The Most Instagrammed Cities in the World

The Most Instagrammed Cities in the World

Cover photo background image credit: Mahir Uysal

Have you ever wondered which locations were the most popular in the world for Instagram posts?

This list features the top 20 most Instagrammed cities in the world! Based on research from Statista for the most popular cities worldwide on Instagram by mentions in hashtags, this data shows the most popular as of December 2017.

As 2018 is still progressing, we’ll have to wait until December to see what changes, but for now continue reading to learn more about the most Instagrammed cities in the world. [PS – Follow @filtergrade on Instagram!]

Top 20 Most Popular Cities on Instagram

1. London

london cityscape

London Cityscape view from The Shard, London, United Kingdom by Benjamin Davies

London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. Iconic monuments like ‘Big Ben’ clock tower and Buckingham Palace make London an extremely popular attraction for visitors.

London is the most popular city on Instagram with over 88.78 million mentions in hashtags in 2017 (worldwide). View #london →

2. New York

new york city aerial skyline photo

Aerial NYC view from the top of Rockefeller Plaza by Jonathan Riley

New York City is the most-visited city in the United States and arguably the most popular. There are over 8.7 million people living in NYC, with over 1.6 million people living in Manhattan alone, making it the most densely populated major city in the US as well.

In 2017, New York was tagged 88,510,000 times on Instagram. View #nyc →

3. Paris

paris eiffel tower skyline

Eiffel Tower – Paris, France by Matthew Moloney

Paris is France’s capital and is a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy, and culture. There are countless landmarks and beautiful historical buildings in Paris making it one of the most popular destinations in the world. You can view the Eiffel Tower, climb the Arc de Triomphe, and tour the Louvre all in a single day. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

Paris has a population of over 2.2 million people and is a central European city for business, fashion, and culture visited by millions of international tourists each year.

In 2017, Paris was tagged 75,010,000 times on Instagram. View #paris →

4. Dubai

dubai skyscrapers skyline photo

Dubai skyscrapers by Jacqueline Schmid

Dubai is the largest and most populated city in the United Arab Emirates. Known of high-end shopping, astonishing architecture, and lots of entertainment, the city attracts millions of visitors each year. Dubai is also home to the world’s largest tower, Burj Khalifa. At 830m tall, this skyscraper tops the cityscape and skyline making for some epic photos.

In 2017, Dubai was tagged 59,640,000 times on Instagram. View #dubai →

5. Istanbul

istanbul cityscape

Aerial cityscape of Istanbul Sapphire, Istanbul, Turkey by Luke Michael

Istanbul is the most populous city in Turkey and is a major city connecting Europe and Asia. Istanbul has a population of over 15 million making it one of the largest cities in the world.

Once known as Constantinople and Byzantium, this historic city has been around since 660 BCE! You’ll find many cultural influences in Istanbul from the various empires that controlled the city over the years.

In 2017, Istanbul was tagged 50,150,000 times on Instagram. View #istanbul →

6. Miami

miami cityscape

Miami cityscape sunset view by Derek Torsani

Miami is a major port city in Florida that attracts a large number of visitors every year. According to the United States Census Bureau, Miami’s metro area is the seventh-most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million.

Miami is also home to a wealth of art and fashion events like Art Basel and Miami Swim Week. From beautiful white sand beaches to busy, lively streets and nightclubs, Miami has a lot to offer which is why it is one of the most popular cities in the world.

In 2017, Miami was tagged 44,270,000 times on Instagram. View #miami →

7. Los Angeles

los angeles hollywood sign aerial

Aerial view of the Hollywood Sign outside of LA by Sasha Stories

Los Angeles is a large Southern California city and the hub of the United States’ film and television industry. LA is also growing as a center for startups of all kinds.

Greater Los Angeles has an estimated population of 18.7 million making it one of the largest, and most congested, cities in the USA.

In 2017, Los Angeles was tagged 36,370,000 times on Instagram. View #losangeles →

8. Barcelona

barcelona cityscape

Barcelona cityscape at sunset by Frederic Bartl

Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is a wonderful and large city full of stunning architecture and interesting art. Barcelona and the surrounding regions are home to more than 4.8 million people making it the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union.

People visit Barcelona to see the Sagrada Familia church, tour Park Güell, shop and explore in La Rambla, and more!

In 2017, Barcelona was tagged 34,110,000 times on Instagram. View #barcelona →

9. Moscow

moscow city skyscrapers

Moscow City skyscrapers by yurchin

Moscow is the capital of Russia and resides on the Moskva River in western Russia. The cosmopolitan capital is home to 12.4 million people and is also where the Kremlin government is located.

In 2017, Moscow was tagged 32,440,000 times on Instagram. View #moscow →

10. Chicago

Chicago cityscape - taken from the 360 Chicago viewing tower by Markus Leo

Chicago skyline – taken from the 360 Chicago viewing tower by Markus Leo

Chicago is the largest midwestern city in the United States and has a population of over 2.7 million, making it the third most populous US city overall.

Intriguing architecture and large, modern skyscrapers make Chicago great for both photography and simply exploring for countless hours. Being on Lake Michigan, Chicago has a nice coastline with fun activities like Navy Pier. You can also chill in Millennium Park and visit the famous “Bean” sculpture.

Millennium Park alone attracts over 25 million annual visitors, which is why it’s no surprise that Chicago is one of the top 10 most instagrammed cities in the world.

In 2017, Chicago was tagged 31,370,000 times on Instagram. View #chicago →

11. Tokyo

tokyo street photo

Tokyo street photo by Aleksandar Pasaric

Tokyo is the massive capital of Japan and is home to more than 39 million residents in the Tokyo Metropolis making it one of the largest, densest urban environments in the world.

In 2017, Tokyo was tagged 29,020,000 times on Instagram. View #tokyo →

12. Toronto

A perfect view of the Toronto city skyline as seen from the seats of a kayak.

A perfect view of the Toronto city skyline as seen from the seats of a kayak. Photo by Mitul Shah

Toronto is the capital of the Ontario province in Canada. Toronto is another major city along one of the Great Lakes; Lake Ontario to be specific.

Having nearly 3 million people living in Toronto make it the fourth most populous city in North America.

In 2017, Toronto was tagged 26,310,000 times on Instagram. View #toronto →

13. Berlin

berlin skyline

Fernsehturm television tower in Central Berlin, Germany by Mike Moloney

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany with a population of over 3.7 million people. Berlin is a rich, historic city with powerful monuments and symbols including the Holocaust Memorial and the Berlin Wall.

In 2017, Berlin was tagged 26,000,000 times on Instagram. View #berlin →

14. Las Vegas

welcome to las vegas sign

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada Sign by skeeze

Las Vegas is a popular US city focused on nightlife, entertainment, gambling in the 24-hour casinos, and more. There are exciting shows, sights, and amazing restaurants in Las Vegas as well making it a popular travel destination for people from all over.

Las Vegas has under 700,000 people in the city, making it one of the least populous on this list. Tourism attracts the majority of visitors to Vegas which is why it is so popular on Instagram.

In 2017, Las Vegas was tagged 24,630,000 times on Instagram. View #lasvegas →

15. Madrid

madrid spain architecture

Madrid, Spain architecture by Abbie Bernet

Madrid is the capital of Spain and the largest city in the country with almost 3.2 million people in the metro area. The interesting architecture, fine art collections, and main shopping squares like Plaza Mayor make Madrid a popular city.

Annually Madrid can expect anywhere from 6-7 million international visitors which is one key reason the city is so popular on Instagram.

In 2017, Madrid was tagged 23,020,000 times on Instagram. View #madrid→

16. Hong Kong

hong kong evening cityscape panorama

Hong Kong cityscape panorama at night by Nathaniel Parker

Hong Kong is an autonomous territory on the Pearl River estuary in South China. Hong Kong used to be a colony of the British empire. Now the region is independently governed as a special administrative region and maintains a separate political and economic system from mainland China.

Hong Kong has a population of over 7.4 million people in an area of just 426 square miles making it the fourth most densely populated region in the world!

In 2017, Hong Kong was tagged 21,740,000 times on Instagram. View #hongkong→

17. Amsterdam

amsterdam canal

Amsterdam canal view by Kata Pal

Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital and a major city made up of canals, bike paths, and other interesting modes of transportation like the tram network.

Amsterdam is one of the most popular locations for tourists due to the sheer amount of fun activities and entertainment opportunities in the city. Yearly, there are over 18 million visitors.

In 2017, Amsterdam was tagged 20,360,000 times on Instagram. View #amsterdam→

18. Sydney

sydney opera house

Sydney Opera House and cityscape view by Patty Jansen

Sydney is the capital of the New South Wales state in Australia and is also the most populous city in Australia. Sydney is a popular port for trade and travelers alike.

The Sydney Opera House and other famous landmarks, like the Sydney Tower Skywalk, bring a large amount of people to the city each year.

In 2017, Sydney was tagged 20,270,000 times on Instagram. View #sydney→

19. San Francisco

San Francisco golden gate bridge

Golden hour at Golden Gate Bridge by Tae Fuller

San Francisco is home to many popular Silicon Valley startup companies, known for its distinctive fog, and of course the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. This northern California city is also populated with nearly 1 million people, with 8.7 million people living in the San Jose – San Francisco – Oakland metropolitan area.

In 2017, San Francisco was tagged 18,790,000 times on Instagram. View #sanfrancisco →

20. Bangkok

bangkok cityscape

Cityscape of Bangkok Downtown by Andreas Brücker

Bangkok is Thailand’s capital and is home to over 9 million people. The large city is known for its ornate shrines and vibrant, busy city life.

In 2017, Bangkok was tagged 17,660,000 times on Instagram. View #bangkok →

The Most Hashtagged Cities on Instagram

See the total number of hashtagged posts for the top 10 most popular cities on Instagram in 2017 with this infographic from Statista.

Most hashtagged cities on Instagram 2017 chart from Statista

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