Worldwide Digital Gamers Forecast 2025

A Third of the Global Population Plays Digital Games, but Only a Few Markets Will See Meaningful Growth

Report by Ethan Cramer-Flood  | Jan 31, 2025
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Executive Summary
There will be 3 billion gamers worldwide by 2028, mostly in Asia-Pacific
Most internet users are gamers, even if most of the overall population is not
Almost half of all gamers will be in the US, China, and India
Media Gallery
About This Report
Digital gaming has become one of the most popular activities in the world, thanks mainly to the proliferation of smartphones and free mobile games. Here is our worldwide forecast for total gamers, with breakouts by region and for 13 countries.
Topics
Video Games
Worldwide
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
There will be 3 billion gamers worldwide by 2028, mostly in Asia-Pacific
Most internet users are gamers, even if most of the overall population is not
Almost half of all gamers will be in the US, China, and India
Media Gallery

Digital gaming is popular everywhere in the world, and its user base consistently grows in tandem with baseline national metrics like internet access and smartphone ownership. Gaming is so popular, in fact, that standout gamer growth is now difficult to find. But even slow growth means tens of millions of new gamers every year.

Key Question: How many people will be digital gamers worldwide, regionally, and in 13 major markets this year, and where will new gamers emerge?

Key Stat: Asia-Pacific will account for over 57% of worldwide gamers in 2025, with 588.9 million coming from China and 460.7 million from India. But the fastest growth will come from the Middle East and Africa.

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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. There will be 3 billion gamers worldwide by 2028, mostly in Asia-Pacific
  1. Most internet users are gamers, even if most of the overall population is not
  2. Almost half of all gamers will be in the US, China, and India
  1. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Digital Gamers Worldwide, 2022-2028 (billions, % change, and % of population)Digital Gamers in Select Countries, 2025 (millions)
Digital Gamer Penetration Among the General Population in Select Countries, 2025 (% of population)Digital Gamer Penetration Among Internet Users in Select Countries, 2025 (% of internet users)
US Digital Gamers, 2022-2028 (millions, % change, and % of population)Digital Gamers in China, 2022-2028 (millions, % change, and % of population)
Digital Gamers in India, 2022-2028 (millions, % change, and % of population)

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authors

Ethan Cramer-Flood

Contributors

Nicolas Crespo
Paola Flores-Marquez
Delfina Huergo Bensadon
Penelope Lin
Director, Data Visualization
Naomi Rebuelta
Copy Editor
Matt Torpey
Senior Chart Editor
Julia Woolever
Yoram Wurmser
Principal Analyst