As one of the fastest-growing industries globally, the video games market is expected to hit $156bn value this year. The most significant part of global gaming revenues or 70% of the total value, will come from the top five gaming markets.
According to data presented by Safe Betting Sites, the combined gaming revenues of China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, as the world’s five largest gaming industries, are expected to jump by 40% and hit $155bn by 2025, nearly as the 2021 total.
Chinese Gaming Revenues to Grow by 44%, the Biggest Increase Among the Top Five Markets
According to Statista Digital Market Outlook, the number of gamers is approaching two billion globally, and the Asia Pacific region is responsible for more than 80% of it. The Asian gaming industry was thriving even before 2019. But after the pandemic hit, revenues jumped by an impressive 42% reaching $88.5bn in 2021. By 2025, this figure is forecast to surge by 44% and hit $127.6bn, more than American and European gaming revenues combined.
Within the region, China, Japan, and South Korea lead the gaming markets. Statistics show the Chinese video game industry has doubled itself in five years and is expected to generate $49.3bn or one-third of total gaming revenues in 2021, with 780 million active users. According to Statista data, the Chinese video games market will also witness the biggest growth among the top five markets, with revenues jumping by 44% to $71.2bn by 2025.
Japan, the home to gaming giants Nintendo and Namco Bandai, is the second-largest gaming market in the Asia Pacific and the third-largest globally. In 2021, the entire video games market in the country is forecast to generate $18.2bn in revenue, four times more than South Korea or the United Kingdom. This figure is projected to grow by 31% to $24bn by 2025.
As the third-largest gaming market in the region and the fourth-largest globally, South Korea is expected to hit an $8.7bn value in the next four years, 40% more than in 2021.
US Gaming Industry to Hit $42.5B Value in 2025, UK Market to Grow by 40%
Statista Digital Market Outlook showed the five of the world’s biggest gaming markets feature three Asian countries, leaving space for the United States and the United Kingdom as the only European country on this list.
As the second-largest gaming industry globally, the United States will have an estimated turnover of $30.4bn in 2021, which is expected to rise to $42.5bn by 2025. Moreover, the number of gamers in the country is forecast to hit 182.1 million that year, 19 million more than in 2021.
Statistics show that video games in the United Kingdom, as the only European country on the top five list, are expected to bring $8.6bn in revenue in 2025, a 40% increase in four years. Also, the largest gaming market in Europe is set to reach over 50 million gamers that year, up from 44.5 million in 2021.
