As one of the most populated countries in the world, [India] has always been a large market for us."
Porn, while seen as controversial, acts as a unspoken past-time within India. Despite taboo connotations, Pornhub Indian Insights have revealed that the country’s demand for such content is on the rise.
Back in May 2017, Pornhub released a new report to mark its 10th anniversary. It revealed the habits of its global viewers; for example, what they searched for and how long they would spend on the website.
While it offered a general reflection on the demand for porn, the website has now unveiled figures directly on Pornhub Indian visitors. Presenting them to Firstpost, it shows the changing attitude towards porn amongst Indians.
Back in 2016, the country had the fourth-highest percentage of visitors going on Pornhub; with the US, UK and Canada taking the top three places. Just a year later, India now ranks as the third-highest.
In addition, India’s porn consumption has witnessed a staggering increase over 2017. Rising by a massive 75%, Indians from smaller towns are now accessing such content. This shows that despite what many may think of porn, they most likely are watching it.
Vice President of Pornhub, Corey Prince believes the increase lies in the country’s size. He said: “Due to the size of India, as one of the most populated countries in the world, it has always been a large market for us.”
The Habits of Pornhub Indian Visitors
With an increase of visitors, Pornhub revealed more details into the type of content that they searched for. Overall, many categories witnessed high growth throughout the course of the year. The highest, titled ‘Cuckold’, seen an unbelievable 140% growth!
Other categories that experienced a rise in growth included ‘Indian’, ‘MILF’ and ‘Mature’. This follows an earlier 2017 report, which too noted that visitors would search for Indian and mature content. With these categories growing by at least 20% each, it shows this trend is far from ending.
However, comparing between genders, there still lies a heavy, male presence amongst Pornhub Indian visitors. The website reported that 71.4% were male, while only women represented 28.6% of visitors.
Both Indian men and women did share similarities in their searches. In terms of categories, they would equally search for ‘Indian’ and ‘MILF’.
More Pornhub Indian female visitors also searched for same-sex porn; ‘lesbian’ featured in their popular categories. Despite the country still classing homosexuality as illegal.
In addition, they also searched for ‘female friendly’ content; suggesting that Indian women still feel wary of porn. Keen to watch videos that eases them in with less threatening behaviour.
As seen in issues including ethical porn, such content doesn’t have to place women in an objectifying position. And it seems Indian women are favouring this type of material.
Lastly, Hindi and Tamil content ranks as the highest search terms for Pornhub. In particular, terms such as ‘Hindi sexy video’ have entered in as new additions to the list. Interestingly, ‘celebrity sex videos’ ranks at #81, suggesting the likes of Bollywood has a big influence in searches.
But one will raise the question: Why are more Indians exploring porn? One answer could lie in cheaper mobile data.
In 2016, mobile networks have greatly improved in the country. Providers now offer lower data rates for internet at high speeds. This means that residents of smaller towns and rural areas have greater access to the internet. Meaning more opportunities to access pornographic content.
In addition, 80% of the content they view is short, requiring little data. This combination means Pornhub serves an ideal place for exploring sexual fantasies.
It may even tempt some Indians to become more adventurous in the bedroom; bringing their fantasies to life. However, one can also argue that watching this type of content has the potential to create unrealistic expectations. Even adding pressures on individuals.
This means individuals need to understand that porn is just a sexual fantasy. It doesn’t substitute for a real relationship, which involves intimacy and love. Aspects that often become removed in pornography.
With this in mind, perhaps a better understanding of physical intimacy can lead to a healthier attitude towards sex overall.
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