Bitkom study on gaming: women game longer than men

Bitkom Study on Gaming

Andrea Gillhuber, 12.08.2025, 13:58

Women gamble longer than Men

According to a representative Bitkom survey, 52% of Germans use a mouse, controller or smartphone at least occasionally. Gaming is also widespread among senior citizens - one in five people aged 65 and over play games.

Bitkom study on gaming: women game longer than men

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In Germany, 52% of the population play computer or video games at least once in a while. This is the result of a representative survey of 1209 people aged 16 and over, including 626 gamers. Women and men are equally represented with 52% each. On average, female gamers spend 2.2 hours a day gaming, men 1.9 hours.

Do you play video or computer games at least once in a while? The answers of the Germans. © Bitkom

The 16 to 29-year-olds play the most - 87% of this age group are gamers. "Anyone under 30 who doesn't play video games is a real exotic these days," said Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. Among the over-65s, one in five (20%) play games.

Gaming in everyday life

Almost half of gamers (45%) cannot imagine life without games. 36% would have liked to be able to "immerse" themselves in a game at some point, and 20% have already dreamed of playing a video game.

The average playing time is two hours a day. 84% play for less than five hours a day, 7% for five hours or more. 54% want to be the best at the game, 33% prefer to play against each other, 24% prefer cooperative team games, 40% have no preference. 29% prefer to play alone, 28% online with others, 11% in the same room. A further 29% have no preference.

57% of gamers watch others play at least occasionally. 26% do this online, 44% in person. Among non-gamers, 18% watch at least occasionally.

The most popular types of games

Casual games are the most popular (76%), followed by strategy, management and construction games (68%), platform or skill games (65%), social and messenger games (60%) and action games (58%).

Which of the following devices do you use for gaming? The answers. © Bitkom

The most frequently used devices are consoles (98%) and smartphones (88%), followed by laptops or notebooks (75%), tablets (53%) and stationary PCs (45%). "People play where it is most practical: the smartphone is always to hand - the stationary PC less so," says Rohleder.

Gaming and military

On the military aspect: 34% of Germans believe that war games can get young people interested in the military. 43% think that such games illustrate the atrocities of war, while 50% see the danger of blunting them. 43% are in favor of the Bundeswehr developing its own games for training purposes, 38% would use them to recruit new recruits. 19% see skills taught through gaming as an advantage for defense capabilities.

According to the respondents, the skills promoted by video games are problem solving (43%), reaction speed (33%), concentration (32%), creativity (27%) and coordination (26%). Risks are seen by 44% in the lack of youth protection, 41% in social withdrawal, 37% in addiction or dependency and 37% in the neglect of other areas of life.

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