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YouTube Watch Time by Content Category and Age Group in Germany — 2025–Q1 2026

Results as of

Review 2025 – Q1 2026: Gaming accounts for 19% of YouTube watch time among 16–24-year-olds in Germany — more than double the share among 45+ users

YouTube Watch Time by Content Category and Age Group in Germany — 2025–Q1 2026Grouped bar chart showing the share of categorized YouTube watch time per content category, broken down by age group (16–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45+) for German users, covering January 2025 through March 2026. Music & Entertainment is the dominant category in all groups (~73–77%). Gaming declines from 19.1% at 16–24 to 8.9% at 45+. News & Politics rises from 1.3% at 16–24 to 5.6% at 45+.
Grouped bar chart showing the share of categorized YouTube watch time per content category, broken down by age group (16–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45+) for German users, covering January 2025 through March 2026. Music & Entertainment is the dominant category in all groups (~73–77%). Gaming declines from 19.1% at 16–24 to 8.9% at 45+. News & Politics rises from 1.3% at 16–24 to 5.6% at 45+.
Info
Sample size
n = 21,596
Data date
2025 – Q1 2026
Segment
16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+
Platform
YouTube
Market
Germany

Analysis

YouTube usage behavior in Germany follows a clear generational logic: gaming dominates young viewers, information-heavy categories grow steadily with age. Among 16–24-year-olds, Gaming takes up 19.1% of categorized watch time; by age 45+, that share falls to 8.9%. News & Politics runs the opposite gradient — 1.3% among the youngest viewers, rising to 5.6% among those 45 and older.

Gaming as a youth culture, not just a hobby

The concentration of gaming watch time among German 16–24-year-olds reflects a broader pattern across digital platforms: gaming content has evolved from niche interest to mainstream youth culture. Globally, YouTube Gaming reached 8.8 billion hours watched in 2025 — a 12% year-over-year increase — and the 25–29 age band is the largest viewer segment. In Germany, this skew is even sharper. Finance & Investing and How-to & DIY also follow an upward age gradient (1.4% at 16–24 to 2.7% at 45+ for both), suggesting the platform gains practical utility as users age. Health & Wellness is the one small category that defies the pattern: its share is roughly flat from 1.2% to 1.7% across all age bands, pointing to a genuinely cross-generational audience.

This analysis is based on public segment data. For deeper cuts, use our Enterprise interface.

Methodology

Watch-time shares by age group are computed from German YouTube users' viewing activity across the full observation window of January 2025 through March 2026. Age is derived from users' birth year. Users without a recorded birth year are excluded. Shares are calculated within each age group against that group's own categorized watch time, so each age group sums to 100%. Age groups: 16–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45+.

These insights are based on the Datapods Panel. Our data comes exclusively from users who are compensated for their anonymity. Become part of the panel & earn from your data