Video Gaming Addiction Statistics UK [2024]

Last Updated: February 9, 2024

People love video games. Some want to play games when they feel bored, while others want to improve their problem-solving or leadership skills through gaming. No matter what type of games people love to play, there’s no doubt they can benefit from investing time in this hobby.

But what happens when someone crosses the line and becomes addicted? Let’s take a look at this video gaming addiction statistics UK to find out more about the gaming habits of our fellow gaming enthusiasts and solve our dilemma.

Before we begin, here are some of the most prominent statistics related to gaming addiction in the UK:

Video Gaming Addiction Statistics

In 2021, there were roughly 44.54 million video gamers in the UK

If you’re wondering how many people play video games in the UK, would you be surprised when we tell you the number of gamers in the UK jumped from 36 million in 2020 to 44.54 million in 2021? Gaming statistics also show that over 50% of the UK population enjoyed playing video games in 2020.

In 2020, less than 1% of the general population in the UK fit the criteria for a video game addiction diagnosis

Now that you know what percentage of gamers in the UK are addicted to gaming, we should mention that less than 1% of Germany, Canada and the US had to face the same issue in 2020. It’s critical to say that even though video gaming is addictive to some people, most mental health providers don’t know how to handle this type of addiction.

When asked how many hours they play video games, 10% of the surveyed gamers in the UK said they played games for less than 1 hour a week in 2022

In 2020, 1% of gamers in the UK didn’t know how much time they invested in gaming, and 27% of people didn’t play video games at all. In addition, 26% of UK gaming enthusiasts said they enjoyed gaming for 1-5 hours a week in the same year.

When asked how much time they invest in gaming, 18% of the surveyed gamers said they enjoyed playing video games for 6-10 hours a week in 2020

To answer how many people in the UK are addicted to video games, it’s critical to mention that in 2020 9% of gamers said they played video games for 11-15 hours a week. However, 5% of the questioned gamers said they played video games for 16-20 hours per week in the same year. In 2020, 5% of gamers played video games for more than 20 hours a week.

In 2021, around 30% of gamers in the UK admitted they sometimes skipped a shower to play video games during the national lockdown

The UK gaming population grew 63% during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Since 30% of gamers in the UK said they skipped a meal to play video games in 2021 and 6 in 10 Britons sacrificed sleep for the same reason, gaming addiction became a severe issue in the UK.

Roughly 8% of children and teenagers in the UK were addicted to gaming in 2020

Around 12% of boys in the UK were addicted to playing video games in 2020. If you’re wondering what percentage of girls in the UK are addicted to gaming, roughly 7% of girls in 2020 fit the criteria for a video game addiction diagnosis, according to video gaming addiction statistics UK.

In 2020, 3-4% of gamers worldwide were addicted to playing games

Worldwide video game addiction statistics show that 94% of gaming addicts in 2020 were male, and only 6% were female. In the same year, the average age of a gamer addict was 24 years old and most likely Caucasian.

In 2021, the best-selling game in the UK was FIFA 22

As Video Games Sales Statistics UK revealed, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Grand Theft Auto V were second and third best-selling games in the UK, respectively, selling approximately 1.1 million copies of the former and 1.9 million units later in 2021 (digital and physical sales). FIFA 21 was the fourth best-selling game in the UK, with roughly 602 thousand unit sales in 2021.

The most addictive game in the UK in 2020 was Fortnite Battle Royale

In 2020, World of Warcraft and Battlefield were some of the most addictive games in the UK. In the same year, Farmville was fourth on the list of most addictive games in the UK, followed by Call of Duty and Minecraft.

In 2020, the massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) were most likely to cause an addiction in the UK

In 2018, 44% of World of Warcraft players in the UK described themselves as “addicted” to this game. However, playing less intense games such as Angry Birds and Solitaire can lead to addiction as well.

Fortnite had over 400 million players worldwide in 2021

In 2018, Fortnite Battle Royale was the leading cause for over 200 divorces in the UK. These numbers show that gaming addiction can affect people’s lives regardless of their age, which is why it’s critical to encourage individuals to seek help if they struggle with video gaming addiction.

Conclusion

Playing video games is fun, but our video gaming addiction statistics UK show that gaming can also be dangerous. If you start playing addictive games online, remind yourself to limit your exposure to such games and invest more time in other productive hobbies that will make you brighter and happier.