Sex Toy Search Trends in 2022: Who’s in The Lead?

We researched people's interest in sex toys throughout the United States and Europe to identify which geographic regions do the most Google searches for adult products, relative to their population.

The sex toy market grows by roughly 7.6% each year and is expected to reach 54.6 billion by 2026. This is a good indicator suggesting that the stigma towards sex toy use is being broken down and they're slowly becoming commonplace in everyday lives.

Sexual health has become a significant part of pop culture and social media, increasing awareness and people's interest in adult merchandise. Certain drug stores and retail giants are now selling such products in their physical stores, further increasing visibility and making it less of a taboo.

The importance of practicing safe sex is frequently highlighted by healthcare professionals when talking about sexual wellness and well-being in general. This also encompasses sex toy use, which can often offer safer alternatives to one-time sexual encounters. This was especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic when casual dating was not possible and people turned to sex toys to release their sexual energy.

The Study of Online Search Habits for Sex Toys

In this study, we looked at search volumes of 4 popular sex toy types, as well as generic keywords which are often used to search for sex toys as a whole. The categories we used include vibrators, dildos, penis rings, and male masturbators (penis sleeves). All keywords were researched in English and in every language spoken in the European countries.

Key Findings

Swedish people research sex toys 41.7% more than any other country in Europe and 56.7% more than any state in the United States.
Swedish people research the term 'sex toys' two times more than any other country in Europe and over 3 times more than any state in the U.S.
Vibrators were most researched in Estonia, with an average of 326.6 monthly searches.* This is 3 times as much as in Louisiana which has an average of 103 monthly searches*, the highest number across the U.S.
dildos
Northern regions dominate dildo searches!
Monthly searches for dildos were found to be most popular in Norway at 285.4*. The highest-ranking state in the U.S. was Alaska with 181 monthly searches*.
The popularity of penis rings was similar in Europe and U.S. states, with Maine and Iceland at the top, having an average of 111 and 99.5 monthly searches* respectively.
masturbation sleeve
OR
240 penis sleeve queries per month
That's 36% more than the American average.
per 100.000 adult population
The research on masturbation sleeves was highest in Oregon with 240* and 221.9* in Switzerland.
Generally, the states in the U.S. showed very uniform search volumes and relatively low deviation from the average. In Europe, the deviation was much more significant, with northern countries typically leading the way and outnumbering search volumes in the U.S.
Search volumes do correlate with income.
But the correlation is opposite in U.S. and Europe.
GDP and average income appeared to correlate with search interest as well, with less wealthy states showing slightly higher interest in sex toys. Europe showed a stronger correlation, but in the opposite direction, with low-GDP countries showing lower search volumes.

* estimated number of Google searches per month, per 100.000 adult residents in that geographic area

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Grand Total: Sweden Shows a Huge Lead

In order to see the overall interest in sex toys, we added together search volumes of all keywords we researched. This value was then divided to account for the population in the corresponding state or country. The final number shows the average number of estimated monthly searches per 100.000 adults.

The data signals that Swedish people showed the highest overall interest in sex toys. The runner-up was Denmark with interest that's 41.7% lower than that in Sweden. The remaining three countries in the Top 5 were the UK, Norway, and Finland which showed search volumes that were almost twice as low.

In the United States, the results showed that search patterns were similar without any state to significantly stand out. The Top 5 include West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alaska, Maine, and Mississippi.

United States Overall Searches for Sex Toys

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
West Virginia
748
Alaska
722
Maine
708
Oklahoma
706
Mississippi
686
Oregon
668
Arkansas
656
Kentucky
654
Indiana
649
Kansas
649
Alabama
646
Wyoming
642
Vermont
634
Louisiana
632
Missouri
631
New Mexico
631
Tennessee
624
New Hampshire
620
Ohio
619
Texas
615
Montana
614
Michigan
597
North Dakota
590
California
589
Iowa
586
Pennsylvania
584
Georgia
582
Washington
581
South Carolina
580
Arizona
575
Wisconsin
575
North Carolina
574
Nevada
573
Idaho
570
Delaware
569
Nebraska
567
Colorado
565
Virginia
553
Illinois
549
Florida
543
Utah
543
Minnesota
542
South Dakota
542
Maryland
539
Rhode Island
508
New Jersey
503
Massachusetts
493
Hawaii
492
Connecticut
485
New York
471
District of Columbia
425
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Europe Overall Searches for Sex Toys

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Sweden
1,485
Denmark
1,048
United Kingdom
943
Norway
892
Finland
780
Netherlands
657
Ireland
654
Poland
585
Lithuania
561
Switzerland
536
Estonia
525
France
492
Belgium
457
Austria
455
Czech Republic
433
Italy
422
Greece
392
Iceland
390
Germany
384
Hungary
383
Malta
383
Portugal
348
Spain
346
Luxembourg
307
Slovenia
268
Romania
245
Russia
231
Latvia
214
Croatia
203
Montenegro
190
Belarus
155
Slovakia
148
Bulgaria
146
Serbia
110
Bosnia and Herzegovina
79
Albania
70
Ukraine
66
Moldova
31
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Generic Sex Toy Keywords Dominated by Northern Countries

We calculated how many people searched the term "sex toy(s)" and other synonyms which are more prevalent in certain countries (e.g. "erotic goods").

In this case, we discovered that, once again, Swedes show the highest interest in sex toys. In Sweden, people researched the term two times more often than any other country in Europe, and over 3 times more than any state in the U.S.

In a state-by-state comparison for the U.S., it's evident that results are similar without any state significantly dominating the numbers.

In the US, we have Mississippi, West Virginia, and Maine in the Top 3.

In Europe, the Top 3 countries were Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

United States Searches for Sex Toys

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Mississippi
297
West Virginia
281
Maine
273
Wyoming
272
Arkansas
271
Vermont
262
Kentucky
259
Oklahoma
256
Alabama
252
Louisiana
246
Alaska
241
Texas
230
Missouri
227
Kansas
225
Utah
217
Tennessee
215
Indiana
211
New Hampshire
210
Idaho
209
Montana
209
North Dakota
209
South Carolina
206
Iowa
205
New Mexico
203
Delaware
199
Nebraska
197
South Dakota
197
Florida
196
Georgia
194
Oregon
194
Pennsylvania
190
Ohio
187
California
185
Colorado
183
Michigan
181
Minnesota
181
Wisconsin
180
Arizona
179
Nevada
177
New York
173
Washington
173
Maryland
172
North Carolina
170
Illinois
164
Virginia
164
Connecticut
157
Rhode Island
156
Hawaii
151
New Jersey
145
Massachusetts
142
District of Columbia
135
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Europe Searches for Sex Toys

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Sweden
940
Denmark
479
Norway
349
Finland
339
United Kingdom
329
Lithuania
273
Ireland
209
Belgium
135
Malta
132
Czech Republic
130
Germany
117
Greece
112
Luxembourg
105
Spain
103
France
99
Italy
98
Austria
95
Romania
83
Iceland
80
Netherlands
73
Montenegro
71
Latvia
66
Poland
58
Switzerland
56
Hungary
54
Bulgaria
51
Belarus
48
Portugal
43
Russia
38
Slovenia
35
Croatia
29
Albania
19
Estonia
14
Ukraine
13
Slovakia
13
Serbia
7
Moldova
5
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1
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Estonia is Interested in Vibrators 3x More Than Any State in the U.S.

Vibrator is the most popular sex toy in the world. They account for roughly 39% of the overall sex toy market.

From what we discovered, they're 3 times more likely to be Googled in Estonia than they are in Louisiana, a state in the U.S. to show the highest search volume.

The Top 3 countries in Europe include Estonia, Poland, and the Netherlands. The results in the U.S. were similar in all leading states, with Mississippi being the runner-up and Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming sharing the third place.

United States Searches for Vibrators

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Louisiana
103
Mississippi
102
Oklahoma
99
Texas
99
Wyoming
99
Alabama
98
Georgia
98
Idaho
96
Arkansas
95
Florida
95
West Virginia
94
Kentucky
93
Montana
91
Nebraska
91
California
90
New Hampshire
90
Pennsylvania
90
Ohio
89
South Carolina
89
Illinois
88
North Carolina
88
Vermont
87
Iowa
86
Oregon
86
Delaware
85
Indiana
85
Kansas
85
New York
85
Missouri
84
Tennessee
83
South Dakota
82
Maine
81
Alaska
80
Hawaii
80
Utah
80
Michigan
78
Rhode Island
78
Nevada
77
District of Columbia
77
Colorado
76
North Dakota
76
New Mexico
75
Wisconsin
75
Connecticut
74
Washington
74
Arizona
73
Virginia
73
New Jersey
72
Minnesota
71
Massachusetts
70
Maryland
68
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Europe Searches for Vibrators

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Estonia
327
Poland
295
Netherlands
199
Greece
168
Lithuania
164
United Kingdom
150
Italy
145
Slovenia
136
Hungary
122
France
121
Norway
104
Sweden
103
Czech Republic
102
Austria
98
Denmark
95
Ireland
93
Russia
84
Romania
83
Finland
82
Switzerland
82
Portugal
79
Spain
75
Belgium
74
Bulgaria
63
Belarus
48
Malta
47
Croatia
46
Latvia
39
Montenegro
36
Bosnia and Herzegovina
35
Serbia
32
Luxembourg
31
Ukraine
30
Slovakia
29
Albania
11
Moldova
10
Germany
7
Iceland
4
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Norway and Sweden Share a Common Interest in Dildos

Just like vibrators, dildos lead the sex toy market with an estimated 21% market share.

The popularity of dildos is larger in Europe than in the U.S., with Norway, Sweden, and Denmark being in the lead.

In the U.S., Alaska showed the highest search volume for dildos, leaving West Virginia and North Carolina behind. The interest in Europe's leading country was 36.6% higher than the leading state in the U.S.

United States Searches for Dildos

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Alaska
181
West Virginia
179
North Carolina
170
Georgia
168
Michigan
167
Ohio
167
Tennessee
167
Mississippi
166
Indiana
164
Alabama
162
Arkansas
162
Missouri
162
Texas
162
Montana
157
Oregon
151
Pennsylvania
149
Washington
149
Wyoming
148
Florida
147
Oklahoma
146
Illinois
144
Virginia
144
Louisiana
143
New Mexico
142
California
139
Arizona
138
South Carolina
138
Kentucky
137
Colorado
134
North Dakota
133
Wisconsin
133
Maine
132
Maryland
132
Nevada
132
South Dakota
131
Vermont
131
Kansas
130
New Hampshire
130
Rhode Island
130
Nebraska
129
New Jersey
129
Delaware
128
Idaho
128
Iowa
127
Massachusetts
122
New York
121
Minnesota
114
Utah
109
Hawaii
100
Connecticut
98
District of Columbia
97
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Europe Searches for Dildos

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Norway
285
Sweden
282
Denmark
261
Netherlands
243
United Kingdom
181
Germany
174
Austria
173
Switzerland
154
Finland
151
Italy
145
Portugal
144
Ireland
139
Belgium
135
Czech Republic
130
Poland
129
France
111
Malta
108
Luxembourg
105
Croatia
102
Estonia
101
Spain
100
Iceland
100
Slovenia
94
Russia
80
Hungary
66
Latvia
66
Slovakia
65
Greece
61
Serbia
61
Lithuania
59
Belarus
46
Romania
46
Montenegro
45
Bosnia and Herzegovina
41
Albania
36
Bulgaria
28
Ukraine
16
Moldova
15
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Penis Rings Are Liked Equally

While some people use penis rings for health purposes, they're also commonly used for vanity reasons. Regardless of the cause, their popularity is similar in both Europe and the U.S.

The countries with the most searches in Europe (relative to their population) include Iceland, Hungary, and the Netherlands.

In the U.S. penis rings were most searched in Maine, Alaska, and West Virginia. If you combine the data from both regions, the U.S. states dominate with only one country from Europe making it into the Top 5.

United States Searches for Penis Rings

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Maine
111
Alaska
100
West Virginia
94
Oklahoma
88
Kansas
85
Indiana
83
Oregon
82
South Dakota
82
Kentucky
80
New Hampshire
80
Ohio
79
Arkansas
76
Nebraska
76
North Dakota
76
South Carolina
76
Louisiana
75
Tennessee
74
Georgia
73
Iowa
73
Pennsylvania
73
Michigan
72
Missouri
72
Arizona
71
Washington
70
Wisconsin
70
Alabama
69
Colorado
68
Illinois
68
Nevada
68
New Mexico
68
Virginia
68
Texas
67
Massachusetts
66
Utah
66
Vermont
66
Montana
65
Idaho
64
Connecticut
63
Maryland
63
Mississippi
63
North Carolina
63
California
61
Minnesota
61
Florida
59
New Jersey
59
District of Columbia
58
Delaware
57
New York
54
Rhode Island
52
Hawaii
50
Wyoming
49
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Europe Searches for Penis Rings

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Iceland
100
Hungary
81
Netherlands
69
United Kingdom
63
Ireland
42
Malta
39
Denmark
35
Portugal
29
Norway
27
Switzerland
23
Germany
18
Poland
17
Austria
14
France
13
Russia
13
Finland
10
Greece
9
Latvia
7
Belgium
7
Belarus
6
Czech Republic
6
Spain
6
Sweden
6
Montenegro
5
Romania
4
Italy
4
Luxembourg
2
Estonia
1
Slovakia
1
Ukraine
1
Slovenia
1
Moldova
0
Croatia
0
Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
Albania
0
Lithuania
0
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Penis Sleeves & Masturbators are Almost as Popular as Dildos

With Oregon in the lead, data shows that penis sleeves / male masturbators are almost as popular as dildos. In some cases - even more. Both the U.S. and European countries show a similar level of interest.

The highest-rated countries are Switzerland, the UK, and Finland. As per the U.S., it was Oregon, New Mexico, and Oklahoma in the lead.

Historically sex toys were mostly seen as an industry that's targeted towards women. Recently that has been changing, as penis sleeves and masturbators have become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the sex toy industry.

This significant growth likely contributed to the increasing popularity of male sex toys in general, as penis sleeves worked like a gateway both for the manufacturers and consumers. The industry saw the potential, and consumers found a gateway product to a market that might have been perceived with negative prejudice.

United States Searches for Masturbation Sleeves

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Oregon
240
New Mexico
217
Oklahoma
216
Kansas
210
California
205
Alaska
201
New Hampshire
200
Nevada
196
West Virginia
195
Maine
192
Wisconsin
192
Hawaii
191
Indiana
190
Washington
188
Arizona
186
Minnesota
186
Ohio
186
Delaware
185
Montana
183
Iowa
182
Colorado
180
Kentucky
179
Virginia
178
Michigan
177
Vermont
175
Illinois
174
Wyoming
173
Maryland
172
Pennsylvania
172
North Carolina
171
North Dakota
171
Missouri
169
New Jersey
169
Rhode Island
169
Connecticut
168
Idaho
168
Louisiana
168
Tennessee
167
Nebraska
166
Alabama
162
Massachusetts
162
Mississippi
161
South Carolina
160
Texas
157
Utah
151
Arkansas
147
Georgia
147
Florida
140
District of Columbia
135
South Dakota
131
New York
123
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Europe Searches for Masturbation Sleeves

Estimated Monthly Search Volume per 100.000 Adults
Switzerland
222
United Kingdom
220
Finland
199
Denmark
179
Ireland
170
Sweden
154
France
148
Norway
127
Iceland
107
Belgium
106
Poland
86
Estonia
82
Austria
76
Netherlands
73
Germany
67
Lithuania
65
Czech Republic
65
Luxembourg
65
Spain
62
Hungary
60
Malta
58
Portugal
54
Greece
41
Slovakia
40
Latvia
35
Montenegro
34
Italy
30
Romania
29
Croatia
26
Russia
17
Serbia
10
Belarus
8
Ukraine
6
Bulgaria
5
Albania
4
Slovenia
3
Bosnia and Herzegovina
1
Moldova
1
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Wealth versus Sex Toys

We were also curious to find out whether there is any correlation between state (or country) GDP and interest in sex toys. In order to determine this, the data was plotted on a scatter diagram, displaying:

This was done for U.S. states and European countries separately.

The charts helped us see the relationship between the two values, and answer the question of whether or not any correlation actually exists.

As you can see from the diagrams below, the relation is the opposite in the U.S. vs Europe.

When it comes to the U.S., the greater GDP per adult capita, the lower the interest in sex toys. However, in the case of the U.S., it is worth acknowledging that most states fall into a relatively narrow range, so it is difficult to draw strong conclusions just by this chart alone.

GDP vs. Search Volume U.S. states

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Income vs. Search Volume U.S. states

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In Europe, the situation is completely opposite and countries with higher GDP per capita tend to show a higher interest in sex toys. There, the distinction between countries is stronger, with low-GDP countries almost exclusively showing lower search volumes.

GDP vs. Search Volume Europe

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Income vs. Search Volume Europe

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Charts with average monthly income show very similar trends to those seen in charts displaying GDP. Relative positions between states and countries shift just slightly, without significantly changing the overall distribution. This applies to both the U.S. and Europe.

Methodology

In order to understand the geographic dynamics of the adult sex toy market, we first outlined a set of keywords we would be using for our study.

A report by Statista was used to identify popular sex toys by their market share. We then manually investigated best-selling product types on several online stores (e.g. Adam & Eve).

It's worth noting that we only used generic keywords and not keywords for specific products. The only exception for this was Fleshlight, which we used as a synonym for "masturbation sleeves" or "masturbators". From our initial investigation, it was evident that Fleshlight has somewhat become a generic term that is commonly used to refer to masturbation sleeves as a whole.

For non-English speaking markets, we used local online adult stores to determine analogous keywords used in their respective countries.

We then used marketing insights from SemRush to determine estimated Google search volumes for each keyword in the U.S. and the European countries. We also considered using the Keyword Planner tool provided by Google, but we chose to not use it because it provided very large estimated ranges, which would make calculations difficult, especially for some European countries where search volumes are already very low due to their small populations.

Because SemRush does not provide granular estimations for U.S. states, we used the Google Trends tool to determine the relative popularity of each keyword across the country. We used this data, as well as the U.S. Census demographic reports to proportionally distribute the estimated search volume to each U.S. state.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and mean income data was obtained from the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

All demographic data was obtained either from the U.S. Census Bureau or the CIA World Factbook.

For this research, we used estimations only for the Google Search engine, meaning we had to adjust population data to account for Google's market share in each country.

Finally, we used all of this data to calculate the estimated number of searches per 100 000 adult residents (both for individual keywords, and all keywords together).

Martin Moore
Written by
on , updated on
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Disclaimer

This study was a result of scientific curiosity and does not aim to conclude any definitive outcome. With this study, our goal was to detect trends in search patterns and how they distribute geographically.

Because this study looked at generic keywords only, this might not display the full volume of the market, especially with individual products having their set of keywords which would be impossible to scope using tools that are currently available to the public.

Data that was sourced from SemRush is also indicative and might not match true search volumes, which are not available to the public.

We are not responsible for any sort of damages resulting from or arising directly or indirectly from data published on this page.