Pornhub Reports 'Hentai' Is Top Worldwide Search Term

Pornhub Reports 'Hentai' Is Top Worldwide Search Term

MONTREAL — Following a two-year hiatus, Pornhub has released its annual “Year in Review” infographics report, revealing that the top worldwide search term on the platform is “hentai.”

The report was released through the company’s data analysis marketing division Pornhub Insights.

It is the platform's eighth “Year in Review” report and covers “2021’s hottest trends, terms, searches and a recap of everything that happened during the year,” and including “commentary to touch on the main trends and breakdown the details to see how the year that was 2021 affected the porn viewership of people around the world.”

Highlights from the report include:

  • Trends that have found unique popularity among Pornhub browsers this year are words linked to romance (“romance,” “romantic,” “passionate,” “bromance”), group sex (“threesome,” “group,” “FFM,” “MMF,” “orgy”), fitness (“yoga,” “running,” “exercise,” “gym”), swapping (“swap,” “swapping,” “swinger,” “swinging,” “cuckold,” “cheating”), challenge (“buss it,” “jerk off challenge,” “try not to cum”), transgender (“trans"), goth, roommate (“lesbian roommate,” “gay roommate,” “fucking roommate”) and "How to…" (“…squirt,” “…eat pussy,” “…suck dick,” “…put on a condom”).
  • Besides "hentai," the Top 10 most-searched terms of 2021 worldwide were “Japanese,” “lesbian,” “MILF,” “Pinay,” “Asian,” “stepmom,” “anal,” “ebony” and “big ass.”
  • The Top 10 most-searched porn stars in 2021 were Lana Rhoades, Abella Danger, Eva Elfie, Riley Reid, Mia Malkova, Angela White, Mia Khalifa, Jordi El Nino Polla, Lena Paul and reigning XBIZ  "Female Performer of the Year" Emily Willis.
  • The Top 10 countries by traffic were the United States, U.K., Japan, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Philippines, Brazil and Spain.
  • The Top 10 most viewed categories were Japanese, lesbian, ebony, hentai, MILF, anal, mature, amateur, "popular with women" and threesome.
  • The Top 10 gay search terms were “twink,” “femboy,” “hentai,” “straight,” “black,” “Japanese,” “Pinoy,” “Asian,” “yaoi” and “anime.”
  • The average age of Pornhub visitors was 37.
  • The percentage of Pornhub visitors accessing the site via smartphones was 83%.

Why 'Hentai'?

As for the top worldwide term, the Pornhub Insights report explained that in Japanese culture, "'hentai' can refer to any sort of sexual fetish. But around the world it most often describes the pornographic form of anime, a style of Japanese film and television animation. Hundreds of thousands of hentai videos can be found on Pornhub, including professional productions, homemade animations made by fans and 3D generated scenes.”

Dr. Laurie Betito, clinical psychologist, sex therapist and director of the Pornhub Sexual Wellness Center, pointed out that “cartoons are more fantastical than regular porn. They may offer more visual stimulation in terms of movements, angles, colors and facial expressions. Because it’s not real, it can go further, with less constraints that reality offers. Hentai porn also tends to have more of a storyline and people seem to be more and more drawn to context.”

To read the full 2021 “Year in the Review” results, visit Pornhub.com.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Nominees for Online Industry Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the nominees for the online industry edition of the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, set to be presented as part of the annual XBIZ Honors ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 14 in conjunction with the XBIZ 2026 digital media conference.

AEBN Publishes Report on POV Trends

AEBN has published a report on POV and gonzo categories from its straight and gay theaters.

Joybear Pictures to Launch 'I Really Love' Studio Imprint

Joybear Pictures has announced that its new studio imprint, I Really Love, will launch in January.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Life Transitions' Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group on navigating transitional and liminal spaces.

CamSoda Launches 'Trick or Tease' AI Companions

CamSoda has launched its Halloween-themed Trick or Tease AI companions.

Russian Lawmakers Call for Age Verification

Two Russian lawmakers have called on the country’s government to implement age verification for adult content.

British Documentary Spotlights XBIZ Amsterdam With Candid Conversations

British creator and host Josh Pieters traveled to XBIZ Amsterdam to film a documentary about the annual European adult industry conference.

XBIZ 2026 to Debut 'New Talent Go-See' Special Event

XBIZ 2026, North America’s premier adult industry conference, will debut a special event designed to help new talent jump-start their careers: the New Talent Go-See.

Penthouse Announces Digital Archive Launch

Penthouse Magazine has announced that it will launch a comprehensive digital archive in 2026.

Dreamcam Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Dreamcam has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Show More