When talking about gamer demographics, most people still associate games with boys and teenagers. But, the demographics are changing, and the gaming world is no longer reserved for men only.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about the changing demographics and what’s new in the gaming world, read on.
Top 10 Gamer Demographics Stats
- 3.24 billion people worldwide are gamers.
- 79% of gamers in the US are over 18.
- The average age of video game players worldwide is around 35.
- 61% of adult US players play games on their mobile phones.
- The gender of 45% of US gamers is female.
- 41% of PlayStation 4 and 5 owners are women.
- 80% of US men gamers aged 18–34 prefer shooter games.
- Only 27% of all American players are not Caucasian.
- 73% of African American teens play video games.
- With 665 million gamers, China is the largest gamer country.
General Video Gamers’ Demographics
Generally, people of different ages are more active in the gaming world than ever before. So, if you’d like to learn about the numbers and details, keep reading.
1. The number of people who play video games worldwide is 3.24 billion.
(Statista)
The gaming world is growing all the time. The gamer demographics for 2021 show that almost 50% of the global population are gamers. Most of the world’s gamers come from Asia — 1.48 billion gamers.
There is a visible growth from 2020, when there were an estimated 3.1 billion gamers in the world.
2. 79% of gamers in the US are over 18, as video gaming demographics show.
(Entertainment Software Association)
Although gaming is still mostly associated with kids, the average age of gamers is constantly changing. Gaming demographics for 2020 show that the largest group of gamers are, in fact, adults.
Only 21% of gamers in the US are under 18. The largest group are people from 18–34, with 38%. The smallest group are gamers over 65, with only 6%.
3. The average age of video game players is around 35 years.
(GameSparks, VentureBeat)
Following gamer age statistics worldwide, it’s easy to see that the gaming world is changing all the time.
With the growth of the mobile industry, people of all ages are enjoying games. So, the average age of gamers worldwide is somewhere between 35 and 44.
4. Video gaming demographics for 2020 show that 61% of adult US players play games on their mobile phones.
(Entertainment Software Association)
Due to the growing popularity of mobile games and their availability, mobile phones are the most used devices for playing video games. Game consoles come second, with 52%, while 49% of gamers play on their PCs.
Gaming Demographics Gender Stats
Gender is one of the aspects of demographics that has changed the most in the recent decade. Women are starting to dominate the world of gaming, and there’s no stopping them.
Read on to learn more about gender in gaming.
5. According to 2021 gamer demographics, the gender of 45% of US gamers is female.
(Statista)
Until recently, the ratio of male to female gamers was perceived to be in favor of men. But, the statistics show that the difference is not that big.
Since 2008, the percentage of female gamers hasn’t fallen under 40%. So, almost half of the gamers in over ten years have been women.
6. Playstation demographics show that 41% of PlayStation 4 and 5 owners are women.
(Push Square)
PlayStation is the most famous console in the world. PlayStation 5 has been sold in over 7.8 million copies since its release.
PlayStation video gamer demographics show that only 59% of all PlayStation 4 and 5 owners are men. The percentage of women owners is increasing, and it is a lot higher than it was for PlayStation 1 — only 18%.
7. Video game gender statistics show that 62% of regular console gamers are men.
(Statista)
Even though women are buying more consoles than ever, men still seem slightly more interested in them. Video game demographics and gender studies on consoles show that women do play games on consoles, just do it less regularly than men.
So, what percent of console gamers are female? Only 38% of regular console gamers are women.
8. In 2020, 96% of boys and 76% of girls were playing games regularly.
(NCBI)
In 2020, a Norwegian study observed how many gamers there are in the 9–18 age group. The results showed that 96% of boys identified as gamers, while 76% of girls did the same.
Just two years earlier, the percentage of boys was the same, while only 63% of girls identified as gamers.
9. According to the statistics on video gamers, 80% of US men gamers aged 18–34 prefer shooter games.
(Entertainment Software Association)
Men from this age group prefer shooter games, while women prefer family games.
The facts about gamers show that this age group is the reason why games such as Call of Duty earn almost $2 billion per year and Mario games are still trendy.
Video Gamers Demographics by Race and Country
If you’ve ever wondered about the strongest countries when it comes to gaming, or if you’ve wondered which races play games more, you’re in the right place.
10. As of 2021, the number of gamers in the US is over 226.6 million.
(Variety, Worldometer)
The US is one of the countries with the highest video game revenues and the highest number of gamers. Statistics for 2021 show that almost 70% of the total population plays games.
This is almost 6% more than in 2020, when the number was 214.4 million, and 28% more than in 2019, when the US had only 164 million gamers.
11. Female gamer statistics for 2019 reveal that 95% of female gamers in Asia played mobile games.
(Niko Partners)
Although 40% of female gamers used PC, and 2% used consoles, mobile gaming was their preferred way of gaming that year.
Even the female gamers playing games on consoles and PCs play mobile games. In fact, almost all female gamers play mobile games.
So, it’s no surprise that 63% of mobile gamers are female.
12. Only 27% of all American players are not Caucasian, according to video game player demographics.
(Entertainment Software Association)
Statistics show that 73% of all American gamers are Caucasian. Then, 9% of gamers are Hispanic, 8% are African-American, 6% Asian or Pacific Islanders, while 2% are other races.
Even though the numbers seem small, they are increasing, and more and more gamers are of races other than Caucasian.
13. According to video game demographics, 73% of African American teens play video games.
(AACCNJ, AMT Lab)
Moreover, if you look at the general population of the US, only 66% are gamers.
African Americans are also the no. 1 ethnic group in regard to playing on game consoles, spending 11 hours and 57 minutes per week.
14. The most significant number of gamers by country is held by China, with 665 million gamers.
(FinancesOnline, CNN)
Statistics from 2020 show that China has the largest gamer population in the world. This is not a surprise, since China has the largest population, in general, and one of the largest gaming industries.
However, it’s yet to be seen how the demographic of gamers in China will change — and how affected Chinese gamers and industry will be with the Chinese restrictions on underage gamers in 2021.
15. The video game statistics show that 94% of Vietnamese adults play games.
(VnExpress)
As of 2020, Vietnam officially has the most adult gamers in the world. Only 6% of Vietnamese adults don’t play games at all, while 20% play them frequently.
Other developing countries, such as Nigeria, the Philippines, and Thailand, also have a large number of adult gamers.
FAQ
What is the current audience demographic for video games?
The current demographic for video games is dominated by people aged 18–34, with 38% of players. Other large groups are people under 18, with 20%, and 35–44 year-olds, with 14%.
Of all gamers, 55% of the gamers are male, while 45% are women. The numbers are country-dependent, but this is a general average.
(GameSparks, Statista)
What is the average age of a gamer?
In 2021, The average age of video gamers is somewhere around 35. This might seem old to some, but gamers are aging while still enjoying their hobby, so the average age is increasing too.
(GameSparks)
What race are most gamers?
Most gamers come from Asia, so it’s safe to say that most gamers are Asian. With 1.48 billion players, they dominate the gaming market.
The demographics of video game players on other continents may differ. For example, in the US, 73% of gamers are Caucasian, while other races comprise 27%.
(Entertainment Software Association, Statista)
Do 40 year olds play video games?
Yes, absolutely, 40-year-olds do play video games.
More precisely, 14% of all gamers are between 35 and 44, and 12% are between 45 and 54. Even people over 65 play games.
So, if you think that someone who is 40 years old is too old to play games, think twice.
(GameSparks, Statista)
What country has the most gamers?
With over 665 million gamers, China leads the list of most gamers per country.
Only two countries outside Asia, Germany and the US, are in the top five countries with the most gamers and revenue.
Gaming demographics show that the US is the second country when it comes to gamer numbers, with more than 226.6 million gamers.
(FinancesOnline, Variety)
What is the percentage of female gamers?
If we look at the gamers by gender, 45% of gamers are women. This means that most players are still men, with 55%. But the number of female gamers is rising and hasn’t gone under 40% in the last 13 years.
The female gamer percentage also depends on the country. Countries where women don’t have many rights would naturally have a lower percentage of female gamers.
(Statista)
Who is the target audience for video games?
The video game target audience is mainly younger players. Games are created for people who are around 18 years old.
But the statistics show that the real target audience should be people between 18 and 34 years old. Gamer demographics show that men and women of this age group are equally important because women are playing more and more.
The situation is slightly changing concerning the target audience, and more creators are making games for older players.
(Chron)
Conclusion
If you’ve never read about ages and gender in gaming, you might be surprised by our gamer demographics for 2021. We’ve learned that older people play games too, and women play more than most people think.
So, we hope these gamer demographics have taught you something you didn’t know.
