Writer: Lynn Cadet
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
Minecraft has gained a massive and loyal following throughout its run in the gaming universe. Its simple but interactive gameplay allows players to tune into their creative sides, build their own worlds, and collaborate with friends as they enjoy their virtual creations.
Minecraft’s rise is something to behold. And its popularity was further cemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. A perfect activity for social distancing, Minecraft allowed people to connect in the virtual world and communicate with friends, even though they were miles apart.
How popular is Minecraft, you ask? Below, we share Minecraft statistics to show you just how popular the game has become in the last decade.
1. Minecraft Has Sold More Than 300 Million Copies
As of October 2023, Minecraft has sold more than 300 million copies.1 Mojang Studios released the news at the 2024 Minecraft Live event. Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time, joining Tetris and Grand Theft Auto V at the top of the list.
2. Minecraft Has Produced More Than $3 Billion in Revenue
Since 2011, Minecraft has generated more than $3 billion in revenue.2 Its mobile app has been a driving factor in its rise. Its mobile revenue accounts for about 41% of its total revenue.
3. An Average of 204,284 Viewers Watch Minecraft on Twitch
In March 2024, an average of 204,284 viewers streamed Minecraft gaming live on Twitch.3 Minecraft gaming continues to be a popular viewing pastime for gamers, following a trend from the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2021, Minecraft became the most-watched game on YouTube.4
4. Minecraft Generated $80.5 Million in Mobile Revenue in 2023
In 2023, the mobile version of Minecraft made about $80.5 million in revenue.5 This number holds steady with its pre-pandemic numbers, which hovered around the $80 million range. Minecraft saw its highest demand during the pandemic, with mobile revenue peaking at $161 million in 2021.
5. Minecraft Had About 175 Million Monthly Users in Q1 2024
In Q1 2024, the active monthly users of Minecraft totaled 174,641,833 players.3 For context, Minecraft’s average monthly user total peaked at 131 million in 2020. This figure shows that Minecraft’s audience has remained strong.
6. Daily Active Players Peaked at 25 Million in 2023
Minecraft’s daily active players peaked at 25 million in December 2023, manifesting the video game’s ongoing success.6 The holiday season was a popular time for Minecraft. November previously held the highest number for the year, with 21 million active daily users. That means a 19.05% jump happened in just a month.
7. The Average Age of a Minecraft User Is 24 years old
The average age of a Minecraft player is 24 years old, according to the Head of Mojang Studios, Helen Chiang.7 This number may come as a surprise for some. But Minecraft’s audience base has become quite varied, with many adults enjoying the game as a leisurely pastime.
8. Minecraft Launched on November 18, 2011
Markus “Notch” Persson created Minecraft using the Java programming language in 2009 and released Minecraft Classic on May 27, 2009.8 He later worked with Jens “Jeb” Bergensten on the development. Minecraft’s full version, its widely distributed sandbox form, was released by Mojang Studios in 2011.
9. Minecraft Grew by Almost 30 Million Monthly Users Between 2020 and 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a significant leap in demand and interest in overall gaming. Minecraft also reaped the benefits of this increased demand. It grew by 29 million monthly active users between 2020 and 2021.2
10. The First Mobile Version Was Released on September 15, 2017
Minecraft’s first mobile release was for iOS devices and launched on September 15, 2017.2 The mobile app for Andriod was released about a month later on October 12, 2017. Its mobile audience is now a massive anchor for the franchise.
11. Microsoft Acquired Minecraft in 2014
On September 15, 2014, Microsoft announced its acquisition of Minecraft.9 This $2.5 billion purchase placed Mojang Studios and the Minecraft franchise under its video game publisher Xbox Game Studios. It also brought Minecraft to a broader audience across multiple platforms.
12. About 54% of Minecraft Users are Male
Male players make up 54% of the Minecraft user base.6 Meanwhile, 32% of Minecraft players are female (the remaining percentage is not reported). Gaming has changed a lot over the years, with its demographics evolving quite bit. People of all backgrounds now play video games, and demographics will continue to reshape as more gamers enter the market.
13. About 21% of Minecraft’s Active Players Live in the US
Minecraft is a global game with a global community. Users from all over the world have found its gameplay appealing and enjoyable, regardless of their background. The US has the largest active community of Minecraft players with 21% of players living there.6
14. Ages 15 to 21 Make Up 43% of the Minecraft User Base
Players between the ages of 15 and 21 make up 43% of the Minecraft community.6 The next largest age groups are 22 to 30 and less than 15 years old, with a 21% and 20.59% share, respectively. Minecraft has shed misconceptions about its young demographic and has reached a variety of users.
15. More Than 4,000 Minecraft Servers Exist in the US
Gaming servers have become popular as users dive deeper into the gaming world and community. Buying a server is often the next step for gamers who want a more elevated game experience. The US has about 4070 active Minecraft servers, whereas the global count is 10,000-plus servers.6
16. More Than 700 Million Users Played Minecraft China in 2023
Minecraft China Edition is a localized version of the game that was built for mainland Chinese audiences and released in 2017. Users must have a valid Chinese citizen ID to play. In 2023, Minecraft China had more than 700 million users play its edition.6
17. Minecraft Has 186 Million Registered Players Worldwide
Minecraft has about 186 million users registered worldwide.10 This number does not include Minecraft China players. Minecraft’s audience has grown by more than 100 million users since 2018, which recorded 75 million registered users.
18. Around 50% of Minecraft Users Prefer Solo Play
The beauty of Minecraft is that gamers can play Minecraft solo or in multiplayer mode and still have the same pleasurable experience. Actually, 50% of adult Minecraft users prefer flying solo in the pixelated, expansive gaming world.2
19. About 80% of Children Play Minecraft on Multiplayer
Unlike adults, younger Minecraft users opt to play with company. But it may also be because it’s obligatory. About 11% of parents play Minecraft with their children on a regular basis.2 About 80% of children play Minecraft with their friends, family members, or other online players.
20. Minecraft Had a 25% Player Increase at the Start of COVID
Minecraft’s user base saw a 25% increase in April 2020, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.11
Games played a massive role in keeping users connected during this time. In fact, Microsoft recorded a 40% growth in the total number of multiplayer sessions in the same period.
21. The Longest Time Spent Playing Minecraft Is 38 Hours and 1 Second
Alexandre Jouniaux from Vitry-sur-Seine, Ile de France, France, achieved the record for the longest time spent playing Minecraft on June 7, 2021.12 He played Minecraft for 38 hours and 1 second, starting from June 5, 2021. This marathon record is established in the Guinness World Records Book and beat the previous record by more than two hours.
22. Minecraft Amassed 1 Trillion Views on YouTube in 2021
Streaming Minecraft gaming was a popular activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Minecraft became YouTube’s most viewed game in 2021, with 1 trillion views.11 YouTube has more than 35,000 creators from 150 countries in its Minecraft community.
23. Minecraft Education Launched in 2016
Mojang Studios launched Minecraft: Education Edition (now known as Minecraft Education) on November 1, 2016.13 Expanding Minecraft into the education sector has helped students learn in a new and engaging way while strengthening their collaboration skills. Up to 30 students can play Minecraft Education without a separate server setup required.
24. More Than 35 Million People Use Minecraft Education
More than 35 million students and teachers are licensed to use Minecraft Education in their classrooms.6 These classrooms are across 115 countries. About 100,000 educators have trained to use Minecraft Education, with many enrolling in Minecraft’s Global Mentor Program each year.
25. The Best Year for Minecraft Revenue was 2018
Minecraft accumulated $500 million in annual global revenue in 2018, its most successful year yet.2 The years 2016 and 2020 trail this outstanding figure with $420 million and $415 million, respectively. Its lowest year was 2014, the same year Microsoft announced its acquisition of the game, with $165 million annual global revenue.
26. A Full Day on Minecraft Equates to 20 Minutes in Real Life
Time ticks differently in the world of Minecraft. A full day in Minecraft only takes 20 minutes to happen in real time.11 Day and night also spread out equally, with 10 minutes given for each.
27. Boys Primarily Watch Minecraft YouTube Content
YouTube has tons of Minecraft-related content on its platform, including videos with storytelling, role-playing, tutorials, and commentary. Streaming Minecraft videos is most popular among boys, with about 32% of them watching some form of Minecraft YouTube content.2 Only about 9% of girls watch Minecraft-related videos on YouTube.
28. Minecraft Marketplace Made $1 Million in Two Months
Minecraft creators made more than $1 million in earnings only two months after Microsoft launched its Minecraft Marketplace in 2017.14 This number only discloses how much the creators made in those first two months.
29. Minecraft Had Its Highest Mobile Numbers in 2021
The year 2021 is a recurrent theme for Minecraft. This is the same year Minecraft also saw its highest global mobile revenue ever. The mobile version of Minecraft generated $161 million of annual revenue at the time, a 13% increase from 2020.5
30. Minecraft Earth Had 2.5 Million Downloads in First 12 Months
Minecraft Earth, an augmented reality version of Minecraft, launched in 2019 and had 2.5 million downloads within the first year.14 The majority of downloads (1.2 million) were made in the US. Minecraft Earth shut down on June 30, 2021, because of COVID restrictions.
31. The Bedrock Edition Is the #1 Minecraft Version Played
Minecraft’s most popular edition is the Bedrock Edition.15 Most platform copies use Bedrock frameworks. The Bedrock version was initially released in 2017.
32. There are 107 Achievements in the Minecraft Game
Gamers can earn up to 107 achievements on Minecraft. The most popular of these achievements include “Taking Inventory,” “Getting Wood,” and “Time to Mine!”16
33. About 15% of Minecraft Players are 30 to 65 Years Old
Older adults like Minecraft too. About 15% of Minecraft players are between the ages of 30 and 65 years old, while only 0.5% are 65-plus.2
34. It Only Took 6 Days to Create the First Version of Minecraft
Markus “Notch” Persson only took six days to develop Minecraft Classic, the first version of Minecraft.16 It was Markus’ first big game, and he created it in a week.
35. Minecraft Won the Game of the Year Award in 2012
The National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers Corp (NAVGTR) presented Minecraft with the Game of the Year award in 2012.11 It also won the Favorite Video Game award in 2023, which was awarded by the Blimp Awards.
36. The Minecraft Reddit Community Has 7.4 Million Members
Reddit is a place where people of all backgrounds come together in communities, often called subreddits, to share ideas, pictures, gifs, and more. The r/Minecraft subreddit is in the top 100 subreddits by size, with 7.4 million Minecraft-loving members.17
Mining Its Way to the Top
Minecraft is one of the best-selling games of all time. Its easy gameplay has engaged users of all backgrounds and allows gamers to connect. Minecraft’s reach has also expanded into the educational and tech sectors, helping students and teams learn to collaborate on projects.
Selling 300 million copies since its release has been a massive milestone for Minecraft. We don’t know where Minecraft goes from here, but it will continue to be a top choice for gamers for the foreseeable future.
Sources and Further Reading
- https://www.ign.com/articles/best-selling-video-games-of-all-time-grand-theft-auto-minecraft-tetris
- https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/minecraft-user-statistics/
- https://activeplayer.io/minecraft/
- https://gitnux.org/minecraft-statistics/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/972711/minecraft-mobile-revenue/
- https://www.demandsage.com/minecraft-statistics/
- https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/player-age
- https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Minecraft
- https://news.microsoft.com/announcement/microsoft-purchases-minecraft
- https://playercounter.com/minecraft/
- https://playtoday.co/blog/stats/minecraft-statistics/
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/95929-longest-videogame-marathon-on-minecraft
- https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Minecraft_Education
- https://www.businessofapps.com/data/minecraft-statistics/
- https://gamerant.com/minecraft-all-game-versions-explained-bedrock-java-pocket/
- https://facts.net/minecraft-facts/
- https://www.reddit.com/best/communities/1/
