Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you can quantify it with Instagram’s data.
Travel agency Jet 2 recently analysed Instagram data on countries all over the world to find out which nations people liked to photograph the most.
Looking at total posts leading up to November 2016 with specific hashtags for countries (i.e. #India), the ranking of the most Instagrammed places in the world is surprising.
While larger, countries like the USA did feature in the top 10, smaller places, like the tiny, oil-rich nation of Kuwait in the Middle East, also ranked highly.
Three countries in the top 23 are all closely linked. Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are all largely made up of islands adjacent to each other in the Indian Ocean – with some countries sharing borders on the same island – and have collectively amassed more than 65 million Instagram posts.
From India to Italy, here are the most photogenic countries in the world, according to Instagram.
23. India has been snapped on Instagram over 13 million times. The most popular city is the capital, Mumbai, where almost one-third of posts are tagged.
http://instagr.am/p/BNeFi9MAHgC
22. Beautiful scenes in Singapore have been recorded on the social networking app 14,895,500 times, but its major cities are less popular. Its most tagged city is Novena, with just over 98,000 posts.
http://instagr.am/p/BNVcsVSjKGi
21. Malaysia didn't quite make it into the top 20, but has seen just over 15 million Instagram posts.
http://instagr.am/p/BNbBgGwhGwl
20. People have posted photos using #Brazil approximately 16,870,900 times, but the hashtag for Rio De Janiero is even more popular – the city has been tagged more than 17 million times.
19. Venezuela in South America was even more popular than Brazil, with more than 19 million posts dedicated to the nation. With breathtaking natural wonders like Angel Falls to take photos of, its not hard to see why.
18. With 19,181,900 Instagram posts so far, Canada's beautiful forests and national parks — like Yoho in British Columbia — make it one of the most photogenic countries in the world.
17. People have used #Turkey in their posts more than 21 million times. On the other hand, #Istanbul is more popular, being tagged in over 35 million photos.
http://instagr.am/p/BNeIJfzBu5q
16. Spain has been included in Instagram posts just over 21,796,100 times. One of the most popular events to post about is La Tomatina, a giant, annual food fight with tomatoes near Valencia.
15. People have tagged Russia in 21,924,300 posts. Its capital, Moscow, is slightly more popular, with just over 22 million tags. Its orthodox churches look like something taken from a fairytale.
http://instagr.am/p/BNeJRNmA6Ym
14. Germany is one of the most photographed countries in the world, with more than 22 million posts using the hashtag #Germany. Its rich history and Christmas markets like this one in Aachen make it extremely photogenic.
13. Mexico's tourist hotspots make it one of the most popular nations on Instagram, with 22,937,100 posts. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the beach paradise of Cancun is the most tagged city, with over four million posts.
12. Australia has been tagged in 23,455,500 posts so far. The country is so easy on the eye, it has its own official Instagram account.
11. Bahrain is the first Middle Eastern country to make it onto the list. It has been Instagrammed 24,751,500 times so far.
10. Three of the 10 most photographed countries are located in the Middle East, including Qatar, which comes in 10th place with 25 million posts. Its man-made harbours and iconic skyscrapers are great social media opportunities.
9. The UK makes it into the top 10 with more than 26 million posts, but London is a far more popular tag. #London has been used just under 65 million times on Instagram, and is one of the most photographed cities in the world.
http://instagr.am/p/BNeMpy7Aj2D
8. France is even more photogenic than the UK, with more than 28 million posts. Naturally, the most tagged city is Paris, and has been Instagrammed over 55 million times.
7. Thailand has been tagged in 30,692,000 posts on the social networking app, but Bangkok isn't as popular as many of the capital cities on our list, with just over 13 million posts. Its beautiful island resorts like Koh Mak make it one of the most idylic countries on Instagram.
6. The tiny, oil-rich nation of Kuwait has an enormous following on the social networking app, with more than 33 million photos uploaded since its launch in 2010. It looks great from above.
5. The UAE is the most photographed country in the Middle East, with more than 34 million posts. Its capital, Dubai, is one of the most Instagrammed cities in the world, and is tagged more than 46 million times. With iconic skyscrapers like the Burj Al Arab Juneirah, it's no wonder.
4. Indonesia is the second most popular Asian nation on Instagram, and has been tagged in more than 35 million posts so far. Cultural landmarks like the Borobudur Temple in central Java make it an extremely photogenic country.
3. Unsurprisingly, the USA makes it into the top three, with Instagram users tagging America in almost 40 million photos. From bustling cities like New York to national parks like the Grand Canyon, there are plenty of reasons to take a photo here.
2. Japan is the most photographed Asian country in the world, but didn't quite make it to the top spot overall, with 41,522,300 posts. Kyoto's bamboo forests are a popular choice for photo subjects, while the city itself has been tagged more than four million times.
1. Italy has beaten the USA, Japan, and Indonesia as the most popular country on Instagram, and has been tagged in more than 50 million posts. Popular tourist destinations like Venice, Rome and Pisa drive its popularity on the app, and have been collectively tagged in 20 million photos.
