SCOOP: What Americans Googled in 2025 — and why it matters

What our search trends reveal about our culture.

Google released its annual Year in Search report today, offering a snapshot of what Americans typed into the world’s most influential search bar in 2025. The data, collected from Jan. 1 through Nov. 25, reflects year-over-year spikes in search interest and compiles the moments, people, topics, events, and places that captured the world’s attention over the past year.

While the list spans everything from pop culture to lifestyle trends, several of this year’s top-trending queries highlight how political frustration, government dysfunction, and outsider voices shaped public interest over the past 12 months.

Google’s Top Trending Searches of 2025:

1. Charlie Kirk

2. K’Pop Demon Hunters’

3. Labubu

4. iPhone 17

5. One Big Beautiful Bill Act

6. Zohran Mamdani

7. Deep Seek

8. Government shutdown

9. FIFA Club World Cup

10. Tariffs

At the top of Google’s most-searched people sits conservative commentator Charlie Krik, whose rapid rise in influence, particularly with younger voters, continued to cut through the noise of a crowded election cycle. That surge came in a year when many Americans were drawn both to his ideas and the tragedy of his public assassination at a campus event, a moment that reignited debates over free speech and political violence. Kirk topped the list ahead of numerous establishment political figures, underscoring a year when anti-institutional sentiment drove much of the national conversation.

Zohran Mamdani also appeared among Google’s fastest-rising political searches, reflecting a sharp rise in his national profile. Google Trends data shows a noticeable spike in interest in late July and early August, roughly when New York’s mayoral primary was underway, suggesting voters sought to understand the lawmaker gaining momentum in the race. The far larger surge came in early November, when Mamdani won the general election and searches for his name hit their peak. Google Trend charts show steadily rising inquiry in the weeks leading into Election Day, followed by a dramatic post-election jump as New Yorkers and Americans more broadly tried to learn more about the city’s incoming mayor and the progressive movement he represents.

Another political standout appearing among the top trending topics was “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the legislative package pushed by conservatives to restructure federal spending. Searches for the bill surged during the fall government spending negotiations, as Republican lawmakers rallied around a single, simplified framework to avert a prolonged shutdown. Google reports that searches for the broader government shutdown spiked repeatedly throughout the year, reflecting widespread concern over Washington’s gridlock.

Political searches were not the only indicators of shifting public mood. Google noted heightened interest in U.S. political figures, particularly during moments when Congress appeared stalled on budget agreements or major policy fights. These trends seem to suggest voters were actively seeking clarity amid a year marked by economic anxiety, international instability, and growing distrust of federal institutions.

While Google also released trending lists focused on lifestyle and cultural topics, the political patterns offer perhaps the clearest snapshot of the electorate heading into 2026: Americans were searching for answers, looking for accountability, and paying closer attention to voices outside the traditional political hierarchy.