Which countries are the most obsessed with online gaming?

Millions of people around the world enjoy playing video games. Gaming allows players to escape, forget about the stresses of school or work, immerse themselves in an online world, and have some fun.  

But which nationality plays the most video games? Well, the team at Datslots has revealed the countries with the highest percentage of internet users that play video games. The data was collected through Statista through a worldwide survey of those ages 16-24. 

Below are the countries which scored the highest.  

      Country     % of internet users that play video games 
    Philippines   95.8 
    Indonesia   94.8 
    Vietnam   93.1 
    Thailand   93 
    Turkey   92.3 
    India   91.9 
    Mexico   91.3 
    Taiwan   91.3 
    Saudi Arabia   90.1 
    South Africa   89.7 

The country with the highest percentage of internet users playing video games is the Philippines, with over nine out of ten people, or 95%.  

Three other Asian countries also make the top five, with Indonesia at 94%, Vietnam at 93% and Thailand at 93%.  

Other countries in the top 10 include Turkey, at 92%. India, Mexico and Taiwan at 91%, Saudi Arabia at 90%, and South Africa at 89%. 

In Europe, the gaming market is worth $42.12bn in 2023, according to Statista, but which country enjoys gaming the most? 

      Country     % of internet users that play video games 
    Greece   86.3 
    Portugal   84.7 
    Romania   83.3 
    Poland   80.9 
    France   80.8 
    Italy   80.6 
    Spain   79.8 
    Russia   78.4 
    Sweden   78.4 
    Switzerland   77.9 
    Czechia   75.9 
    Austria   75.5 
    Netherlands   75.2 
    Germany   74.6 
    Denmark   74.3 
    Norway   72.7 
    United Kingdom   72.4 
    Ireland   72.1 
    Belgium   69.5 

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Greece has the highest percentage of internet users that play video games in Europe, with 86%. 

Portugal is next with 84%, with Romania third at 83%. 

The European country with the lowest percentage of internet users playing video games is Belgium, at 69%. Ireland, the UK, and Norway all have 72%.  

In Asia, the gaming industry is now worth over 54.4bn USD, according to Statista.  

      Country     % of internet users that play video games 
    Philippines   95.8 
    Indonesia   94.8 
    Vietnam   93.1 
    Thailand   93 
    India   91.9 
    Taiwan   91.3 
    Saudi Arabia   90.1 
    UAE   88.2 
    Malaysia   87.4 
    Hong Kong   83.1 
    Singapore   81.7 
    Israel   78.3 
    South Korea   78.3 
    China   72.1 
    Japan   66.4 

While the Philippines has the highest percentage of internet users playing video games in Asia, Japan has the lowest, at 66%.  

Mexico has the highest percentage in the Americas, at 91%, while the lowest is in Canada, at 79%.  

      Country     % of internet users that play video games 
    Mexico   91.3 
    Brazil   88.4 
    Chile   87.6 
    Colombia   84.8 
    United States   82.9 
    Argentina   80.2 
    Canada   79.5 

A spokesperson from Datslots said: “People play video games for several reasons. Games provide a challenge for a player and offer a sense of achievement after a game is completed. 

“Players also feel a sense of community when they play video games. People can play with others all over the world and even make new friends in a safe environment.”