In 2025, Google’s AI tool Gemini topped global searches. People tracked cricket matches between India and England, looked up details on the new Pope, and searched for information about Iran and the TikTok ban. They followed LA fires and government shutdowns.
But between the headlines, they also looked up Pedro Pascal and Mikey Madison. They wanted to make hot honey and marry me chicken. They planned trips to Prague and Edinburgh. They searched for bookstores from Livraria Lello in Porto to Powell’s in Portland.
Google’s Year in Search tracks what spiked. These lists show queries that grew the fastest relative to 2024, ranging from breaking news to entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Together, they present a picture of what captured attention throughout the year.
Top Searches Of 2025
Google’s AI assistant Gemini became the top trending search globally, showing how widely AI tools were embraced throughout the year. The rest of the top 10 was filled with sports, with cricket matches between India and England, the Club World Cup, and the Asia Cup capturing a lot of public interest.
The global top 10 trending searches were:
Global top 10:
- Gemini
- India vs England
- Charlie Kirk
- Club World Cup
- India vs Australia
- Deepseek
- Asia Cup
- Iran
- iPhone17
- Pakistan and India
The US list reflected different priorities and diverged from global trends, with Charlie Kirk at the top and entertainment properties ranking highly. KPop Demon Hunters secured the second position.
The US top 10 trending searches were:
US top 10:
- 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 events shaped what news topics people were searching for. The LA Fires, Hurricane Melissa, and the TikTok ban drew worldwide interest, while in the US, folks were most often searching about topics like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the government shutdown.
Global top 10:
- 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:
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- Government shutdown
- Charlie Kirk assasination
- Tariffs
- No Kings protest
- Los Angles fires
- New Pope chosen
- Epstein files
- U.S. Presidential Inauguration
- Hurricane Melissa
AI-Generated Content Leads US Trends
AI-generated content captured everyone’s attention in the US, with AI-created images and characters popping up all over different categories. The viral AI Barbie, AI action figures, and Ghibli-style AI art topped this year’s trends.
The top US trends included:
- 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 people worldwide. d4vd, Kendrick Lamar, and the newly elected Pope Leo XIV attracted the most international attention. In the US, searches mainly centered on political appointees such as Zohran Mamdani and Karoline Leavitt.
Global top 10:
- d4vd
- Kendrick Lamar
- Jimmy Kimmel
- Tyler Robinson
- Pope Leo XIV
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Shedeur Sanders
- Bianca Censori
- Zohran Mamdani
- Greta Thunberg
US top 10:
- Zohran Mamdani
- Tyler Robinson
- d4vd
- Erika Kirk
- Pope Leo XIV
- Shedeur Sanders
- Bonnie Blue
- Karoline Leavitt
- Andy Byron
- Jimmy Kimmel
Entertainment
Actors
Breakthrough performances drove increased actor searches. Mikey Madison saw a spike in global searches after her acclaimed role in Anora, while Pedro Pascal led searches in the US.
Global top 5:
- Mikey Madison
- Lewis Pullman
- Isabela Merced
- Song Ji Woo
- Kaitlyn Dever
US top 5:
- Pedro Pascal
- Malachi Barton
- Walton Goggins
- Pamela Anderson
- Charlie Sheen
Movies
Expected franchise entries and original films topped movie searches. Anora was the top globally, while KPop Demon Hunters gained US popularity, alongside major releases such as The Minecraft Movie and Thunderbolts.
Global top 5:
- Anora
- Superman
- Minecraft Movie
- Thunderbolts*
- Sinners
US top 5:
- 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, while George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and “1984” saw a resurgence in popularity.
Global top 10:
- 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:
- 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 attention in the US.
Global top 10:
- 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:
- 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, while in the US, searches centered on domestic events like the Ryder Cup and UFC championships.
Global top 10:
- 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:
- 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. Arc Raiders was the most-searched title globally, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the top search 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. d4vd led in musician searches, whereas Taylor Swift led song rankings with various tracks, including “Wood” and “The Fate of Ophelia.”
Top 5 musicians:
- d4vd
- KATSEYE
- Bad Bunny
- Sombr
- Doechii
Top 5 songs:
- 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 drove travel itinerary searches. Boston, Seattle, and Tokyo led domestic travel plans, while Prague and Edinburgh were notably popular for European trips.
Top 10 travel itinerary searches:
- 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:
- 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:
- 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
That’s what caught attention in 2025. People searched for breaking news about natural disasters and political changes. They tracked sports tournaments and looked up new AI tools. They followed major world events.
And between those searches, they looked up actors after breakthrough performances, found recipes they saw on social feeds, and planned trips to places they’d been thinking about for years.
The trends don’t tell you what mattered most. They tell you what people were curious about when they had a spare moment, whether that was understanding a major news event or finding the perfect travel itinerary.
You can watch the full Google Year In Search video below:
The full Year in Search data is at trends.withgoogle.com/year-in-search/2025.
More resources: