Instagram Pulls Further Ahead of Facebook in EU User Numbers
Instagram continued to outpace Facebook in the European Union during the first half of 2026, according to Meta’s latest user figures published under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
Meta reported 297 million active Instagram users in the EU during the period, compared with 264 million for Facebook. While both platforms retain substantial audiences, the gap reflects a longer-term divergence in their growth trajectories.
Instagram has continued to add users in the region across recent reporting periods, while Facebook’s user numbers have remained relatively stable or declined. Based on the latest figures, Instagram could pass 300 million EU users during 2027.
The figures provide another indication of the changing role of Meta’s two largest social platforms. Facebook remains a major channel, but its position has weakened as users increasingly spend time on Instagram and other services, including TikTok.
Meta’s other social platform, Threads, reported 41 million EU users during the period. That remains a relatively small share of its global monthly audience, which Meta says exceeds 500 million.
The DSA reporting also provides information on content moderation. Meta reported around 5,900 moderation staff in the EU, down from approximately 7,700 in March. The reduction comes as the company increases its use of artificial intelligence in content moderation and has previously indicated that AI systems will take on a greater role in the process.
The latest figures therefore point to two developments taking place at the same time: Instagram is continuing to expand its EU audience, while Facebook is losing some of its previous momentum. The two aren’t necessary exhchanging the same audience, but there’s a clear stagnancy in Facebook usership overall, with Instagram gaiing traction simply due to how prevfalent the platform is online.
