How Many People Play Video Games in the World? (2024)

There are an estimated 1.31 billion video gamers globally this 2024, a 7.38% increase from the previous year. The number of gamers is expected to grow to 1.47 billion by 2027 (a 12% increase from this year), with about 100 million new players joining. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw the highest year-on-year growth in the number of players, with a 20% increase in the number of gamers compared to 2019.

In addition, 2.5 billion video gamers will spend their money purchasing digital games in 2022. It has been rising since 2017 and is forecast to continue accelerating until 2027.

A total of 1.31 billion people played video games in the world this year, a 7.38% increase compared to the previous year, which reached 1.22 billion. It is anticipated that 1.47 billion will play video games by 2027, which will mean a 12% user growth from 2024 to 2027.

In the survey done last Q3 2021, 83.6% of global internet users have played video games across any device. 68.1% preferred playing video games on their phones, followed by laptop or desktop computers, with 36.8%. The game console became the third most popular device with 25.8%.

Around 209.8 million Americans play games, which is approximately two-thirds of the country’s population. The average gamer in the US is an adult and is about as likely to be female (48%) than male (58%). Statistics show that 70% of men and boys in America played video games, as did 62% of women and girls in the country.

American adults play video games mostly to use their brains, consider it as their personal time, and help improve themselves. The younger ones, who are 18 to 24 years old, prefer to play games for connection, entertainment, and comfort.

Around 65% of people in the US play games, with about 66% of them playing at least once a week. According to a survey by Entertainment Software Association, most American players are adults, with 65% of American video gamers aged 18 and over. Specifically, the age groups include under 18 years old (24%), 18 to 34 years old (36%), 35 to 44 years old (13%), 45 to 54 years old (12%), 55 to 64 years old (9%), 65 and older (6%). The average age of an American gamer is 33 years old.

In this section, you will learn about the top countries by gaming penetration and the leading markets and regions by revenue in the video game industry.

China has the highest number of video gamers worldwide, with 699.6 million players in 2024. It is also the biggest video game market this year and is expected to generate $94.49 billion US dollars in revenue. The United States is the second biggest market, with $78.01 billion in revenue and 209.8 million gamers in the country.

These two countries are the biggest gaming markets in the world. The number of gamers here is growing for a variety of reasons. Most Chinese gamers play to pass the time, whereas American gamers play to escape daily life. Their goals in playing differ due to differences in gaming styles and play experiences between the Western and Eastern markets

More than 80% global share of internet users are playing games across any device such as a smartphone, console, or computer. The Philippines has the most significant share of gaming usage, with a 95.8% user penetration among its internet users. Indonesia came in second place with 94.8% gaming penetration, and Vietnam was third with 93.1%. The worldwide average gaming penetration is 81.9%.

Filipino online gamers are certainly hooked on free-to-play games. They prefer daily playing Subway Surfers, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Roblox on mobile devices. The majority usually spend 1 to 7 hours of mobile gaming, and they like role-playing genre games.

Asia is leading the regional gaming market with a 55% gamer share. Having the largest population of 4.7 billion among the countries, it makes sense that Asia Pacific has the most people who play video games. This continent also has many video game companies, with China dominating the gaming revenue market.

The top best-selling video game of all time is Tetris, with 520 million copies sold. The game was initially released in 2006 but has since been transformed into multiple variations made for over 50 gaming platforms.

The top three most played games in the world are Tetris with 520 million video game sales, Minecraft with 238 million, and Grand Theft Auto with 175 million.

When it comes to devices, 70% prefer mobile gaming on smartphones, 52% on gaming consoles, 43% on PC, 26% on tablets, and 7% on VR devices. Furthermore, 60% play games on multiple devices.

The average gamer plays games every week. Contrary to popular belief, a video game player is more likely to be an adult, and the ratio of male gamers to female gamers is close to 50:50.

In the video game industry,  there is no such thing as an appropriate age or gender. Everyone has the right to play video games, regardless of who or where they are, because it connects people, creates bonds, and promotes diversity around the globe.

In this section, you will learn about US gamer demographics, such as age group, gender, and ethnicity.

The average age of a US video gamer is 33 years old. In America, people between 18 and 34 play the most video games (36%), followed by those under 18 (24%) in 2022. The most dominant age demographic is primarily millennials and members of Generation X.

In addition, 69% of American households have at least one person that plays video games. Around 77% of parents play video games at least one hour per week playing video games with their children, a 3% increase from 2021, for the following reasons: it is fun for them, it allows them to spend time together, it will enable them to socialize with their kids, and some kids ask them to.

Around 48% of the 215.5 million active video game players are females, with males accounting for the remaining 52% of gamers in the United States. This sets an almost equal ratio between the two sexes when it comes to gaming tendencies.

Out of all the men in boys in the United States, around 70% report that they play digital games. Similarly, around 62% of women and girls were the same.

Almost half of the gaming audience in the United States are female gamers. This trend has been ongoing for several years. While women are under-represented in-game media and the industry, they account for a sizable portion of gamers and spending power.

The majority of American gamers are White, with 71% identifying as such, followed by Hispanics, with 10%. Black/African Americans account for 8% of video game players, while Asian/Pacific accounts for 7%

The average video gaming time spent in the US is 7.71 hours each week. The global average is at 8.45 hours. Around 25% of that time is spent by gamers playing online multiplayer games, while in-person multiplayer games consume 16%. To summarize, 41% of the time is spent playing with others.

The average binge-gaming session worldwide, however, can last 5.1 hours. The US average runs a little high compared to the world average, with 5.9 hours. (Source: Statista)

China’s population plays video games for the longest time, with 12.39 average hours spent every week in 2021. Vietnamese came in second place, video gaming for about 10.16 hours per week. Meanwhile, the US is in 6th, with 7.71 average weekly hours. The global average for weekly gaming hours is 8.45.

According to a Statista report from January 2021, 19% of males and 18.50% of females play video games for 7 to 12 hours per week. 10.90% of women and 11.90% of men spend more than 20 hours per week playing video games. The weekly average for gaming time was 8.45 hours.

In the eSports sector, 15% of male players and 3% of female gamers are avid fans, in the gaming statistics conducted in September 2021. In recent years, eSports has become a significant part of the entertainment industry. Players can compete in multiplayer video game tournaments worldwide, individually or in teams.

In the gaming world of 2019, people in the United States between the ages of 15 and 24 spent an average of 39 minutes per day playing games. Simultaneously, 25 to 34 years old spent 19.8 minutes a day video gaming. The average time spent on video games by people aged 15 and up is 15.60 hours.

Regardless of the gaming platform, roughly two-thirds of US gaming spenders were satisfied with their in-game purchases in 2021. The happiest are console gamers, with 67% reporting that their item purchases and virtual goods were very or somewhat satisfactory.