4. India
The fourth highest country consuming pornographic content is India. Although the selling and distribution of pornographic material is illegal in India, it is still commonly done. In India, not only is the issue of street prostitution apparent, but also of pornographic consumption. 89% of individuals watched porn on mobile devices in 2019, marking a three percent increase from 2017 when the figure had already reached 86 percent. The increasing trend in porn consumption is linked to the growing prevalence of smartphones, affordable data plans, and the availability of cheap smartphones and high-end smartphones.
Despite laws, India faces widespread accessibility to pornography, especially through online platforms, with concerns about cyber pornography affecting millions of minors, predominantly young females. While the government has taken steps to curb it, India remains a top global consumer of online porn, fueling ongoing debates on its legality and morality. Research by Pub.med has shown that around 8.3% of the Indian population acknowledged the use of pornography.
It was more common among single and single parenting group samples. More studies are required to have a better understanding of porn consumption in India.
3. Hungary
At number 3 comes Hungary. Pornhub has been one of the most visited websites in Hungary. An estimated 1.3 million users accessed this website every month. The two most commonly used porn websites were hosted by Hungary and these websites are becoming common in other countries as well with increased traffic.
Consumers of adult content span diverse demographic groups, but notable variations emerge across generations in the usage of pornographic websites. In 2023, individuals aged 30 to 39 in Hungary exhibited the highest online adult entertainment engagement, with nearly 48 percent accessing such sites. In contrast, the leading pornographic websites in the country were accessed by 32 percent of those aged 40 to 49.
2. United Kingdom
The UK is the second highest country when it comes to porn consumption. The United Kingdom has 512,000 porn domains. The UK also hosts 7% of the world’s porn. Porn consumption is becoming increasingly common among children as well as many leading many like John Carr to have a voice against the ease at which children are having access to pornographic content.
1. United States
Pornography has been consumed the most in the United States and its rise has steadily continued after the 21st century. What was once known to be hardly found, is now easily accessible through the widespread use of the internet. Studies have shown that the United States is the largest producer of pornography since sexual content is considered completely fine through the First Amendment which guarantees freedom of speech.
One of the prominent reasons for such high porn consumption is the use of smartphones by people. A total of 61% of people access porn through phone, 28% access porn through desktop, and 11% access porn through tablets. About 6 in 10 people or 58% of people have reported that they have seen pornography at some point in life. Men are four times more likely than women to watch pornographic material. Research has shown that men who watch porn, feel dissatisfied with their appearance along with higher feelings of loneliness.
Not only is pornography affecting American adults but students as well. Research has shown that about 56% of high school students have viewed pornographic content in the past year. Exposure may be accidental but usually, it is intentional. 32.9% of individuals have viewed pornography before age 12. Recent evidence suggests potential risks associated with adolescent exposure to pornography, including links to aggression, permissive sexual attitudes, dominant sexual behaviors, sexual objectification, poorer academic performance, and self-objectification. Additionally, adolescents influenced by pornography are more likely to incorporate its content into their sexual scripts, often trying or being asked to do something in person based on what they have seen online. Moreover, the infrequent depiction of correct condom usage in pornography is correlated with a decreased likelihood of condom use during adolescent sexual activity.