Is Instagram Really for Girls? Elon Musk Revives Claim, but Global Data Shows Men Slightly Outnumber Women

SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk has reignited an online debate about Instagram by once again describing the Meta-owned photo-sharing app as a platform "for girls." Audience data, however, suggests the claim does not hold up, particularly on a global scale.

Musk, the owner of rival platform X, made the remark Thursday in response to a post by an account called Geiger Capital, which announced it had deleted Instagram.

"Officially deleted instagram. An inherently female app. Zero benefit," the account wrote.

Musk replied: "Instagram is for girls."

The post drew about 1.8 million views within hours and thousands of reactions, with users split between agreeing with the jab, mocking it and challenging its accuracy.

Not the first time

It is not the first time Musk has made the claim. In May, he posted "Lmao Instagram is for girls" in response to a viral thread comparing social media platforms to different phases of life.

In a follow-up post at the time, Musk added: "Obviously. Sometimes grown men send me their Instagram profiles and I'm like are you transitioning or what?"

Those remarks drew accusations of sexism, with critics arguing that labeling a platform as being "for girls" implied it was less serious or less worthy. Supporters described the comments as a joke.

The latest post revived much of the same debate. Some users said they agreed that Instagram's culture leans toward lifestyle content, selfies and fashion. Others pushed back, with one user replying that the app is "a welcoming space for all genders," while another asked, "What about X?"

What the data shows

Available audience data does not support the idea that Instagram is predominantly used by women, at least worldwide.

Instagram's global audience is close to evenly split between men and women, with men making up a slight majority. Figures based on Meta's advertising audience data, compiled by research firms including DataReportal, have put the split at roughly 52.7% male and 47.3% female.

That means men slightly outnumber women among Instagram's global adult audience, the opposite of what Musk's remark suggests.

The breakdown varies by country. In some markets, including India, which has Instagram's largest user base, male users significantly outnumber female users. In other markets, including the United States, women make up a larger share of Instagram users, and surveys by the Pew Research Center have found that American women are more likely than men to say they use the platform.

Experts caution that such figures rely on self-reported data and advertising tools, which may not capture every user accurately. Meta's tools also do not publish data for genders other than male and female.

A massive platform

Instagram is one of the world's largest social media platforms, with more than 3 billion monthly active users. Its audience spans a wide range of ages, interests and professions, from fashion and beauty creators to athletes, musicians, businesses, news organizations and politicians.

Many of the most-followed accounts on Instagram belong to men, including soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, who has the largest following on the platform. Sports leagues, brands and male influencers maintain large audiences there.

The platform has also expanded well beyond its photo-sharing roots, adding short-form videos through Reels, messaging and shopping features, as it competes with TikTok, YouTube and other services.

Rivalry with Meta

Musk's comments come amid a long-running rivalry with Meta and its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.

Musk has frequently criticized Meta's platforms while promoting X, which he bought in 2022 when it was known as Twitter. He has positioned X as a home for open debate and real-time news, contrasting it with Instagram's more visual and curated style.

The rivalry intensified after Meta launched Threads in 2023, a text-based app widely seen as a direct competitor to X. The two billionaires have traded barbs publicly over the years, at one point even discussing a possible cage fight that never took place.

Meta has not publicly responded to Musk's latest comments.

Gender and social media

Researchers say stereotypes about which platforms are "for" men or women often oversimplify how people use social media.

Usage patterns differ across platforms, with some studies finding that women are more likely to use visually oriented apps such as Pinterest, while men make up a larger share of users on platforms such as Reddit and X. But most major platforms have broad audiences across genders, ages and regions.

Critics of Musk's remark argued that dismissing a platform because it is popular with women reflects outdated attitudes. Others noted that X itself has a user base that skews male in many markets.

The bottom line

Musk's claim that Instagram is "for girls" may resonate with some users who see the platform's culture as lifestyle-focused, but global data paints a different picture. Instagram's worldwide audience is roughly evenly divided, with men making up a slight majority, even though women outnumber men in some countries, including the United States.