What the World Is Searching For
A global map of adult search preferences in 2025—from hentai's fifth consecutive year at #1 to surprising regional variations that reveal cultural attitudes toward sexuality across continents.
Global Top 10 Searches
For the fifth consecutive year, "hentai" dominates global searches. But 2025 brought a historic shift: "femboy" entered the top 10 for the first time, climbing 15 positions in a single year.
Historic First
"Femboy" entering the top 10 marks a cultural shift. Gen Z—now the largest demographic on adult sites—is the queerest generation in history, with 1 in 5 identifying as LGBTQ+. Their viewing habits reflect evolving attitudes toward gender expression.
Traffic by Country
The United States maintains its dominant position despite age verification laws blocking access in 23 states. Mexico jumped to second place in 2025, while the UK fell three spots after implementing the Online Safety Act.
France dropped four spots after new age verification restrictions, while the UK fell three places following the Online Safety Act enforcement in July 2025. Both countries saw significant VPN usage spikes as users sought to circumvent verification requirements.
The Americas
North and South America show distinct preferences—from "lesbian" dominance in the US to regional pride in Brazil and varied tastes across Latin America.
North America
- 🇺🇸 United StatesLesbian
- 🇨🇦 CanadaMILF
- 🇲🇽 MexicoLatina
South America
- 🇧🇷 BrazilBrazilian
- 🇦🇷 ArgentinaAnal
- 🇨🇴 ColombiaEbony
- 🇨🇱 ChileAnal
Regional Insights
The United States shows strong preference for "lesbian" content, consistent with previous years. Canada shifted from "lesbian" in 2024 to "MILF" in 2025—a trend attributed to viewers seeking "experienced older women." Canadian users also view "small tits" 126% more than the global average and are significantly more interested in VR content (+118%).
Brazil stands out with strong national pride—"Brazilian" is the top search. Along South America's west coast and southern regions, "anal" dominates, while northern countries prefer "ebony" content.
Europe
European preferences reveal strong national identity—Germans search for "German," French for "French," Italians for "Italian." Meanwhile, Scandinavia and Russia delivered the year's biggest surprise.
| Country | Top Search | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | MILF | Traffic ↓3 spots |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | German | National preference |
| 🇫🇷 France | French | Traffic ↓4 after AV |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Italian | Consistent trend |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Anal | 65% viewers over 45 |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | MILF | Mediterranean pref. |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | Transgender | Despite LGBTQ+ bans |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | Transgender | Nordic pattern |
Russia's Paradox
Despite strict bans on LGBTQ+ content and propaganda, Russia's top search was "transgender"—the same category topping searches in progressive Scandinavia. This striking contradiction between public policy and private behavior was 2025's biggest surprise.
Asia & Pacific
The Asia-Pacific region drives significant traffic growth, with the Philippines emerging as a major market. Japan leads in session duration at 11 minutes and 2 seconds—the longest globally.
East Asia
- 🇯🇵 JapanJapanese
- 🇰🇷 South KoreaKorean
- 🇹🇼 TaiwanJapanese
- 🇭🇰 Hong KongJapanese
Southeast Asia
- 🇵🇭 PhilippinesPinay
- 🇮🇩 IndonesiaIndonesian
- 🇹🇭 ThailandThai
- 🇻🇳 VietnamVietnamese
South Asia & Oceania
- 🇮🇳 IndiaIndian
- 🇦🇺 AustraliaLesbian
- 🇳🇿 New ZealandMILF
The Philippines Effect
"Pinay" (referring to Filipino women) surged to #3 globally in 2025, driven by massive traffic growth from the Philippines—now the third-largest source of Pornhub traffic. The country leads globally in smartphone viewing, with nearly all visits coming from mobile devices.
Japan maintains its unique position: viewers spend the longest time per session (11:02), and "Japanese" content remains hugely popular across East Asia, despite local censorship laws requiring pixelation of genitalia under Article 175 of the Penal Code.
Africa & Middle East
Despite widespread restrictions and blocks, these regions show distinct patterns—with "Arab" content dominating North Africa and "Ebony" leading across Sub-Saharan Africa.
| Region | Top Search | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| North Africa | Arab | Egypt, Morocco, Algeria |
| Sub-Saharan | Ebony | Most countries |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | Lesbian | Regional exception |
| 🇸🇴 Somalia | Indian | Unique preference |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | Arab | 50% viewers 18-24 |
Over 60 countries maintain restrictions on adult content, with many in this region enforcing strict blocks. Access typically occurs via VPNs. Egypt shows the youngest demographic globally, with 50% of viewers aged 18-24.
Trending Searches 2025
Pop culture events, viral moments, and shifting attitudes drove dramatic changes in search behavior throughout 2025.
Cultural Moments Shape Searches
The 2025 Coldplay concert "CEO scandal" drove massive interest in workplace power dynamics—"CEO" (+388%), "office affair" (+210%), "boss" (+175%), and "employee" (+183%) all surged.
A notable counter-trend emerged toward authenticity: "natural beauty" (+124%), "real woman" (+98%), and "no makeup" (+136%) suggest viewers increasingly seek content that feels genuine rather than produced.
Key Takeaways
- Hentai dominates for the 5th straight year — Japanese animated content maintains its global lead, with "anime" also holding strong at #8, reflecting mainstreaming of anime culture.
- Gender expression is evolving rapidly — "Femboy" jumped 15 positions to enter the top 10 for the first time. Related searches like "trans" and "queer" showed significant growth, driven by Gen Z viewers.
- National identity shapes preferences — Europeans overwhelmingly search for their own nationality (German, French, Italian), while Asian countries show similar patterns.
- Russia's paradox reveals private vs. public divide — Despite strict LGBTQ+ bans, "transgender" was Russia's top search—matching progressive Scandinavia.
- The Philippines emerged as a global force — "Pinay" reached #3 globally, driven by the country becoming the third-largest traffic source.
- Age verification is reshaping traffic — The UK fell 3 spots after Online Safety Act; France dropped 4 after ARCOM enforcement. Both saw VPN usage spikes.
- Pop culture drives search spikes — The Coldplay scandal caused workplace-themed searches to surge (+388% for "CEO"). Cultural moments translate directly into search behavior.
- Authenticity is trending — "Natural beauty," "real woman," and "no makeup" searches grew significantly, suggesting a movement toward genuine, amateur content.
