Who Has the Most Followers on Instagram Right Now?

The much-coveted prestige of “Who has the most followers on Instagram” belongs to Instagram’s own account, with 597 million followers as of January 2023. As a widely popular platform for sharing photos, it’s not surprising that it is dominated by celebrities and other public personalities. This particular group of elites, with a worldwide following of hundreds of millions per account, has also consistently claimed the top spots in Instagram’s Hall of Fame year in and year out. Besides Instagram itself, let’s explore the most followed Instagram accounts.

If you’re not yet following these most popular accounts on Instagram, keep reading to find out why they’re worth checking out!

Who Has the Most Followers on Instagram in 2023

Having one of the accounts with the most followers on Instagram for 2023 is an impressive feat. To belong to Instagram’s “creme de la creme” requires not only immense popularity but also similar degrees of credibility and charm. Not to mention awesome content creation skills. Several of the most followed Instagram accounts are in a neck-and-neck battle to be on top. Of course, some of the platform’s popular personalities and brands have better Instagram games than others. Let’s go over who has the most followers on Instagram at the beginning of 2023.

10. Khloe Kardashian, 291 Million Followers

Making the top 10 most-followed Instagram accounts puts Khloe as the number three most-followed member of the Kardashian-Jenner family. She is a well-known entrepreneur launching fragrance and cosmetic lines, as well as co-founding the popular clothing brand, Good American.

9. Beyoncé, 292 Million Followers

The Queen Bey made it to the top 10, of course. She usually posts about her performances and shares quick peeks into her personal life. 

8. Kim Kardashian, 342 Million Followers

The most famous among the Kardashian-Jenner family, Kim K has consistently maintained a massive following on Instagram for years. Kim continues on as one of the most followed Instagram accounts in the social media era.

7. Ariana Grande, 352 Million Followers

Follow Ariana Grande for a sneak peek into her pop-star life. Her global reach and larger-than-life superstardom are as wide as her vocal range. 

6. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, 360 Million Followers

Family, filming, and the gym provide an endless supply of content for The Rock. Serving both workout and lifestyle motivation, these are the slices of life shared by the tequila mogul, Hollywood movie star, and former WWE champion. 

5. Selena Gomez, 373 Million Followers

Instagram is still dominated by Selena’s generation. As one of the most followed actors, she has mastered the art of Instagramming to satisfy the demands of her followers. 

4. Kylie Jenner, 379 Million Followers

She followed the footsteps of her half-sib Kim K and then surpassed her big sister’s Instagram celebrity status in true-blue Kardashian-Jenner fashion. Seemingly changing positions with Kim, Kylie Jenner reigns as the most Instagram-famous female.

3. Lionel Messi, Most Known as Leo Messi, 424 Million Followers

Messi is a soccer forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captain of the Argentinian national football team. He is one of the world’s most famous athletes with one of the most followed Instagram accounts. 

2. Cristiano Ronaldo, 539 Million Followers

Arguably one of the best footballers in history, Cristiano Ronaldo was also the first individual to breach the 200-million mark on Instagram. Ronaldo’s star is still shining as the photo-sharing app’s most popular account with one of the world’s most famous faces.

1. Instagram, 597 Million Followers

It’s not surprising that Instagram’s official account holds the top spot. After all, you need to be following Instagram on Instagram to get the latest information on the entire platform.

Who Has the Most Followers on Instagram in 2022?

As of January 2023, 70% of total Instagram users were 34 years and younger, with a little over 30% belonging to the 25-34 age group. Predictably, accounts with the highest number of followers are consistently those that appeal to the younger adult demographic. Excluding Instagram’s own profile, let’s take a look at who has the most followers on Instagram in 2022. 

12. National Geographic, 135 Million Followers

Known for its world-class photography, the most famous photo-sharing app is the perfect platform for Nat Geo. If you are wondering which non-celebrity account had the most followers on Instagram, Nat Geo made the top of that list in 2022 to beat out the brand Nike.

11. Kendall Jenner, 248 Million Followers

Kendall Jenner began her modeling career at age 14 for well-known fashion designers. In addition to her career as a model and media personality, you will find her on Hulu’s “The Kardashians.”

10. Justin Bieber, 248 Million Followers

His posts are often goofy and laid-back. With a candid look at his entire life, it’s no wonder that his posts appeal to more than 200 million users worldwide.

9. Khloe Kardashian, 262 Million Followers

Besides finding her on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and hosting various shows on TV, Khloe has always stood out from her famous siblings with her independent business ventures.

8. Beyoncé Carter-Knowles, 268 Million Followers

Her career has spanned 25 years, and Beyoncé has always been one of the brightest stars in the industry. 

7. Ariana Grande, 322 Million Followers

She got started on Nickelodeon and has since become one of the most successful pop icons of her time. This Grammy-winning singer wins as one of the most followed musicians.

6. Kim Kardashian, 325 Million Followers

She’s one of the most well-known celebrities of the past and current decades and has built several successful brands using the platform. 

5. Dwayne Johnson, 328 Million Followers

From his days as a WWE professional wrestler to becoming one of the highest-grossing box-office stars of all time, The Rock’s celebrity status is, well, rock-solid.

4. Selena Gomez, 336 Million Followers

From the Disney Channel to concert stages, the big screen, and IG, Selena Gomez is a musician not afraid to conquer them all. This most followed actor is also a business mogul who advocates for mental health awareness.

3. Leo Messi, 349 Million Followers

He’s the world’s highest-paid athlete and a six-time winner of the FIFA Best Men’s Player award.

2. Kylie Jenner, 358 Million Followers

A beauty mogul, entrepreneur, and founder and owner of Kylie Cosmetics, she was named the world’s youngest self-made billionaire in March 2019.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, 467 Million Followers

He held the top spot for the most followed person on Instagram for the previous year, too. If you’re wondering why then you better start following him on the platform pronto!  

The who’s who of the most followed accounts on Instagram is the familiar line-up of well-known personalities. Numbers in the millions and hundreds of millions may be unachievable for the majority of users, but Instagram remains to be the social media platform of choice for anyone who wishes to become famous.  

Who Is the Most Followed Woman and the Most Followed Man on Instagram?

As of January 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese footballer, also has the best social media game. Cristiano is not only the most followed person on Instagram but also the answer to who has the most followers on Instagram in the world. After an eventful few years, he has 539 million followers. The now-former player for Manchester United continues to assert his Instagram dominance. One of Ronaldo’s biggest rivals for the most followed Instagram account is Kylie Jenner. She remains the most followed woman with 379 million followers. While offering an occasional intimate glimpse, Kylie has a feed filled with sneak peeks into her businesses, including Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Skin, Kylie Swim, and Kylie Baby.

The Secret to Amassing a Huge Following on Instagram

Fame-seekers flock to Instagram with high hopes of becoming successful influencers. The platform is, in fact, the birthplace of the now ubiquitous Instagram influencers. Encouraging followers through lifestyle motivation and brand deals, a lot of these self-made models and brand “ambassadors” have built rewarding careers solely through the platform. Famous faces of celebrities and athletes — including those with the most followers on Instagram — generate additional income through Instagram and other social media advertising and sponsored content. The number one person on the list — Cristiano Ronaldo — also ranked first in the average media value of one of his IG posts, which was a whopping 985,441 U.S. dollars.

E-commerce startups and small- to mid-sized businesses also use the platform to take advantage of its amazing marketing potential, particularly when using ads for e-commerce. And if you’re looking for a way to give your follower numbers a much-needed boost, look no further than Path Social. 

It’s no secret that organic growth is crucial to lasting Instagram success. Path Social, therefore, does not stray from this tried-and-tested growth strategy. With their proprietary AI targeting algorithm, Path Social tracks down real users who are already looking for the kind of content you have to offer. Their in-house team of social media experts does the heavy lifting and organically promotes your content to your target audience. Path Social’s approach ensures that you’ll only get genuinely interested followers who are also most likely to provide regular and quality engagement to your account. It’s your time to shine! Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today!