and his family.

Zendaya (75.2 million)

Zendaya is an American actress and singer who got her start on Disney Channel in the TV show Shake It Up. More recently, she was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the HBO series Euphoria. Her Instagram account shows social justice posts, career updates and red carpet looks, magazine covers and her dog.

Vin Diesel (65 million)

Vin Diesel is an American actor, producer, director and screenwriter. He’s one of the highest-grossing actors, after starring in the Fast & Furious series. On his Instagram account, you’ll find photos of his family, videos of him and promotions for his most recent project.

Emma Watson (57.6 million)

Emma Watson is an English actor, activist and model. She’s best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series. Her Instagram account is not currently being updated, but you’ll find social justice and activism posts, behind the scenes of her movies, and causes and ideas she cares about in her existing posts.

3. Musicians With The Largest Instagram Followings

Ariana Grande (196 million)

Ariana Grande is an American singer and actress who rose to fame on the Nickelodeon series Victorious, and she has five studio albums. Her Instagram grid shows plenty of photos of herself, as well as calls to vote (or register), tributes to her friends and her dogs. 

Selena Gomez (185 million)

Selena Gomez is an American actress, singer and songwriter who began acting at a young age on Barney & Friends, later moving to Disney Channel and then into music. Her Instagram feed shows her everyday life, music video clips, and social activism posts.

Beyonce (151 million)

Beyonce is an American singer, actress, dancer and more who is somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. She just released a visual album called BLACK IS KING, which is a large focus of her Instagram posts at the moment. Also on her feed you’ll see inspirational messages, activism, music releases and more.

Justin Bieber (143 million)

Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actor. He has five studio albums and has won a Grammy. On his Instagram feed, you’ll see photos of his family, his beliefs, sports and promotional posts for The Drew House.

Taylor Swift (138 million)

Taylor Swift is an American singer and songwriter who just dropped her eighth studio album with less than 24 hours’ notice after writing and recording it during quarantine. Her Instagram is currently full of promotion for her album folklore, but also shows her family, her life in quarantine, behind the scenes of music videos and more.

4. Television Personalities

Kylie Jenner (188 million)

Kylie Jenner is an American media personality and businesswoman. She’s the founder of Kylie Cosmetics, which brought in $200 million in revenue in 2019. On her Instagram you’ll see photos of her life, her daughter and family, her cosmetics, magazine covers and fashion.

Kim Kardashian West (182 million)

Kim Kardashian is an American media personality and businesswoman who is currently pursuing a career in law. She is Kylie Jenner’s half-sister. Scrolling through her Instagram account you’ll find images of her shapewear and makeup lines (SKIMS and KKW BEAUTY, respectively), as well as her family and personal life.

Kendall Jenner (135 million)

Kendall Jenner is an American media personality and model. She is Kylie Jenner’s sister and Kim Kardashian West’s half-sister. She’s perhaps one of the most private of the Kardashian/Jenner ladies, but she’s still built herself a significant following. On Instagram she shares photos of her life, modeling shoots and magazine covers.

Khloe Kardashian (118 million)

Khloe Kardashian is an American media personality and model, and she’s written a number of books. She is half-sister to Kendall and Kyle Jenner and sister to Kim Kardashian West. She also has a swimwear line called Good American. You’ll find plenty of Good American photos on her Instagram, as well as pictures of her daughter and many photos of her family.

Kourtney Kardashian (98.3 million)

Kourtney Kardashian is an American media personality and model, and she also runs a lifestyle site called Poosh. She is Kim Kardashian West and Khloe Kardashian’s sister and Kylie and Kendall Jenner’s half-sister. Her Instagram feed features pictures of her daughter and family, images from her life, photo shoots and more.

5. Brands With The Most Followers

Nike (119 million)

Nike is an American company that primarily creates sports and workout apparel, footwear and accessories. Their Instagram feed is full of sports videos, inspiring messages, social activism and clips from commercials.

Victoria’s Secret (68.7 million)

Victoria’s Secret is an American lingerie brand with high-visibility marketing. On their Instagram feed, you’ll find images of models and influencers wearing their products, as well as a few customer reviews and testimonials.

Huda Beauty (46.5 million)

Huda Beauty is Huda Kattan’s beauty line, launched by the Iraqi-American businesswoman in 2013. If you scroll through Huda Beauty’s Instagram feed, you’ll find photos of their product, as well as a few makeup memes and before-and-afters.

Chanel (40.6 million)

Chanel is a French fashion brand that was started by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in 1910. Their Instagram currently features their earrings, but when you scroll through you can also find photos of and tributes to Coco Chanel, as well as their other products

Gucci (40.5 million)

Gucci is a luxury leather and fashion brand from Italy. Their Instagram feed is filled with images of their products, fashion, magazine covers and artistic drawings of fashion-related themes.

6. Models

Gigi Hadid (55.7 million)

Gigi Hadid is an American model who’s been captivating runways since 2014. Her Instagram is full of images from her various shoots, behind the scenes photos of her life, social activism and her family.

Cara Delevigne (44.2 million)

Cara Delevigne is an English model and actress who can be seen in movies like Paper Towns and Suicide Squad. Her Instagram shows photos of her family, pictures from her photoshoots, activism, magazine covers and memes.

Bella Hadid (32 million)

Bella Hadid is an American model and former “Model of the Year” in 2016. When you scroll her Instagram you’ll find photos from her shoots, re-posts of other celebrities, social activism, and family pictures.

Chrissy Teigen (30.8 million)

Chrissy Teigen is an American model, actress and cookbook author. Her Instagram feed is full of her family, drool-worthy food and general photos of her life as a model, wife and mother. 

Emily Ratajkowski (26.7 million)

Emily Ratajkowski is an American model and actress who has been in music videos and movies like Gone Girl. Her Instagram feed shows images from her shoots and behind the scenes pictures of her life.

7. Magazines

National Geographic (142 million)

National Geographic is a popular television network and magazine that features geography and exploration. On Instagram you’ll find visually stunning images of the natural world and people from various cultures and countries around the globe. Recently, they launched an augmented reality experience on Instagram, allowing users to experience a Mount Everest summit virtually.

Vogue (28 million)

Vogue Magazine is a monthly American fashion and lifestyle magazine. Scrolling through their Instagram you’ll find fashion and model shots, images of their interviewees, and updates about the magazine.

People (8 million)

People magazine is an American tabloid with celebrity and human-interest stories. Their Instagram account is filled with regrams from celebrity accounts, as well as images and stories from their issues.

The Economist (5 million)

The Economist is a current events weekly magazine-style newspaper. On their Instagram you’ll find news and information about current events happening around the world.

New Yorker Magazine (4.8 million)

The New Yorker Magazine is an American magazine with cartoons, satire, criticism and journalism. Scrolling through their Instagram you’ll see information, articles and cartoons from their latest editions.

8. Comedians

Kevin Hart (96.7 million)

Kevin Hart is an actor and stand-up comedian. His comedy tours began in 2009 and have been popular ever since, even leading to comedy specials. On his Instagram you’ll see his family, clips and promotions for his movies, and plenty of jokes.

Joe Rogan (10.3 million)

Joe Rogan is an American comedian with 10 comedy specials, two of which were made for Netflix. His Instagram shows the behind the scenes side of his life, his dog and his workouts, with a few jokes sprinkled in, too.

Amy Schumer (10.1 million)

Amy Schumer is an American comedian and actress who was on Last Comic Standing in 2007. If you head to her Instagram you’ll find social activism, comedic posts, and images of her life and family.

Trevor Noah (6.6 million)

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian and current host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central. His Instagram is full of funny videos, social activism and posts about television awards.

Chris Rock (3.8 million)

Chris Rock is an American comedian and actor. He spent time in the 1990s on Saturday Night Live, which helped propel his career. On his Instagram you’ll find social activism, quotes and meaningful messages.

9. Politicians

Narendra Modi (46.3 million)

Narendra Modi has been the Prime Minister of India since 2014. His Instagram showcases what he’s doing as Prime Minister as he travels the country, as well as video messages from him.

Joko Widodo (34.3 million)

Joko Widodo has been the President of Indonesia since 2014, as well as a businessman. His Instagram shows official business and messages from him and his office. 

Barack Obama (30.9 million)

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States, serving from 2009 to 2017. On his Instagram you’ll find political endorsements, speaking engagements, social activism and his family.

Donald Trump (21.2 million)

Donald Trump is an American businessman who’s also the 45th President of the United States. His Instagram shows official business and statements he has released as president.

Hillary Clinton (4.7 million)

Hillary Clinton is an American politician who served as Secretary of State from 2009-2013. Her Instagram account shows political information, activism, personal photos and promotions.

10. Non-Celebrity Influencers With The Largest Instagram Followings

Amanda Cerny (25.8 million)

Amanda Cerny is an actress and UN ambassador. Her Instagram shows many fashion photos and videos, as well as comedic posts and some social activism.

Zach King (23.5 million)

Zach King is an internet personality and digital creator who is best known for digitally-edited magic videos. His Instagram feed is full of these magical videos.

James Charles (19.9 million)

James Charles is an internet personality who gained popularity as a makeup artist on YouTube. His Instagram account is full of makeup looks and model shots.

Liza Koshy (18.3 million)

Liza Koshy is an actress and YouTube star who got her start on Vine back in 2013. On her Instagram you’ll find images and videos of herself and her friends and family.

Nikkie De Jager (14.2 million)

Nikkie De Jager, known as NikkieTutorials online, is a Dutch beauty blogger and makeup artist. Her Instagram is full of makeup looks and tutorial videos for many different types of designs.

11. Magicians

Julius Dein (6.2 million)

Julius Dein is an English illusionist and street magician. His Instagram is filled with photos and videos of his girlfriend and his magic tricks. 

David Blaine (812,000)

David Blaine is an American illusionist and extreme performer. His Instagram account includes videos of tricks, photos of endurance performances and more.

Shin Lim (794,000)

Shin Lim is a Canadian-American magician who specializes in card tricks. On his Instagram, you’ll find videos of his illusions, as well as some shared videos of tricks he has enjoyed watching.

Criss Angel (464,000)

Criss Angel is an American magician with a standing show in Las Vegas called Mindfreak. Scrolling through his Instagram, you’ll find photos of his family, causes he supports and some videos of his magic.

Chris Ramsay (381,000)

Chris Ramsay is a YouTube star who solves puzzles. On his Instagram account, you’ll find amusing photos and posts, videos of his puzzle-solving and more.

Popularity On Instagram

Each of these popular accounts became famous and popular in a different way, and many times with very different audiences. One thing unites them all, though: their Instagram accounts reflect their personalities and show what is personally important to them.