Between January and June 2025, 281.8 million people in the EU used Instagram every month – Facebook only reached 263.6 million. Growth: Instagram +6.17%, Facebook +0.65%. Facebook is losing users, particularly in Germany, the Netherlands and Greece.
🚀 Why Instagram is booming
Features such as auto-scroll, secret reels, Spotify integration and better advertising options make Insta attractive for creators and brands. At the same time, Threads is growing rapidly with over 275 million users and is already considered the “next big thing”.
📉Facebook stagnates
Still the largest platform worldwide, Facebook is clearly lagging behind in Europe. Studies also show more hate speech, polarisation and problematic content – while Instagram is more strongly influenced by younger entertainment communities.
🤖 Moderation & AI
Meta relies on 40,000 moderators plus AI systems. Fact-checking in the US was replaced by Community Notes in 2025 – transparency according to Meta, weaker control according to critics. Less spam is removed, hate speech is left standing more often.
✨ Conclusion
Instagram is growing ten times faster than Facebook in Europe and is extending its lead year after year. AI features increase usage time – but data protection and ethical issues remain. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Facebook to catch up.
