Google's annual "Year in Search" report for 2025 offers a fascinating snapshot of the collective curiosity that shaped the year. By tracking queries that experienced the fastest growth relative to 2024, the report unveils a diverse landscape of trending topics, from breaking news and global events to entertainment, sports, and lifestyle choices. This year's data paints a vivid picture of what captured public attention, both worldwide and within the United States.
Users actively followed major global events, from intense cricket matches between India and England to the election of a new Pope, and sought information on geopolitical developments like Iran and the TikTok ban, alongside domestic issues such as the LA fires and government shutdowns. Beyond the headlines, curiosity also led users to trending celebrities like Pedro Pascal and Mikey Madison, popular recipes such as "hot honey" and "marry me chicken," and travel destinations ranging from Prague and Edinburgh to iconic bookstores like Livraria Lello in Porto and Powell's in Portland.
Top Searches Of 2025
Google's AI assistant, Gemini, emerged as the most-searched term globally in 2025, underscoring the widespread adoption and interest in artificial intelligence tools throughout the year. The remainder of the global top 10 was heavily dominated by sports, with cricket matches (India vs. England, India vs. Australia), the Club World Cup, and the Asia Cup capturing significant public interest.
Global Top 10 Trending Searches:
- Gemini
- India vs England
- Charlie Kirk
- Club World Cup
- India vs Australia
- Deepseek
- Asia Cup
- Iran
- iPhone 17
- Pakistan and India
In contrast, the US trending search list revealed different priorities, diverging from global patterns. Political commentator Charlie Kirk topped the US list, with entertainment properties like "KPop Demon Hunters" also ranking highly.
US Top 10 Trending Searches:
- Charlie Kirk
- KPop Demon Hunters
- Labubu
- iPhone 17
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- Zohran Mamdani
- DeepSeek
- Government shutdown
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Tariffs
News & Current Events
Natural disasters and political developments significantly influenced news-related searches. Globally, the LA Fires, Hurricane Melissa, and the TikTok ban garnered widespread interest. In the US, domestic political topics such as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" and the government shutdown were frequently searched.
Global Top 10 News & Current Events:
- Charlie Kirk assassination
- Iran
- US Government Shutdown
- New Pope chosen
- LA Fires
- Hurricane Melissa
- TikTok ban
- Zohran Mamdani elected
- USAID
- Kamchatka Earthquake and Tsunami
US Top 10 News & Current Events:
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- Government shutdown
- Charlie Kirk assassination
- Tariffs
- No Kings protest
- Los Angeles fires
- New Pope chosen
- Epstein files
- U.S. Presidential Inauguration
- Hurricane Melissa
AI-Generated Content Leads US Trends
AI-generated content captivated audiences in the US, with AI-created images and characters trending across various categories. Viral phenomena like "AI Barbie," "AI action figures," and "Ghibli-style AI art" were among the year's top trends.
Top US AI-Generated Content Trends:
- AI action figure
- AI Barbie
- Holy airball
- AI Ghostface
- AI Polaroid
- Chicken jockey
- Bacon avocado
- Anxiety dance
- Unfortunately, I do love
- Ghibli
People
Music artists and political figures were among the most searched individuals worldwide. d4vd, Kendrick Lamar, and the newly elected Pope Leo XIV attracted significant international attention. In the US, searches primarily focused on political appointees such as Zohran Mamdani and Karoline Leavitt.
Global Top 10 People:
- d4vd
- Kendrick Lamar
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Tyler Robinson
- Pope Leo XIV
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Shedeur Sanders
- Bianca Censori
- Zohran Mamdani
- Greta Thunberg
US Top 10 People:
- Zohran Mamdani
- Tyler Robinson
- d4vd
- Erika Kirk
- Pope Leo XIV
- Shedeur Sanders
- Bonnie Blue
- Karoline Leavitt
- Andy Byron
- Jimmy Kimmel
Entertainment
Actors
Breakthrough performances fueled increased searches for actors. Mikey Madison saw a global surge in interest following her acclaimed role in "Anora," while Pedro Pascal led actor searches in the US.
Global Top 5 Actors:
- Mikey Madison
- Lewis Pullman
- Isabela Merced
- Song Ji Woo
- Kaitlyn Dever
US Top 5 Actors:
- Pedro Pascal
- Malachi Barton
- Walton Goggins
- Pamela Anderson
- Charlie Sheen
Movies
Anticipated franchise entries and original films dominated movie searches. "Anora" was the top globally, while "KPop Demon Hunters" gained significant US popularity, alongside major releases such as "The Minecraft Movie" and "Thunderbolts."
Global Top 5 Movies:
- Anora
- Superman
- Minecraft Movie
- Thunderbolts
- Sinners
US Top 5 Movies:
- KPop Demon Hunters
- Sinners
- The Minecraft Movie
- Happy Gilmore 2
- Thunderbolts
Books
Contemporary romance and classic literature were the most searched genres. Colleen Hoover’s "Regretting You" and Rebecca Yarros’s "Onyx Storm" topped both global and US charts. Meanwhile, George Orwell’s "Animal Farm" and "1984" experienced a resurgence in popularity.
Global Top 10 Books:
- Regretting You – Colleen Hoover
- Onyx Storm – Rebecca Yarros
- Lights Out – Navessa Allen
- The Summer I Turned Pretty – Jenny Han
- The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
- Frankenstein – Mary Shelley
- It – Stephen King
- Animal Farm – George Orwell
- The Witcher – Andrzej Sapkowski
- Diary Of A Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney
US Top 10 Books:
- Regretting You – Colleen Hoover
- Onyx Storm – Rebecca Yarros
- Lights Out – Navessa Allen
- The Summer I Turned Pretty – Jenny Han
- The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
- It – Stephen King
- Animal Farm – George Orwell
- The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
- 1984 – George Orwell
Podcasts
Podcast searches were driven by political commentary and celebrity-hosted shows. "The Charlie Kirk Show" ranked first both worldwide and in the US, while sports podcast "New Heights" and Michelle Obama’s "IMO" gained considerable attention in the US.
Global Top 10 Podcasts:
- The Charlie Kirk Show
- New Heights
- This Is Gavin Newsom
- Khloé In Wonder Land
- Good Hang With Amy Poehler
- Candace
- The Meidastouch Podcast
- The Ruthless Podcast
- The Venus Podcast
- The Mel Robbins Podcast
US Top 10 Podcasts:
- New Heights
- The Charlie Kirk Show
- IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Davidson
- This Is Gavin Newsom
- Good Hang With Amy Poehler
- Khloé In Wonder Land
- The Severance Podcast
- The Rosary in a Year
- Unbothered
- The Bryce Crawford Podcast
Sports Events
International soccer tournaments attracted the most global sports searches. The FIFA Club World Cup, Asia Cup, and ICC Champions Trophy were the top interests worldwide. In the US, searches centered on domestic events like the Ryder Cup and UFC championships.
Global Top 10 Sports Events:
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Asia Cup
- ICC Champions Trophy
- ICC Women’s World Cup
- Ryder Cup
- EuroBasket
- Concacaf Gold Cup
- 4 Nations Face-Off
- UFC 313
- UFC 311
US Top 10 Sports Events:
- Ryder Cup
- 4 Nations Face-Off
- UFC 313
- UFC 311
- College Football Playoff
- Super Bowl LX
- NBA Finals
- World Series
- Stanley Cup Finals
- March Madness
Lifestyle And Gaming
Anticipated game releases led search trends in the gaming category. "Arc Raiders" was the most-searched title globally, while "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" topped searches in the US, alongside popular titles such as "Battlefield 6" and "Hollow Knight: Silksong."
Global Top 5 Games:
- Arc Raiders
- Battlefield 6
- Strands
- Split Fiction
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
US Top 5 Games:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Battlefield 6
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- ARC Raiders
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Music (US Only)
Emerging artists and well-known musicians drove music searches in the US. d4vd led in musician searches, whereas Taylor Swift dominated song rankings with various tracks, including "Wood" and "The Fate of Ophelia."
Top 5 Musicians (US):
- d4vd
- KATSEYE
- Bad Bunny
- Sombr
- Doechii
Top 5 Songs (US):
- Wood – Taylor Swift
- DtMF – Bad Bunny
- Golden – HUNTR/X
- The Fate of Ophelia – Taylor Swift
- Father Figure – Taylor Swift
Travel (US Only)
Major cities and popular European destinations shaped travel itinerary searches in the US. Boston, Seattle, and Tokyo led domestic and international travel plans, while Prague and Edinburgh were notably popular for European trips.
Top 10 Travel Itinerary Searches (US):
- Boston
- Seattle
- Tokyo
- New York
- Prague
- London
- San Diego
- Acadia National Park
- Edinburgh
- Miami
Google Maps
Google Maps data represents the most-searched locations on Maps in 2025.
Bookstores
Historic and iconic bookstores drew worldwide attention on Google Maps. Portugal’s Livraria Lello and Tokyo’s Animate Ikebukuro were the most searched internationally, while Powell’s City of Books in Portland ranked highest in US bookstore interest.
Global Top 5 Bookstores:
- Livraria Lello, Porto District, Portugal
- Animate Ikebukuro main store, Tokyo, Japan
- El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Shakespeare and Company, Île-de-France, France
- Libreria Acqua Alta, Veneto, Italy
US Top 5 Bookstores:
- Powell’s City of Books, Portland, Oregon
- Strand Book Store, New York, New York
- The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles, California
- Kinokuniya New York, New York, New York
- Stanford University Bookstore, Stanford, California
Looking Back
The Google Year in Search 2025 report offers a compelling retrospective of the year's defining moments and curiosities. It reveals how people navigated a world shaped by natural disasters and political shifts, tracking major global events and exploring new AI tools. Yet, amidst these significant searches, users also indulged their personal interests—discovering actors after standout performances, finding recipes seen on social media, and planning long-dreamed-of trips.
These trends don't necessarily dictate what mattered most, but rather what sparked curiosity in moments of reflection or leisure. Whether seeking to understand a critical news event or plotting the perfect travel itinerary, Google's search data provides a unique window into the collective consciousness of 2025.
You can watch the full Google Year In Search video below:
Watch Google Year In Search 2025 Video
The full Year in Search data is available at trends.withgoogle.com/year-in-search/2025.
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