Top Trending Searches of 2025 Revealed: What Dominated Google This Year
Google has released its much-anticipated Year in Search 2025, showcasing the trends, personalities, and cultural moments that shaped global curiosity this year. Taken from search activity between January 1 and November 25, these rankings highlight what the world rushed to understand, debate, or follow in real time. Importantly, Google emphasizes these lists reflect spikes in search interest—not the highest number of total searches.
The result is a fascinating display of how global culture, politics, entertainment, technology, and crisis converged in a year marked by rapid shifts.
Charlie Kirk Leads the Nation’s Curiosity
Topping the list is the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist who was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10. Kirk’s killing generated massive public attention, driving nationwide discussions about political violence, campus security, and ideological polarization.
Google’s report confirms his name saw the sharpest spike in search traffic across the United States in 2025—making it the No. 1 trending search of the year.
KPop Demon Hunters Captures Global Obsession
In second place is Netflix’s breakout hit “KPop Demon Hunters,” a stylized action-fantasy phenomenon blending K-pop star power, martial arts choreography, and supernatural myth. The series dominated social media, merchandise sales, and fan culture, ultimately becoming one of Netflix’s most-streamed originals of the year.
Labubu Craze Goes Mainstream
The third most trending search was Labubu, the wildly popular collectible monster dolls created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung. Inspired by Nordic folklore and produced by Pop Mart, these colorful characters—with oversized heads, toothy grins, and plush costumes—sparked viral frenzies and record-breaking resale prices throughout 2025.
Politics, Economy, and Tariffs Surge in Search Trends
Google’s 2025 list shows an unusually strong dominance of political and economic topics, reflecting a year of global uncertainty, legislative tension, and shifting geopolitical alliances.
Among the top entries:
- Government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history
- President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- Tariffs, as trade conflicts intensified
These issues drove intense public debate, particularly as economic consequences began affecting households, businesses, and global markets.
Rising Political Figures Drive Curiosity
Two names surged unexpectedly:
- Zohran Mamdani, New York Assembly member known for progressive advocacy
- Erika Kirk, founder of ProLove, elevated by her proximity to conservative activism
Both saw large spikes as their political roles intersected with national controversies.
Tech and Innovation: iPhone 17 and DeepSeek Dominate
Technology remained central to public interest in 2025:
- The iPhone 17 was among the most-searched gadgets of the year, driven by rumors of next-gen AI integration and an entirely portless design.
- DeepSeek, an AI system rapidly gaining popularity, became a flashpoint in debates about automation, regulation, and machine ethics.
Sports, Culture, and Entertainment Rule Their Categories
Google also broke down trending searches across categories. Highlights include:
Trending Actors of 2025
- Pedro Pascal topped the list, reaffirming his status as Hollywood’s most bankable global star.
Trending Athletes
- Shedeur Sanders led the list amid a breakout football season, followed by boxing champion Terence Crawford.
Trending Movies
- KPop Demon Hunters also topped this category.
- Sinners, The Minecraft Movie, and Thunderbolts followed closely.
Trending TV Shows
- The Hunting Wives
- The White Lotus
- MobLand
These series dominated streaming conversations and social media trends.
Trending Musicians
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Emerging artist d4vd was the No. 1 trending musician, followed by K-pop group KATSEYE and global superstar Bad Bunny.
Trending Games
Gamers propelled titles like:
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Battlefield 6
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Trending Gen Z Slang
Showing how youth culture evolves online, trending slang included:
- 6-7
- Sigma
- Skibidi
- Rizz
- Aura
Trending State Parks on Google Maps
Searches revealed renewed interest in outdoor escapes, with Watkins Glen State Park and Valley of Fire State Park topping the list.
View the full list for 2025 here.
Our Thoughts
Google’s Year in Search is more than a list—it’s a mirror reflecting what captured the world’s emotions, anxieties, and imagination in 2025. From political violence and global economic tensions to viral entertainment phenomena and new technological breakthroughs, the trends highlight how deeply interconnected online curiosity has become with real-world events. The prominence of entertainment trends alongside major political and economic developments also reinforces how audiences seek moments of escapism during periods of instability. As Google points out, these are not the most-searched topics overall—but the ones that saw dramatic, immediate surges in interest. That makes this list an authentic snapshot of how the world reacts when unexpected events unfold. It is also clear that digital culture—TikTok slang, streaming hits, online creators—is increasingly influencing mainstream search behavior. The Year in Search is ultimately a cultural time capsule, and 2025 offered one of the most diverse and dramatic collections yet.
