What Is a Good Engagement Rate on Instagram? 2026 Benchmarks by Follower Count

A good engagement rate on Instagram is one that beats the median for accounts your size, measured with the same formula as the benchmark. By followers (likes plus comments, divided by followers), HypeAuditor's State of Influencer Marketing 2026 puts the median at 1.78% for accounts with 1K to 10K followers, 0.54% for 10K to 50K, 0.43% for 50K to 500K, 0.35% for 500K to 1M and 0.33% above 1 million. By views (likes, comments and saves, divided by impressions), Buffer's median was 3.9% in August 2026, so about 4% or more is good.

The three most useful benchmarks measure different things. HypeAuditor's medians cover 88.7 million creator and influencer accounts. Socialinsider's 0.48% average for 2025, which slipped to 0.45% in the second quarter of 2026, covers brand pages and counts only likes and comments. Buffer's monthly medians count likes, comments and saves against impressions, and in August 2026 they ran from 4.5% for accounts under 1K followers to 3.5% for 10K to 50K. Carousels lead in both Socialinsider's and Buffer's data, ahead of Reels and single images.

To calculate your own rate, take your last 10 feed posts and Reels, skipping Stories, very recent posts and anything boosted. For a rate by followers, add likes and comments, divide by the number of posts and by your follower count, and multiply by 100. For a rate by views, add likes, comments and saves and divide by total views. Then find your median post, because one viral Reel can nearly double a follower-based average. The guide includes a calculator that shows all three rates next to the matching benchmark.

Benchmarks disagree because they divide by different audiences, count different interactions, cover brand pages or creator accounts, and report averages or medians. Brands usually redo the math from your public profile, ask for the method and date range, read your rate next to your typical views, look at your median post and read your comments. In Influencer Marketing Hub's 2026 survey, fake or bot followers made up 56.5% of the fraud and quality issues respondents reported, so a large following with little engagement draws a closer look.

If your rate is falling, check the calendar first: Socialinsider, Buffer and Rival IQ all show Instagram engagement declining. Then check whether followers grew faster than likes and comments, whether your format mix shifted toward single photos, and whether a viral post dropped out of your last 10. In a media kit, show followers, median views, your rate by followers and by views with the formula and dates, and the benchmark you compare against. Rate guides price by follower tier, with engagement helping decide where you land in the range.

On Aurelia, your engagement rate is part of your case, not a gate. Aurelia sets no follower minimum, and brands see applicants ranked by fit with their brief: your niche, your content and your track record, not your follower count. Content-only UGC campaigns need no posting audience at all. Your free media kit, stats and answers go with every application automatically. Every campaign shows your take-home pay, with Aurelia's fee already taken out, the product and the usage rights before you apply, and you're paid to your bank automatically when the brand approves your work.