Instagram follower count can serve as a form of cache, a status symbol—or for some, just a number. For celebrities, their number of followers means more than just their online influence. This may have something to do with their popularity. With a profile that includes her makeup line, lavish lifestyle and occasional glimpses of her children, Kylie Jenner is by far the most followed woman on Instagram. Selena Gomez overtook Jenner as the most followed woman on February 23, with less than 1 million followers between them.
The Only Murder in the Building star took the title in 2019 after briefly quitting the app in 2018. She returned to the top spot in 2023, much to the celebration of her fans. "The Queen is back!" one user tweeted. "Selena Gomez is the most followed female artist on Instagram and Tiktok right now. A global queen," noted another.
However, Gomez did not have the app on her phone or even post on her account. Her assistant does this for her. She told Vanity Fair in February that the negative comments led her to delete the app from her phone. "The paragraphs [people] wrote were so specific and mean. I would cry constantly. I would feel anxious all the time... I couldn't do this anymore. It was a waste of my time." She is a fan of TikTok, though, and her TikTok is also available on mobile phones. “There are so many wonderful things about social media — connecting with fans and seeing their joy and excitement and their stories,” she said. "But usually that filters out [for me]."
Here are the 20 most followed women on Instagram as of February 2023.
20. Gal Gadot: 97 million followers
IG: @gal_gadot
Wonder Woman's feed is filled with feel-good content, including a recent tropical getaway and macaroni cheese brand Goodles.
19. Billie Eilish: 108 million followers
IG: @billieeilish
Eilish’s content is creative. She also dabbles in the fragrance industry, promoting Eilish No. 2 on her page.
18. Ellen DeGeneres: 132 million followers
IG: @ellendegeneres
The former talk show host built a huge following during her tenure on the show. DeGeneres is currently posting throwback content from her show, including her appearing to guess the name of Paris Hilton's son.
17. Rihanna: 144 million followers
IG: @badgirlriri
Rihanna's boyfriend A$AP Rocky and their son grace the March 2023 cover of British Vogue , currently dominating the billionaire's headlines. When she's not posting about her family, she's posting about business ventures like Fenty Beauty.
16. Demi Lovato: 149 million followers
IG: @ddlovato
Lovato has expressed her love for boyfriend Juts in recent Instagram posts, especially in a Valentine's Day tribute.
15. Cardi B: 153 million followers
IG: @iamcardib
Cardi's recent Insta activity is particularly interesting. She and Offset have been promoting their new McDonald's meals, which launch on February 14th.
14.Zendaya: 168 million followers
IG: @zendaya
The Euphoria star's feed is filled with bold fashion moments. But fans won’t object to more photos of Tom Holland!
13. Katy Perry: 192 million followers
IG: @katypeerry
Perry's latest Instagram post features a behind-the-scenes look at American Idol Season 21.
12. Miley Cyrus: 197 million followers
IG: @mileycyrus
ICYMI, Cyrus can buy himself flowers. The main focus of her account right now is sharing images from the "Flowers" music video and promoting her upcoming album , "Endless Summer Vacation."
11. Nicki Minaj: 211 million followers
IG: @nickiminaj
Minaj's latest post was about celebrating Mardi Gras in Trinidad and Tobago, and fans couldn't get enough of her gorgeous outfits and her remix of "Shake This Place" with Machel Montano and Destra.
10. Kourtney Kardashian: 213 million followers
IG: @kourtneykardash
Spoiler alert: The KarJenner family all made the top 10 on this list. Kourtney's posts focus on her lifestyle brand Poosh and a lot of PDA with her husband, Travis Barker.
9. Jennifer Lopez: 235 million followers
IG: @jlo
J.Lo promotes her latest movies and beauty products, and gives fans an up-close look at her family life. One of her most recent posts featured new ink that matches her husband, Ben Affleck.
8. Taylor Swift: 246 million followers
IG: @taylorswift
Swift is known for using social media to promote new music. Instagram is no exception, and she has cleared her page in the past or left clues to signal to fans that something new is coming.
7. Kendall Jenner: 277 million followers
IG: @kendalljenner
Kendall's page is a mix of photos from her latest modeling gigs, her tequila brand 818, and exotic locations.
6. Khloe Kardashian: 295 million followers
IG: @khloekardashian
Khloé has been busy posting about her company Good American on her IG and taking photos with her family.
5. Beyoncé: 297 million followers
IG: @beyonce
Beyoncé is experiencing a renaissance on Instagram. Her feed celebrates her latest awards for music (including a record-breaking Grammy) and promotes her long-awaited tour.
4. Kim Kardashian: 346 million followers
IG: @kimkardashian
When Kim K isn't posting about SKIMS or her latest brand collaborations, she's giving fans a glimpse into her (very famous) family life.
3. Ariana Grande: 357 million followers
IG: @arianagrande
Grande's feed includes updates on her Ulta Beauty products and music, as well as the occasional photo with her husband, Dalton Gomez.
2. Kylie Jenner: 380 million followers
IG: @kyliejenner
Jenner's most recent update was about her Vanity Fair Italy cover. She also teased that more Kylie Cosmetics products are coming soon.
1. Selena Gomez: 381 million followers
IG: @selenagomez
The reigning queen of Instagram's latest photo and caption are relatable. Hopefully we’ll see some behind-the-scenes content on Only Murders soon.
