Korea, Japan, Indonesia Maintain Top Positions; United States and Western Countries See Rapid Growth · 2025 K-Pop Consumption Map Released

The K-Pop Radar, a comprehensive dashboard for K-Pop artists operated by music startup SpaceAudity, has released the “2025 K-Pop World Map,” which analyzes global K-Pop consumption trends on YouTube through January 1 to December 31, 2025. This dashboard aggregates view counts of relevant videos on YouTube Artist Charts over that period to provide an overall overview of global K-Pop activity throughout the year.

According to the 2025 country-wise K-Pop consumption analysis, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia retained positions 1 through 3 respectively, just as in the previous year, demonstrating stable leadership. In particular, Korea saw an even higher share compared to 2024, reaffirming its status as the core hub for K-Pop consumption. Meanwhile, Japan stayed in second place but experienced a decline in its share from 8.44% to 7.41%, along with a drop in total view counts, indicating that its market has entered a stage of maturity.

A notable trend is the diversification of the global market. The United States rose one rank to fourth place, accounting for 6.25% of worldwide K-Pop consumption. The nearly 1 percentage point increase in its share shows that localization strategies and global collaborations are yielding tangible results. Taiwan entered the Top 10 by rising in rank for two consecutive years to reach ninth place, while the United Kingdom surged to 17th position, moving out of the Top 20. The simultaneous entry of Western countries such as France, Germany, and Canada demonstrates that K-Pop consumption is expanding into a more globally diversified phase.

The domestic K-Pop market exhibited dynamic trends due to the return of established powerhouses and legendary artists. DAY6 moved up from second to first place, followed by aespa and IU in second and third positions respectively. G-Dragon ranked fifth overall, leading in terms of growth with approximately 200 million additional views, while BIGBANG also secured fourth place, effectively rallying domestic fans. Solo artists also showed strong performance. Wooz ranked 11th overall and second in terms of growth, with about 160 million additional views, while Jennie reached 12th place overall and third in growth, proving the strength of her personal brand.

The landscape in key overseas markets also became clearer. In the U.S. market, Stray Kids maintained first place with a 8.63% share, while KATSEYE ranked third overall, leading in growth with approximately 260 million additional views. In the United Kingdom, Rosé dominated both overall rankings and growth metrics, holding first place with an overwhelming 11.63% share. KATSEYE also secured a spot in the upper ranks, confirming its competitiveness across English-speaking regions. Taiwan, which has grown for two consecutive years and now belongs to the Top 10 K-Pop consumption countries, saw IVE maintain first place with a 5.69% share.