Pornhub 2025 Report: LGBTQ and MILF takeover is here

Dec. 20, 2021. Updated Dec. 23, 2021.

Pornhub’s latest Year in Review charts a reconfigured terrain of adult viewing — with LGBTQ categories on the rise and MILF and mature themes holding steady alongside an unexpected boom: creator-style, safe-for-work content.

The results, based on tens of billions of searches and views from around the world, offer a rare snapshot of what people really watch when old restrictions have closed off other options and tastes have diversified.

LGBTQ viewing is up across all categories globally

Lesbian content was the top category in 2025, continuing a multiyear trend that indicates enthusiasm for women and couples. Transgender, meanwhile, jumped to No. 2, an increase of five places from last year: one of the most dramatic shifts in the report. Broader identity terms also saw spikes in searches: “queer” jumped 132 percent, and “bisexual” rose by 88 percent.

“Femboy” reached the platform’s global top 10 searches and claimed No. 1 on its gay portal, revealing how gender expression is guiding mainstream adult discovery. Sex researchers have always observed that social taboo can indeed correlate with curiosity, and the data seems to reflect that dynamic in our current cultural climate of debate around gender identity and expression. Advocates, including the Free Speech Coalition and civil liberties groups, have also cited increased policy pressure around LGBTQ content in recent years to provide a context for the fast-moving ground under their feet.

MILF and mature categories continue to hold their grip

MILF remained the No. 2 most-searched term globally, meaning the fetish crosses borders and caters to all ages and markets. The “mature” category was the fifth-most-popular one of all and third among men as subgenres surged: searches for “GILF” (up 129 percent), “50 plus” (105 percent) and “cougar” (83 percent). The throughline, at least to me, seems unmistakable — age-differentiated fantasies continue to constitute a staple of adult viewing long after the more self-regard-driven demands have come and gone.

Hentai in charge but familiar terms remain

Hentai retained its place as the most-searched term in the world, followed by MILF, “pinay,” lesbian and “anal,” with no movement from these heavy hitters compared to last year. That equilibrium points to deeply ingrained tastes at the mass-market level, even as faster-growing niches carve up the body of the curve. Anime media analysts have been highlighting the trend of anime audiences crossing over with adult animation, and the consistency of hentai sales only demonstrates that cross-cultural intersection.

Roleplay and affair fantasies begin to ramp up

Roleplay requests surged, with its “role play” category up 98%. Fantasies regarding everyday jobs received big boosts too, with “driver” up 144%, “plumber” up 67% and “chef.” Searches themed around infidelity also spiked — “cheating” went up 94% and “cuckold” grew by 73%. Cuckold was also one of the year’s fastest-growing fetishes on another major platform, Clips4Sale, which singles it out separately as an overarching market swell rather than one site.

Pop culture seems to have influenced some of these spikes. When a message spread that the kiss-cam phenomenon could be found at a stadium somewhere in real life, via a widely circulated clip, searches for “office affair” shot up 210 percent and traces of impropriety toward higher-ups jumped by 388 percent, showing how viral moments can redirect the curiosity of adults on hoverboards in real time.

SFW, creator-style content begins to find its audience

Counterintuitively, the platform saw significant growth in categories that are closer to mainstream creator content. “Podcast” jumped 327%, “gaming” surged 283% and “music” increased 62%. Even “SFW ASMR” grew 56%. These gains fit in with the broader creator economy, where audio, livestreaming and low-intensity formats keep fans engaged between more explicit versions. Industry trackers like Edison Research have long documented rapid global growth for podcast listening — momentum that it seems is now spilling over into adult platforms.

Access limits and the changing geography of demand

Although age-verification laws led to the site being blocked in nearly half of U.S. states, the country was by far its largest source of traffic. France, which saw extended blocking during the year, also remained a top 10 country for traffic. Digital rights organizations, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have cautioned that age checks based on ID can introduce privacy risks; the fact that traffic remains resilient may suggest users look for workarounds to avoid joining policymakers and platforms in a Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad age-assurance wolf game.

Why these trends matter right now for platforms and users

The message for creators and studios is twofold: identity-forward storytelling is reaching a larger audience, and age-differentiated casting remains a reliable draw.

For platforms, moderation and search taxonomies will need to adapt as LGBTQ and roleplay content continue to become more nuanced. And for regulators, the data puts in stark relief a fundamental corner of tension that, as attempts to restrict access can run up against well-rooted demand, may be better addressed through new age-verification methods that protect both minors and individuals’ private information.

Pornhub’s 2025 ledger, in the end, ends up reading a bit like a paradox of the internet age: tighter rules, more imaginative consumption. A range of desires is evident, quantifiable and ever more mainstream — even as we toggle between explicit fantasy and creator-style, SFW diversions. That mix may come to define the next phase of adult viewing — and the policies, platforms and business models set up to serve it.