Meta's H1 2026 transparency filing puts Instagram at roughly 297 million average monthly users in the EU against Facebook's 264 million, with Instagram still climbing while Facebook stays flat.
2026-08-31 · by Moe Ameen
Meta's latest EU transparency filing, published in late August 2026 to cover the first half of the year, reports Instagram at roughly 297 million average monthly active users in the European Union against Facebook's roughly 264 million. Under the EU's Digital Services Act, very large online platforms must publish these average-monthly-recipient counts for the region every six months, which makes the series a rare, comparable, self-reported look at where usage is actually moving.
The trend is the story more than any single number. Instagram's EU figure has risen steadily across reporting periods — from about 281.8 million in H1 2025 to about 288.7 million in H2 2025 to roughly 297 million now — while Facebook's EU number has been broadly flat and has dipped in some earlier periods. Instagram passed Facebook in EU monthly users a while ago and has been widening the gap since; on the current trajectory it is on track to clear 300 million in the region sometime in 2027.
The same filing carries the DSA's content-moderation disclosures. Meta reported its EU-facing moderation headcount fell over the period, from roughly 7,700 earlier in the year to about 5,900 as of this report — a detail worth noting for creators who depend on consistent enforcement and appeals. Treat the exact figures as Meta's own rounded, self-reported DSA numbers for H1 2026; confirm the latest against Meta's transparency center before quoting them precisely.
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Meta's H1 2026 DSA transparency report puts Instagram at roughly 297 million average monthly active users in the European Union, up from about 288.7 million in the second half of 2025. Facebook was reported at about 264 million over the same period. These are Meta's own rounded, self-reported figures — confirm the latest in Meta's transparency center.
Yes. By average monthly active users in the EU, Instagram (~297M in H1 2026) is now ahead of Facebook (~264M) and has been widening the gap for several reporting periods. Instagram has kept growing while Facebook has stayed broadly flat, and is on track to clear 300 million EU users in 2027.
The EU's Digital Services Act requires very large online platforms to publish their average monthly active recipients in the EU every six months, alongside content-moderation data. That makes these figures a comparable, self-reported read on how usage is shifting between Instagram and Facebook in the region.
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