Food & Beverage Engagement Rate Benchmarks on Instagram (2026)
Engagement rate benchmarks for food and drink brands, by category and platform.
Median engagement rate on Instagram: 3.9%
Last updated · refreshed weekly from Submarine.ai data
| Category | Median eng. rate (Instagram) | Brands |
|---|---|---|
| Beverages | 3.9% | 50+ |
| Confectionary | 2.8% | 20+ |
| FBR Group | 6.3% | 10+ |
| Food | 1.2% | 30+ |
| Pet Food | 5.0% | 8+ |
| QSR | 3.3% | 20+ |
Methodology
Engagement rate = engagement ÷ views over the trailing 30 days, per brand, with the median taken across all qualifying brands in each segment. Per-brand breakdowns, percentile distributions, and weekly movement are available inside Submarine.ai.
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What is a good engagement rate for food & beverage brands on Instagram in 2026?
The median engagement rate for food & beverage brands on Instagram is 3.9%, measured by Submarine.ai over the last 30 days. If your rate beats the median for your segment in the table on this page, you are doing better than half the brands we track.
How is engagement rate calculated?
Engagement rate = total engagement (likes + comments) divided by total views of a brand's posts over the trailing 30 days, expressed as a percentage. Medians are computed across all qualifying brands in each segment, which makes them robust to outliers.
Where does this data come from?
Submarine.ai continuously monitors official brand channels on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram and computes these benchmarks from millions of real posts. The snapshot refreshes every week.