Anime Accounts For At Least Half Of Viewing For 82% Of Teen Fans, And Other Findings From New Study

Anime accounts for at least half of what 82% of surveyed teen anime viewers watch, according to new research from National Research Group, commissioned by Crunchyroll. The finding highlights how much of these young fans’ viewing is devoted to the medium, rather than measuring anime’s popularity among teenagers overall.

Teen viewers also showed a stronger preference than older audiences for stories that experiment with new ideas, fantastical settings, and unfamiliar worlds, cultures, or characters. Meanwhile, fans across generations are taking their interests beyond the screen through music, comics, and merchandise.

Presented at the inaugural Crunchyroll Anime Future Forum in New York, the Global State of Anime Fandom 2026 study surveyed 5,000 anime viewers ages 13–54 across 10 international markets, with an additional 500 viewers in Japan.

Here are five key takeaways from the findings:

• Fandom starts early. Respondents began watching anime at age 14 on average, and 79% started by age 17. The research also suggests that fandom can change across life stages, with viewers returning through new titles, recommendations, theatrical releases, or introducing anime to their children.
• For teen viewers, anime dominates. Among respondents ages 13–17, 82% said anime accounts for at least half of what they watch. Compared with older viewers, teens were more likely to prefer stories that experiment and push anime in new directions (46%), fantastical settings (43%), and unfamiliar worlds, cultures, or characters (41%).
• The connection continues between episodes. More than half of respondents (52%) listen to anime music or soundtracks at least weekly. Two-thirds (66%) read manga, manhua, or webtoons at least monthly, and 48% purchased anime-related collectibles in the past year.
• Fans are bringing others in. Some 77% have recommended anime to someone who had never watched it. Meanwhile, 70% want as many people as possible to become fans, and 63% believe anime will become creatively bolder as its audience grows.
• Characters and craft help define the medium. When asked what gives anime its distinctive look and feel, respondents most often cited characters (54%), followed by Japanese source material (46%), mostly hand-drawn animation (45%), and storytelling (41%). Japanese original language (39%) and human creation (33%) also figured in their responses.

These findings reflect existing anime audiences rather than the public at large. Participants watched anime at least monthly, used a streaming service, and could distinguish anime titles from popular Western animation. The international sample covered Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, the U.K., and the U.S., with results weighted to reflect local anime audiences.