37% of gamers in Asia are female per Niko Partners study

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Female gamers are a growing force in the Asian games market according to a new study from Niko Partners. After surveying 7,548 gamers in 11 Asian markets, the firm found that 37% of the region’s gamers — defined as people who play at least one hour per month on any platform — are female.

Moreover, female gamers are expected to grow 11% per year, which is double the rate of new male gamers. As a result, their influence will play a more prominent role in shaping the games industry in Asia — one of the fastest growing gaming and esports markets in the world.

While the number of female gamers in Asia is growing, this shift is not uniform across markets and platforms.

According to Niko Partners, Southeast Asian markets generally had a more even gender split than East Asian ones. The Philippines had the highest percentage of female gamers, while China and India had the lowest among the countries surveyed.

Additionally, female gamers in Asia predominantly played on mobile, and most were considered casual players. However, the survey suggested that there are opportunities for developers and publishers across all platforms because PC and consoles have room to grow. Similarly, esports engagement — competing, watching esports or playing esports titles — is on the rise among Gen Z female gamers in Asia.

While the number of female gamers will grow, there are opportunities to increase monetization. Currently, they account for 23.5% of total revenue in Asian markets — disproportionately less than their male counterparts currently. However, this relative percentage of revenue has the potential to more than double in size over