Video games are not only popular among kids. Around the world, millions of adults play video games too, using gaming consoles, computers and – to an increasing extent – their mobile phones. Last but not least, gaming grew in popularity when the coronavirus pandemic increased time spent at home.
According to the Statista's Consumer Insights, the Turkey was the country with the highest number of adult gamers in 2023 out of a sample of 56 nations. 92 percent of residents said they gamed at least occasionally, with many fans of mobile gaming among them. Mobile gaming - a huge growth market - has won over people not previously invested in the activity by giving them easy access at low or no initial cost. This phenomenon has also been more pronounced in the developing world.
Countries in the these parts of the world - aided by their younger demographics - produce more gamers. Turkey, Nigeria, India and China as well as Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia reported the highest numbers of adults saying they played video games in the survey.
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia had an equally high number of gamers while the latter country also produced the highest number of frequent gamers (33 percent of adults). Gaming frequency was also high in Turkey, Egypt, Thailand and China, while casual gaming was more common in African and Latin American countries. Japan, a country traditionally associated with video games, had one of the lowest engagement rates for gaming among adults.
In the U.S., the highest number of adults reported gaming on consoles instead of on computers and mobile phones. Consoles are also popular in Mexico and Latin America, while in European countries, computer gaming is more popular than consoles in many places.