The year 2025 has come to a close, and one of the most revealing cultural snapshots may be Pornhub’s annual report.
Each year, the world’s largest pornography site publishes data on viewing and search habits among men and women worldwide, reflecting how social and cultural shifts shape sexual fantasy.
If 2024 was defined by searches for ‘ethical sex,’ 2025 saw a sharp rise in interest in ‘lesbian’ and ‘transgender’ content. Among women, the top searches were ‘lesbians,’ ‘Japanese’ and ‘MILF.’ Among men, they were ‘Japanese,’ ‘MILF’ and ‘mature.’ In fourth place for both genders was ‘anal.’
One clear conclusion is that LGBTQ content, particularly lesbian and trans sexuality, is gaining unprecedented visibility. What makes the trend even more striking is that Russia, a country that offers no legal recognition or protection for transgender people, recorded the most significant increase in searches for transgender content.
The question this raises is whether the trend reflects growing curiosity and acceptance of trans sexuality, or whether it represents objectification and fetishization rather than social progress.
The surge in lesbian searches may also point to the growing number of women watching pornography and seeking depictions of female pleasure that do not depend on male presence. Lesbian content is now the most-watched category among women on Pornhub.
Women also watch more realistic sex, oral sex and double-penetration videos than men. This trend may suggest that women are increasingly drawn to content centered on female pleasure, while also expressing curiosity, or at least fantasy, about more extreme sexual scenarios.
Overall, women now account for 38 percent of Pornhub users, up from 25 percent a decade ago, marking a significant shift in viewing habits.
Among performers, Alex Adams claimed the top spot in searches. His ranking is notable, as male performers rarely lead the charts. Adams has amassed 3.6 billion views on Pornhub alone, largely through point-of-view videos filmed from the performer’s perspective.
One clear conclusion is that LGBTQ content, particularly lesbian and trans sexuality, is gaining unprecedented visibility. What makes the trend even more striking is that Russia, a country that offers no legal recognition or protection for transgender people, recorded the most significant increase in searches for transgender content.
He is followed by Angela White, the award-winning porn star who slips to second place after leading last year’s ranking. Violet Myers ranks third. Myers is about 15 years younger than White, and both present an aesthetic that runs counter to prevailing beauty norms: fuller bodies, pronounced curves and visible physical imperfections.
At a time when body hair is often stigmatized and physical flaws are routinely corrected by cosmetic surgery, both performers represent a hyper-feminine ideal reminiscent of prehistoric fertility figurines.
New entries in the top 10 include Bonnie Blue in fourth place and Lily Phillips in sixth. Both are OnlyFans stars who gained notoriety through unofficial endurance challenges involving large numbers of male partners within limited time frames.
Phillips reportedly slept with more than 100 men in a single day and later became the subject of a short documentary. Blue broke that record, reportedly engaging with more than 1,000 men over 12 hours.
Their rise into Pornhub’s most-searched list underscores the growing influence of OnlyFans on the porn industry, and how provocative stunts and extreme challenges now function as powerful publicity tools. Today, both are in high demand and work with leading performers in the industry. At what cost remains an open question.
Johnny Sins placed seventh overall but remains the second most-searched male performer, maintaining his status as the archetypal firefighter, police officer or doctor fantasy, even as younger performers such as Jordi El Niño Polla gain ground.
The annual data highlights how sexual preferences evolve alongside broader cultural shifts, and how popular culture continues to shape the fantasies and desires of men and women worldwide.
So see you next year, and may you see only good things.
Heidad Litman is a lecturer and workshop facilitator specializing in sex positivity, an adult content editor and a pornography researcher for more than a decade. She is currently completing a master’s degree thesis in gender studies at Ben-Gurion University