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Pornography Industry Statistics: The porn industry is becoming one of the integral parts of the global economy, contributing significantly to its growth and development.
While the industry faced a major setback a decade ago due to poor distribution channels, it has bounced back stronger than ever before with the help of the Internet. With billions of dollars at stake, the pornography industry has established its position as a major player in the global market.
This industry is a creative field that employs millions of people worldwide every year, including actors, directors, cinematographers, graphic designers, video editors, writers, and more. The number of people who want to start a porn site, upload their videos, and make money from them has grown rapidly in recent years.
This article presents porn industry statistics and insights from a global perspective, focusing on how much is the porn industry worth, porn industry revenue and much more.
The data collected from various segments and categories are both unique and fascinating, providing a comprehensive picture of the current state of the pornography industry.
So, let’s get started.
What Includes the Porn Industry?
The pornography industry, also known as the adult entertainment industry, encompasses a range of commercial and technological companies that specialize in various aspects of adult entertainment.
These include cinematography, porn studios, production companies, animation, pre-and post-production, porn festivals, conventions, distributors, video hosting, live-streaming service, and content subscription service.
Together, they form an extensive network that drives the porn industry forward. The industry has undergone a significant transformation in recent times, with the inclusion of VR (Virtual Reality) porn flicks.
These immersive porn films have emerged as a novel component for both the industry and the consumers, extending beyond the traditional 2D videos.
A Brief History of Pornography
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of pornography industry statistics, let’s look at how it got to the point where it is now.
Pornography has a long and complex history that spans thousands of years. The oldest known pornographic artifacts were discovered in Germany in 2008 CE, dating back at least 35,000 years.
But the modern history of Western pornography begins with the Enlightenment (18th century), when printing technology had advanced enough to permit the production of erotic engravings and drawings.
By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne in Great Britain in 1837, there were more than 50 pornographic shops on Holywell Street (known as “Booksellers’ Row”) in London.
In the 19th century, the inventions of photography and, later, motion pictures were quickly put to use in the production of pornography. Pornographic films were widely available in the 1920s, and their popularity surged in the 1960s.
The development of video cassettes in the 1980s and digital video disks (DVDs) in the 1990s enabled the wide distribution of pornographic films and further encouraged their use because they could be viewed in private. Porn images and films became more accessible with the rise of the Internet in the 1990s.
Since the rise of the internet, accessing adult content has become easier than ever before. Pornographic content can be accessed through any electronic device with internet access, and the more portable the device, the more difficult it is to monitor.
The reason for the abundance of high-quality porn flicks is largely due to advancements in technology. As technology develops, pornography is likely to become more pervasive.
Now that we learned how porn got started in the world, let’s explore some pornography industry statistics.
General Pornography Industry Statistics
Based on a comprehensive survey of adolescents by NIH in the United States, it was found that a vast majority of 14 to 18-year-old males, specifically 84.4%, have viewed pornography content. Meanwhile, 57% of 14 to 18-year-old females have also engaged in this activity.
A similar study conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that 44% of male children aged 11 to 16 who consumed porn reported that online pornography videos gave them ideas about the type of sex they wanted to try.
In 2019 alone, one of the world’s largest porn websites recorded consumption levels equivalent to nearly 6,650 centuries of porn content.
Unsurprisingly, pornography is becoming a valuable source for young adults who want to learn how to act, as survey results show that one in four 18 to 24-year-olds (24.5%) listed it as the most helpful.
Experts predict that virtual reality (VR) porn content will become a $1 billion business by 2025, ranking third behind the expected $1.4 billion virtual reality video game market and $1.23 billion VR NFL-related content.
Porn companies and industry experts are optimistic that VR porn will boost the pornography website revenues that have remained mostly stagnant from 2010 to 2015, with an increase of only about 0.3% to $3.3 billion in porn content during that time.
It is interesting to note that 28,258 users are currently watching porn videos every second, while a staggering $3,075.64 is spent on adult content every second on the Internet.
Furthermore, an estimated 4% of the entire internet is composed of porn content, which emphasizes the significant role that porn plays in our lives.
How Much Is The Porn Industry Worth?
The global pornography industry is an incredibly lucrative market, with an estimated worth of approximately $97 billion, according to NBC. This staggering figure is a testament to the significant economic impact and widespread influence of the porn industry on a global scale.
By examining this statistic, we can gain a deeper understanding of the vast scope and reach of the adult entertainment industry and how it has become a dominant force in the entertainment world.
Furthermore, in the United States alone, the pornography industry generates annual revenue of $13 billion, according to this article.
This impressive figure highlights the significant financial success and growth of the porn industry within the US. It also serves as a reminder of the industry’s vital role in shaping our cultural landscape and influencing societal trends.
When we take into consideration the vastness of the porn industry, we can ascertain with confidence that it is currently flourishing and poised to maintain its upward trajectory in the foreseeable future.
P.S. If you’re interested in starting a porn business, you can find out more by visiting our article – how to start a porn business.
How Big is Porn?
According to Statista, the number of internet users worldwide reached a staggering 5.18 billion, which accounts for an impressive 64.6 percent of the global population.
The exponential increase in the number of internet users has brought about a significant transformation in our way of life at a global level.
However, it remains a mystery how many of these users engage in porn consumption and to what extent porn has influenced the internet. In order to shed light on this matter, let us delve into some fascinating facts.
Did you know that pornography-related downloads make up around 35% of all internet downloads? It’s no surprise, then, that approximately 25% of search engine requests are also related to pornography.
In fact, an estimated 40 million Americans regularly visit porn websites, with 70% of men aged 18-24 visiting at least once per month.
With over 4.2 million porn websites making up 12% of all websites, the porn industry is definitely a big player in the online world.
Interestingly, internet porn makes up about 20% of total e-commerce sales in the United States.
Additionally, around 1.7% of adult women have worked in the adult entertainment industry at some point in their lives. Either as a porn star or an adult content creator.
In the United States, a total of 37 pornographic videos are being produced every single day. When it comes to the time spent on adult websites, the average is around 15 minutes.
Although 52% of online porn consumers in the United States are aged 35-49, the most commonly observed age group consuming internet porn is 18-24-year-olds, with 77% reporting recent consumption.
Even children under 12 years old make up 9% of porn users in the U.S.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the viewership of porn for women has risen 1,400% from 2013 to 2017.
From the above statistics, it can be clearly seen how big internet porn has developed over the years. Especially after the introduction of porn sites like Chaturbate and OnlyFans, internet porn has become more exclusive and more interesting to viewers.
Porn Industry Revenue & Profits
In 2000, estimated revenues for porn-related entertainment businesses were just under $45 billion globally. These estimates included video sales and rentals, Internet sales, cable, pay-per-view, phone sex operating business, strip clubs, magazines, and novelty stores.
Over the course of a decade, from 2000 to 2010, the value of the porn industry increased from $45 billion to $62 billion. Fast forward another twelve years to 2022, and the industry’s worth has climbed even higher to $100 billion.
Moving forward, analysts predict a continued growth rate of 5.2% annually from 2023 to 2030, which could result in the industry reaching a value of $117 billion by 2031.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the pornography industry, with some areas of the industry thriving amid the chaos.
As people were forced to stay home due to quarantine and social distancing measures, the demand for homemade porn and amateur adult film content skyrocketed.
This shift towards more accessible adult content has had a major impact on the industry, with revenue for porn websites increasing by an average of 25-40% in response to the pandemic.
If we break down the revenue of the pornography industry, we can see that the majority of earnings come from internet porn, with 85% of revenue, or $85 billion.
Adult magazines make up 10% of revenue, or $10 billion, while traditional media formats like DVDs and VHS tapes account for just 5% of revenue, or $5 billion.
Although the United States is currently the leading country in the global porn industry, there are numerous other nations striving to compete in this highly lucrative market.
To provide you with a better understanding of the current landscape, we have compiled a list of countries that share a significant portion of the global pornography market share.
- United States of America – 24.5%
- United Kingdom – 5.5%
- Germany – 4.9%
- Brazil – 4.8%
- France – 4%
- Russia – 4%
- Canada – 3.2%
- India – 3.1%
- Italy – 2.6%
- Spain – 2.4%
Now that’s all for now on pornography industry statistics, facts and trends. Before we part our ways, let’s learn how do porn sites make money, shall we?
How Do Porn Sites Make Money?
If we carefully look into the business model of popular porn sites like Pornhub and XVideos, we can find that they make money via three primary revenue streams.
1. Advertisement
Porn sites can make money through various methods of advertising, such as pay-per-click advertising, display advertising, and native advertising.
One of the most common ways is through pop up and video advertising, where advertisers pay a certain amount of money each time someone reads, views, or clicks on their ad.
Another way porn sites make money is by receiving sponsorships from porn companies or individuals. It’s usually in the form of a banner ad or hard links on the website.
2. Membership Subscriptions
Membership subscriptions are a popular way for porn sites to make money. The porn websites can charge a fee for access to exclusive content or services. The fee can be a one-time payment or a recurring subscription.
With this model, members pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee to access old and new content that is released on a regular basis. This model can help porn sites retain members for a longer period.
3. Affiliate Marketing
Porn websites can make money through affiliate marketing by promoting a certain porn company’s content or service on their website and earning a commission for each sale made through their unique affiliate link.
Apart from the above three revenue streams, there are several other ways via porn sites to make money, like e-commerce, pay-per-view content, adult conusting, data collection & selling, etc.
Conclusion
Despite the adverse effects of the pandemic, the porn sector is constantly evolving with technological advancements and bringing billions of dollars.
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