Video gaming is no longer a hobby exclusively enjoyed by the young. As generations have grown up with video games a normal part of life, the age of the average gamer also increases. During a 2023 survey, 25 percent of video game players still come from the 27 to 42 years age demographic, and 19 percent are 59 years and older. Time spent gaming In 2023, Americans aged between 15 to 19 years spent 98.4 minutes on gaming or leisurely computer use during an average day. The age demographic which devoted the least amount of time to gaming was the 55 to 64 years category. Members of this age demographic spent an average of just 17.4 minutes playing on the computer during an average day.

As of June 2024, 27 percent of adults in the United States spent one to five hours per week playing video games. A further 10 percent of respondents stated that they spent 11 to 15 hours on video gaming in an average week. Overall, 19 percent of respondents were non-gamers and did not spend any time on video games.

In 2022, about 67 percent of highly engaged habitual gamers (who played video games as their primary source of entertainment) in the United States were male. Only 41 percent of those who identified as occasional gamers were male. Furthermore, over half of habitual U.S. gamers were aged 18 to 34 years whereas only 19 percent of occasional gamers belonged to this age group.

A March 2024 survey found that 28 percent of adults in the United States played video games on a console at least once per week. Weekly console gaming was highest among respondents aged 35 to 54 years, with more than four in ten of respondents in this age group confirming that they did so.

The global number of users in the 'Games' segment of the media market was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 0.4 billion users (+15.5 percent). After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 3.02 billion users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Find more information concerning Brazil and the United States. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

Video gaming is a hobby enjoyed by young and old across the globe. In 2025, there were over 1.5 billion gamers across Asia Pacific, making it the largest market for video gaming worldwide, with Europe coming in second place with a gaming audience of 352 million. In total, there were an estimated 2.87 billion gamers across the globe.

As of June 2024, 28 percent of video gamers in the United States were aged 30 to 39 years, making this age group the biggest gamer demographic. Additionally, 24 percent of U.S. gaming audiences were aged 20 to 29 years.

During an October 2023 survey, it was found that 75 percent of video gamers in the United States were White. Additionally, 19 percent of responding gamers identified as Hispanic.

A survey conducted in the third quarter of 2024 found that over 92 percent of female internet users aged 16 to 24 years worldwide played video games on any kind of device. During the survey period, 93 percent of male respondents in the same age group stated that they played video games. Worldwide, over 83 percent of internet users were gamers.

In 2023, women accounted for 46 percent of gamers in the United States, down from 48 percent of U.S. gamers identifying as women during the previous year.

What percentage gamers are female? Almost half of gaming audiences in the United States are female. This development has been ongoing for years, and whereas women are under-represented in games media and the industry, they make up a sizable chunk of gamers and spending power. There are some differences in terms of genre preferences but as a whole, female gaming audiences in the United States are just as engaged as their male counterparts.

A September to November 2024 survey of UK adults aged 16 years and older found that 85 percent of respondents aged between 16 and 24 years played video games, down from a 92 percent gaming penetration among the same age group in 2020. Overall, gaming uptake increased in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Video games industry in the UK In 2023, consumers in the United Kingdom spent over 3.16 billion British pounds on digital and online games. In regard to the annual contribution of the video games industry to the UK Gross Domestic Product, it amounted to 3.68 billion British pounds in 2023. Mobile games The popularity of mobile gaming increased over the last decade and overtook games consoles and TV for the first time in 2014. As of 2024, approximately 34 percent of UK adults reported playing games on their mobile phone, the highest rate ever reported. The most downloaded gaming apps in the UK include puzzle and casual titles such as Supermarket Simulator and Block Blast.

As of June 2024, 34 percent of video gaming audiences in the United States belonged to the top third of households by income. A further 32 percent of U.S. gamers were belonged to the middle household income segment.

In 2024, about 34 percent of gamers in the United States were highly engaged super gamers who played video games as their primary source of entertainment. Avid gamers (those who played video games as one of a few equivalent sources of entertainment) accounted for the biggest share of gaming audiences in the United States.

As of June 2024, 48 percent of video gamer in the United States were female, with the remaining 52 percent of U.S. video gaming audiences were male. Currently, there are approximately 212 million gamers in the United States.

As of June 2024, 21 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 29 years spent six to ten hours per week playing video games. Overall, respondents from this age group were also more likely than others to be heavy gamers - a total of eight percent played video games more than 20 hours in an average week. In total, weekly gaming usage was more likely among younger adults in the United States.

According to a survey of global internet audiences in the third quarter of 2024, 83.6 percent of internet users played video games on any device. The Philippines had the highest video gaming usage reach, ranking first with a gaming penetration of 96.6 percent. Indonesia ranked second, with 96.4 percent of responding internet users stating that they played video games. The United Kingdom and Japan ranked last, with 71.1 and 64.4 percent of internet users, respectively, reporting their participation in video gaming. The impact of mobile gaming The global gaming penetration among online users was over 83 percent, highlighting how much of a mainstream hobby gaming has become. Additionally, as shown by the many mobile-first digital markets with strong gaming reach, the impact of readily available mobile gaming devices cannot be overstated. A survey from the third quarter of 2024 found that smartphones were the most popular way to play video games worldwide, with more than 67 percent of respondents stating to play video games in such a way. This usage rate was miles ahead of second-ranked laptop or desktop PCs, which only 34 percent of global gamers stated to use. Who are the global gaming audiences? A survey conducted in the third quarter of 2023 found that 89.6 percent of female internet users aged 16 to 24 years worldwide played video games on any kind of device. During the survey period, 92.6 percent of male respondents in the same age group stated that they played video games. Gaming is a more popular activity among younger age groups, but even seven in ten respondents between 55 and 64 years old stated that they were gamers. Gaming genre preferences vary by age group, but overall, shooters and action-adventure games rank first in terms of popularity among users. Other popular gaming genres were simulation and sports games.

According to a survey conducted in March 2024, 76 percent of adults in the United States played video games on at least one platform. In comparison, 24 percent of U.S. adults did not play video games at all.

Video gaming is a popular way for gamers to connect with friends and family and many gamers have formed relationships through video games. During an October 2023 survey, 82 percent of responding gamers in the United States agreed that playing games can introduce people to new friends.

As of June 2024, about 28 percent of video gamers in the United Kingdom were aged between 30 and 39 years, making this age group the biggest video gaming audience in the UK. Gamers aged 20 to 29 years made up an additional 23 percent of the UK gaming population.

The global number of users in the 'Video Games' segment of the digital media market was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2027 by in total 0.2 billion users (+15.27 percent). After the fifth consecutive increasing year, the indicator is estimated to reach 1.47 billion users and therefore a new peak in 2027. Find more information concerning Canada and Brazil. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.