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Google officially released its annual “Year in Search” report today, December 4, 2025. This highly anticipated list offers a global snapshot of the people, events, and trends that captured our collective curiosity over the last 12 months.
Interestingly, the report does not simply list the most popular search terms overall. If it did, generic utility terms like “tech, business, weather, prices, etc” would dominate the results. Instead, Google highlights “trending” queries. These are specific terms that saw a sustained spike in traffic in 2025 compared to 2024.
This year, one topic stood above the rest: AI.
Gemini Leads the Pack
The top trending search of 2025 was “Gemini”, Google’s very own AI chatbot. However, it wasn’t the only artificial intelligence tool to capture the world’s attention. “DeepSeek” also made the list, ranking seventh among the year’s top trending searches.
Following Gemini, the second most trending query was “India vs England”, highlighting the massive global interest in cricket. “Charlie Kirk” took the third spot overall.
In the realm of news, Charlie Kirk dominated the conversation. Google reports that he was the top trending news topic for 2025. Specifically, the query “Charlie Kirk assassination” led the list.
Furthermore, political and geopolitical events drove significant traffic. The second and third trending news queries were “Iran” and “US Government Shutdown”, respectively.
Pop Culture: Movies, Books & Podcasts
Entertainment trends saw a mix of new releases and celebrity buzz this time in Google Year in Search.
- Movies: The top trending search was “Anora”, followed by “Superman” and the “Minecraft Movie”.
- Actors: “Anora” star Mikey Madison claimed the top spot. Lewis Pullman from Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” came in second, while Isabela Merced, featured in “Superman”, took third.
- Podcasts: “The Charlie Kirk Show” led the podcast category. It was followed by Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” and “This is Gavin Newsom”.
- Books: Readers flocked to search for Colleen Hoover’s “Regretting You”. Rebecca Yarros’ “Onyx Storm” and Naveesa Allen’s “Lights Out” rounded out the top three.
Sports & Lifestyle Trends
Sports fans were glued to their screens for major international tournaments. The “FIFA Club World Cup” was the top trending sports search. The “Asia Cup” and “ICC Champions Trophy” followed closely behind.
Regarding teams, Paris Saint-Germain F.C. was the most searched squad. S.L. Benfica took second place, and the Toronto Blue Jays came in third.
Finally, internet users were eager to try new flavours in 2025. The top spot for recipes and food went to the sweet-and-spicy condiment, “hot honey”. Other viral food trends included “Marry Me Chicken” and “chimichurri”.
