Most Followed Social Media Accounts in 2025 – Who's #1?

Everyone’s fighting for followers — but who’s really on top in 2025?

Chasing outdated lists or guessing the rankings wastes time. Platforms shift fast, and yesterday’s stars might not even make today’s top 10.

This definitive list of the most followed accounts on social media shows you exactly who’s leading, where they dominate, and why it matters right now.

Top 25 Most Followed People on Social Media

If you’re in marketing, content, or creator strategy—this is the list you can’t afford to ignore.

Social media isn’t just about reach anymore—it’s about who holds attention across platforms, and how much of it they command. 

The difference between #1 and #25? Over 540 million followers.

Below is the definitive 2025 ranking of the top 25 most followed accounts on social media.

Use it to benchmark, pitch, partner, or just know who’s winning the global attention game right now.

Since this is a combined ranking across platforms, let’s now break it down and see who truly dominates on each individual social media channel.

Most Followed Accounts on Instagram

Cristiano Ronaldo leads all individual accounts on Instagram with 639.9 million followers, making him the most valuable personal brand on the platform today.

For non-Meta brands, Nike stands out with 304.4 million followers, proving that product-led content still drives massive engagement at scale.

From a growth and reach standpoint, 38 accounts have crossed the 100M mark, and 22 of those now sit above 200 million — a clear benchmark for digital dominance in 2025.

Most Followed TikTok Accounts

Khaby Lame leads all creators on TikTok with 162.7 million followers, showing that platform-native talent continues to outperform mainstream celebrities.

MrBeast, who dominates YouTube, holds the #3 spot here with 104.4 million followers, proving cross-platform creators can scale quickly on short-form video.

As of 2025, 27 TikTok accounts have surpassed 50 million followers, but only 2 accounts have crossed the 150M mark — a major contrast to Instagram’s higher ceiling for global reach.

Most Subscribed YouTube Channels

MrBeast tops YouTube as the most subscribed individual with 317 million subscribers, built from just 816 videos since 2012.

T-Series leads all channels overall with 253 million subscribers, and a massive output of 19.8K videos, proving quantity can still drive scale.

Only 8 channels on YouTube have crossed the 100M mark, far fewer than Instagram’s 38 accounts over 100M or TikTok’s 27 over 50M.

SET India ranks third with 173 million subscribers and an unmatched 139.2K uploads, fueled by nonstop TV content.

CoComelon holds 168M, followed by Kids Diana Show at 116M — confirming kids' content remains one of YouTube’s most reliable audience drivers.

PewDiePie and Like Nastya are tied at 111M, showing both gaming and family entertainment still scale globally.

Zee Music Company closes out the top 8 with 103M, putting India in three of the top global spots.

Unlike Instagram, YouTube’s leaders are full-scale content operations—not just personalities.

Most Followed Twitter (X) Accounts

Elon Musk leads Twitter (X) with 163.9 million followers, making him the most followed account on the platform and a central figure in the platform’s evolution.

Barack Obama ranks second with 132 million followers, proving that political influence still commands massive attention in the feed.

Only 30 accounts have surpassed the 50M follower mark on X—far fewer than Instagram’s 38 or TikTok’s 27, showing Twitter has a smaller high-tier ceiling.

Cristiano Ronaldo holds third place at 113.2M followers, keeping him in the top 5 on nearly every major platform.

Other celebrities dominating the X space include Justin Bieber with 110.3M, Rihanna with 108.5M, and Katy Perry with 106.2M.

Taylor Swift, Narendra Modi, and Donald Trump also feature in the top 10, all with 87M–95M+ followers, backed by massive cultural or political influence.

News organizations like CNN (62M), BBC Breaking News (51.8M), and The New York Times (55.2M) show X still holds weight for real-time content.

Compared to Instagram and YouTube, Twitter rewards voice and influence over visual branding. That’s why creators like MrBeast or Kylie Jenner don’t rank as high here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Got questions? We’ve got quick answers to the most asked ones.

Final Thoughts

The follower race is evolving. Today, it’s not just about reach—it’s about turning attention into action.

• The most followed accounts on social media show us who truly commands influence across platforms—Cristiano Ronaldo, MrBeast, and Selena Gomez consistently lead in both followers and brand impact.
• Every platform demands a different approach. Short-form wins on TikTok, while long-form content and SEO drive YouTube growth.
• Big follower counts don’t guarantee results—ads, targeting, and creative strategy are what drive real ROI.

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Sources

1. Not Common. Most Followed Accounts in the World in 2025
2. Buffer. 20+ Top Social Media Sites and Platforms to Grow Your Brand in 2025