Discover the most-read new stories of the year from around the world.

Just when we thought 2020 was THE year of tough choices, hardships, and jaw-dropping, show-stopping events, 2021 entered the chat.

From the continuation of a global pandemic (including not one but two new newsworthy COVID-19 variants) and the rebranding of Facebook, the world’s most recognizable and controversial social media platform (which experienced an unforeseen outage) to Meta, to the Tokyo Olympics and an obsession with new ways to invest (what is Dogecoin?), 2021 took our daily news to new heights of urgency, delight, shock, and confusion.

There are endless headlines from our news, entertainment, sports, health & fitness, technology, business, and finance publishers to read on the open web. To explore precisely which topics kept readers enthralled this year and accumulated the most pageviews across our network, we took a deep dive into our 2021 publisher data and insights. Here, we’ve highlighted each country’s most-read topics.

Jump around between countries using the list below. Let us know which you find most obvious, surprising, and which you may have forgotten even happened!

The United States

Source: PATRICK SEMANSKY/AFP via Getty Images

General News

With the ushering in of a new president always comes… the storming of the capitol? Insert shocked emoji here. This year, there was no shortage of headlines involving the U.S.’s current and past presidents, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and the local and national government’s “contributions” to society, including actions on unemployment, abortion laws, and the removal U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Biden & Trump – Election 49,394,624,880 41.91%
Megan & Harry 17,726,857,330 15.04%
Afghan & Biden 16,469,226,390 13.97%
Capital & Trump 8,148,620,190 6.91%
Trump & Unemployment 5,659,661,020 4.80%
Caldor Fire 5,472,691,120 4.64%
Abortion Law – Texas 4,952,326,690 4.20%
Critical Race Theory 3,670,996,400 3.11%
Biden & Hamas 3,246,655,610 2.75%
Biden & COVID 3,115,153,870 2.64%

Entertainment

Lo-ki (get it?), 2021 brought some of the most iconic (and strangest) celebrity couples together (and back together!) Most notably, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, and Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson. We also saw much love and controversy on the return of The Bachelor franchises, which said goodbye to their series-starting host Chris Harrison after he made racially insensitive comments.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez 2,051,802,740 65.58%
Loki from Marvel 580,696,740 18.56%
Bachelor & Bachelorette 283,992,100 9.08%
Jeopardy 86,101,340 2.75%
Kim Kardashian 85,861,780 2.74%
Disney World & DisneyLand 34,315,920 1.10%
Cardi B & Offset Birthdays 5,863,860 0.19%

Finance

Two themes come to mind when looking at this year’s most-read U.S. finance topics: how to get out of debt and how to make more money. New ways to invest are on the rise, such as in Dogecoin, Ethereum, and NFT’s, while many who have experienced the financial hardships of the pandemic are looking for loans and debt relief. In fact, fifty-seven percent of Americans don’t have enough cash to cover a $500 unexpected expense.

Top Finance Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Investing 18,181,645,870 33.32%
Child Tax Credit 12,287,721,160 22.52%
China Investment Ban 8,815,913,020 16.16%
Real Estate 5,630,792,420 10.32%
Stock Market 4,307,866,420 7.89%
Dogecoin & Ethereum 2,785,943,160 5.11%
Roth IRA 1,056,027,660 1.94%
Student Debt 859,238,200 1.57%
Loan 639,468,200 1.17%

Sports

If baseball is America’s pastime, football is America’s obsession. If we dig deeper into the #1 U.S, sports topic on our network, American football, we see headlines from Tom Brady, who won his 7th superbowl in February 2021 (and first as the quarterback for the Buccaneers), Aaron Rodgers, who sparked controversy after misrepresenting his vaccination status, and excitement surrounding college football.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Football 9,273,312,140 44.20%
Lebron 4,146,094,960 19.76%
Tokyo Olympics 1,117,485,440 10.92%
Soccer (Football) – United 2,290,255,080 5.33%
UFC – WWE 1,014,934,680 4.84%
Auto Racing 730,650,180 3.48%
Hockey – NHL 723,133,780 3.45%
DeChambeau 710,347,780 3.39%
Tour De France 592,790,240 2.83%
Naomi Osaka – US Open 382,139,520 1.82%

Business

The newly-freed American pop icon Britney Spears sang it best, you better work, b*tch. Work is top of mind for 2021 readers, including finding new work (also known as “The Great Resignation”), adjusting to a hybrid work environment, and traveling for business.

Top Business Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Work 9,151,533,100 22.36%
Elon Musk & Tesla 8,744,844,560 21.36%
Amazon 6,021,614,350 14.71%
Apple 4,273,648,320 10.44%
Southwest 3,837,195,630 9.37%
Ford & Toyota 2,948,353,780 7.20%
Business Travel 2,224,660,800 5.44%
Google 1,734,930,990 4.24%
Walmart 1,176,019,160 2.87%
Biden & Tax 818,075,240 2.00%

Health & Fitness

Unsurprising to see on this list: anything to do with COVID. Totally surprising to see on this list: ice cream? With sensations including Van Leeuwen’s Macaroni & Cheese and Hot Cheetos ice cream, readers really dug their teeth into unexpected sweet and savory desserts articles. We’d be remiss not to mention that McDonald’s ice cream machine is always broken.

Top Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
COVID, Disease & Vaccinations 140,155,388,370 86.11%
McDonald’s 13,207,779,560 8.11%
Abortion Law & Texas 4,952,326,690 3.04%
Oat Milk 1,140,707,790 0.70%
Cake & Pie 1,134,681,620 0.70%
Dr. Pimple Popper 666,923,120 0.41%
Bakery & Ice Cream 619,502,420 0.38%
China & Family 366,128,290 0.22%
Biden & Meat 361,146,460 0.22%
Hospital & Nursing 157,081,510 0.10%

India

Source: Rajanish Kakade/AP

General News

With COVID of top interest in India, in 2021, parents read up on the amount of COVID cases in Bengaluru as a large number of children tested positive. Gautam Adani’s wealth compared to Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos was also a hit among those surfing the open web.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
COVID 142,370,470 59.0%
Delhi & Police 22,234,020 9.2%
Bengaluru 16,740,380 6.9%
Elon Musk & Gautam Adani 15,092,930 6.3%
Chennai, National Disaster Response Force, & Uttarakhand 13,971,950 5.8%
Himachal, Madhya Pradesh, and Rescue 13,863,540 5.7%
Kerala Lottery 6,293,900 2.6%
Stock Market – BSE & NSE 4,628,160 1.9%
ranbir kapoor & Delhi 4,285,960 1.8%
Bengaluru & School 1,855,350 0.8%

Entertainment

India’s publishers kept readers up to date on the celebrity gossip in 2021. Indian actress Kareena Kapoor welcomed her second child this year, while Naga Chaitanya & Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Aamir Khan & Kiran Rao ended their marriages.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Kareena Kapoor 2,405,917,660 32.23%
Akshay Kumar & Shah Rukh Khan 1,410,855,850 18.91%
Aryan Khan & Shah Rukh Khan 1,075,544,810 14.41%
Indian Idol & Bigg Boss 973,269,950 13.04%
Naga Chaitanya & Samantha Ruth Prabhu 795,108,240 10.65%
Aamir Khan & Kiran Rao Divorce 434,038,980 5.82%
Priyanka Chopra 368,006,610 4.93%

Sports

Three words capture the essence of India’s sports readership data: Indian Premier League. Cricket continues to be the #1 sport in India in 2021, and fans are eager to read up on breaking cricket news.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Cricket & The Cricket World Cup 2,579,682,540 45.80%
England & IPL 1,037,587,770 18.42%
Dhoni & IPL 692,192,820 12.29%
Tokyo Olympics & Hockey 641,472,910 11.3%9
Soccer 253,860,690 4.51%
COVID & IPL 232,297,820 4.12%
England & Euro 2020 196,233,470 3.48%

Health & Fitness

When it comes to health & fitness articles in India, COVID captured attention – and the effects the pandemic has had on mental and physical health. Topics including weight loss, blood pressure, and depression have seen high readership in 2021.

Top Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
COVID & Vaccinations 2,422,612,930 46.81%
Bengaluru & COVID 1,359,396,410 26.27%
BJP, COVID, & Health 464,258,080 8.97%
Weight Loss 358,086,4000 4.66%
COVID & Mumbai 186,398,470 3.60%
COVID & Fungus 174,927,370 3.38%
Blood Pressure 94,713,020 2.26%
Depression & Mental Health 85,622,570 1.83%
Akshay Kumar, Hair, & Skin 28,999,030 0.6%

Spain

Source: ANDER GILLENEA/AFP/AFP via Getty Images

General News

Readers in Spain sought real-time information on news topics in 2021, including live coverage of a volcano eruption in La Palma island and a heatwave over 40 centigrades in Spain and Laponia, registering the hottest day since 1914.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Volcano 1,193,920,260 35.12%
Kiki Morente & Sara Carbonero 750,477,570 22.07%
Irene Montero (Ministry of Equality) 662,794,060 19.49%
Ceuta & Racism 319,279,900 9.39%
China & UE 295,080,420 8.68%
Heat Wave 178,315,870 5.24%

Entertainment

Spain’s 2021 entertainment category covers everything fans are streaming and watching live. TV shows such as Masterchef 9 and Viva la Vida were popular this year, and many tuned in to Antena 3 to watch Pasapalabra and fan-favorite Turkish series, including Mujer and Infiel.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Shows & Events 2,620,832,700 46.23%
Antena 3 1,519,435,130 26.80%
Rocío Carrasco 912,524,670 16.10%
Movies & TV 425,178,660 7.50%
Andrew Garfield & Marvel 191,427,810 3.38%

Finance

It’s all about banking. Website visitors are reading up on how to invest their money and with which banks. New businesses are also trending, with readers looking to shop small and local.

Top Finance Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Invest 776,840,360 40.81%
Caixabank 723,656,050 38.02%
New Businesses 151,649,970 7.97%
Real Estate 118,556,200 6.23%
Debt 110,087,520 5.78%
Liberbank, Unicaja 22,566,280 1.19%

Sports

Real Madrid dominates Spain’s top sports topics, with the two legendary captains of Real Madrid (Sergio Ramos) and Barcelona (Lionel Messi) playing together in PSG. 2021 also revealed Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti attempted to sign Neymar three times. Maybe next year!

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Fútbol 13,520,400,890 55.61%
Messi, PSG, & Real Madrid 4,992,142,930 20.53%
Ancelotti, Neymar, & Real Madrid 1,522,983,120 6.26%
Iglesias 1,109,014,740 4.56%
España, Juegos Olímpicos, Tokio 997,819,180 4.10%
Joan Laporta, Koeman, & Madrid 964,651,030 3.97%
Argentina, Eurocopa, & Italia 617,847,530 2.54%
Egan Bernal & Vuelta España 284,052,540 1.17%
Paula Badosa & Tenis 283,118,720 1.16%
Fifa 19,989,170 0.08%

Business

In Q3 of 2021, the price of energy reached historic records in Spain, so it’s unsurprising to see “Energy” and “Iberdrola,” a multinational electric utility company based in Bilbao, Spain, making movements on the open web.

Top Business Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Energy 1,341,222,940 68.05%
España, Madrid 319,605,740 16.22%
Vehicles 150,224,140 7.62%
Iberdrola 75,237,560 3.82%
Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid 61,155,130 3.10%
Netflix 23,476,120 1.19%

Health & Fitness

It’s all about the jab! Pageviews surrounding the latest news on COVID vaccinations, including the third booster discussion, dominated the open web in 2021. We also saw readers searching for more information from Harvard on their research study on a vaccine for breast cancer.

Top Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Pfizer & Vaccines 1,594,226,370 37.37%
Cancer Vaccine 993,503,450 23.29%
Mental Health 678,212,560 15.90%
COVID Cases 624,721,320 14.64%
Physical Exercises 375,571,070 8.80%

United Kingdom

Source: Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

General News

This year, two high profile murders in London captured the public’s attention. Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa were both killed walking near their homes in London, Everard by a police officer. These cases have made waves through UK society and provoked difficult conversations around women’s safety and rights.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Crime 7,241,166,680 24.37%
London Murder 7,175,383,950 24.15%
Rishi Sunak – Pension & Tax 4,228,535,110 14.23%
Prince Harry & Prince William 4,225,952,650 14.23%
Love Island – Jake & Liam 2,519,580,820 8.48%
Work 2,012,486,600 6.77%
Racism 890,411,260 3.00%
Sex Education 605,769,620 2.04%
Scottish National Party (SNP) & UK 432,199,800 1.45%
Unrest and War 376,276,300 1.27%

Entertainment

UK entertainment lovers spent 2021 watching their most-loved shows, and reading up on them afterwards. Reality television shows including Celebrity Gogglebox, Love Island, and Strictly Come Dancing dominated UK pageviews.

In actual reality, this year Good Morning Britain said goodbye to long-time host Piers Morgan following his criticism of the Oprah interview with Meghan Markle & Prince Harry. Ofcom received over 57,000 viewer complaints, including one from Markle herself, but Morgan was cleared of wrongdoing; however, he remains off the show.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
BBC & Good Morning Britain (GMB) – Piers Morgan 4,200,682,100 29.71%
Celebrity Gogglebox & Love Island 2,395,937,240 16.94%
Strictly Come Dancing 1,874,198,370 13.25%
James Bond 1,683,719,960 11.91%
Festival 1,248,164,830 8.83%
TikTok 940,094,990 6.65%
Marvel & Loki 700,278,960 4.95%
Jennifer Aniston & Friends 438,134,290 3.10%
Pokemon 425,557,320 3.01%
Stacey Solomon 234,361,310 1.66%

Finance

Finance and COVID-19 topics have gone hand in hand this year, with UK readers researching interest rates, income support, and small business bailouts.

The property market has been a huge topic in 2021 too. In 2020, during the COVID-19 crisis, the government introduced a stamp duty holiday (which recently ended), encouraging people to buy. Now inflation is at a 10-year high, and interest rates are predicted to increase by the beginning of next year.

Top Finance Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Interest Rates 502,651,080 27.91%
Investing 211,454,950 11.74%
Ethereum 202,676,650 11.25%
HMRC & SEISS 173,178,360 9.62%
London Private Equity 162,763,760 9.04%
Premium Bonds 140,580,060 7.81%
Newcastle United Takeover 128,440,660 7.13%
Martin Lewis & Mortgages 115,729,250 6.43%
FTSE 100 94,522,660 5.25%
DWP Payment 68,937,990 3.83%

Sports

To absolutely no surprise to anyone in the UK, the subject of football (soccer) scores more than half of the top pageviews on our publisher sites. Sports fans are reading up on their most-loved teams, including Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

Top sports stories also included teen tennis star Emma Raducanu, who this year became the first British woman to win the Grand Slam title in more than 40 years, and the youngest winner since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Football (Soccer) 31,240,420,260 48.05%
Arsenal, Liverpool, & Manchester United 16,423,896,570 25.26%
Rangers & Manchester United 5,564,816,780 8.56%
Euro 2020 & England 4,613,771,810 7.10%
Tyson Fury & Deontay Wilder 1,866,877,570 2.87%
Emma Raducanu & the US Open 1,469,971,320 2.26%
Tokyo Olympics & Gold 1,450,226,370 2.23%
Rugby & Lions 1,070,306,030 1.65%
Spurs & Jose Mourinho 688,477,810 1.06%
World Cup & England 624,953,850 0.96%

Business

Rising property prices and reforms to the inheritance tax law made it a topic of discussion this year, and therefore a top topic on our network. Inheritance tax was recently named Britain’s most hated tax, despite only being applicable in 4% of deaths.

Top Business Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Inheritance Tax 457,564,270 34.03%
Heat Pump Switch 354,030,160 26.33%
Travel 177,297,570 13.19%
Rolls Royce 117,635,340 8.75%
John Lewis 117,027,940 8.70%
Asda & the Issa Brothers 83,756,350 6.23%
Royal Mail 37,270,450 2.77%

Technology

Squid Game, which officially became Netflix’s biggest original series launch in history in 2021, has earned the top spot in our UK technology topics. Searches for the best headphones and gaming equipment also ruled our pageviews, with social media platforms falling closely behind.

Top Technology Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Netflix & Squid Game 2,187,111,110 30.23%
Apple 1,720,861,750 23.79%
Operating Systems 1,394,508,550 19.28%
Headphones & Sony 522,961,360 7.23%
Games & Playstation 511,989,510 7.08%
New World 337,216,120 4.66%
Trump & Twitter 299,440,080 4.14%
Facebook & Whatsapp 259,722,510 3.59%

France

Source: Getty Images

General News

In March of 2021, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made headlines when they sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a primetime interview. Despite previously being part of the British Monarch, readers in France demonstrated continued interest in the couple and their marriage. But that’s not all, French people’s continued love for football (soccer) still made it in the top general news topics this year.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle – Marriage 2,136,427,690 35.35%
Éric Zemmour & Racism – PSG 1,132,633,590 18.74%
Cristiano Ronaldo & PSG 659,963,230 10.92%
Grossesse & Jessica Thivenin 580,736,720 9.61%
Internet Technology 489,947,490 8.11%
Cuisine & Top Chef 320,190,490 5.30%
Nintendo, Playstation, and Xbox 306,736,320 5.08%
Camping & Tour de France 154,880,240 2.56%
Facebook & Whatsapp 133,352,110 2.21%
COVID & Vaccines 128,236,610 2.12%

Entertainment

With hope for the end of the pandemic in 2021, readers in France, like much of the world, took to the open web for more information on in-person shows and events. New guidelines were set in place by COVID, including social distancing, which are imperative to read up on before visiting a venue. These guidelines allowed for returning some of France’s most loved events, including the Cannes Festival, Eurovision, and concerts in Paris.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Shows and Events 3,483,024,940 31.24%
Movies and Television 1,720,617,270 15.43%
Cannes Festival 1,113,940,210 9.99%
Concerts & Paris 1,107,270,460 9.93%
Games 1,033,419,050 9.27%
MG & TV 884,510,290 7.93%
Eurovision 639,536,240 5.74%
Les Marseillais vs le Reste du Monde 568,315,510 5.10%
Dancing with the Stars 301,590,370 2.71%
Miss France 295,996,950 2.66%

Finance

Sometimes topics overlap! You’ll see below more mentions of what look like sports topics rather than finance topics. However, this year, many headlines covered player transfer and purchasing costs and the selling of clubs, making it to our top finance topics.

Top Finance Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Investing 1,476,575,160 43.01%
Bourse Neymar & PSG 1,127,292,960 32.83%
Banking 194,133,080 5.65%
Messi & PSG 154,566,700 4.50%
Bourse – Elon Musk & Tesla 143,625,170 4.18%
Euro 106,626,230 3.11%
Credit 71,589,590 2.09%
Real Madrid & PSG 60,317,920 1.76%
Bourse 55,239,960 1.61%
Malaise & PSG 43,505,980 1.27%

Sports

Move over, football (soccer), basketball is coming for you! The men’s basketball team won the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and female basketball dominated the basketball discussion this year due to the EuroBasket 2023 qualification and the Women’s Euroleague.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Football (Soccer) 9,844,019,420 39.47%
Ligue 1 & PSG 3,014,297,830 12.09%
PSG 2,870,459,500 11.51%
Neymar 2,815,287,050 11.29%
Boat Racing 1,746,790,180 7.00%
Basketball 1,390,530,840 5.58%
Longoria 1,133,113,230 4.54%
Basketball & JO 883,780,250 3.54%
Euro 790,668,430 3.17%
Tour de France 453,120,450 1.82%

Business

Construction has been top of mind for business-savvy French citizens. We saw a majority of our pageviews point to construction, road work, and interventions in Toulouse and Strasbourg.

Top Business Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Toulouse 1,582,995,130 50.19%
Construction 473,827,690 15.02%
Toulouse & Paris – Route 393,524,650 12.48%
Astrazeneca, Neymar & PSG 365,614,270 11.59%
Space & Thomas Pesquet 194,027,520 6.15%
Strasbourg & Toulouse 80,303,040 2.55%
Alain delon & Nathalie Delon 42,015,790 1.33%
60 Millions Consumers 21,382,840 0.68%

Health & Fitness

At-home skin care continues to trend in France, with readers searching for what products are best for their type of skin. This includes oils, coconut butter, and other natural products.

Top Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
COVID & Emmanuel Macron 4,056,738,260 74.90%
Cancer & Pregnancy 809,280,010 14.94%
The Moon & Sleep 228,190,170 4.21%
Oil & Face 224,617,800 4.15%
Spirituality 67,161,180 1.24%
Skin 30,377,580 0.56%

Australia

Source: AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Entertainment

“Film” and “Sydney” may seem like an odd duo for Australia’s entertainment topic, but not when you hear who’s been filming in Sydney this year! Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt were seen in full costume for the first time on the set of Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney’s Centennial Park. We’ll be looking up those photos now… Another Marvel movie making headlines? Black Widow. Presumably, due to Johansson resolving a lawsuit against Disney.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Dieter Brummer & Home and Away 647,716,450 36.26%
Film & Sydney 497,879,230 27.87%
Netflix & Squid Game 308,025,840 17.24%
Marvel & Black Widow & Scarlett Johansson 140,592,180 7.87%
Netflix 49,221,440 2.76%
Netflix & Prince Philip 43,315,850 2.43%
Design & Kitchen 40,529,550 2.27%
Harry Potter & Robin 23,778,730 1.33%
TikTok 15,897,580 0.89%

Sports

Australian-native athletes from different sports dominated Australia’s 2021 pageviews, including Ashleigh Barty, Connor McGregor, and Ben Simmons. This year Barty, Australian professional tennis player and former cricketer ranked #1 in the world in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
National Rugby League (NRL) & The Brisbane Broncos 1,571,038,430 17.19%
Tokyo Olympics + Gold Medals 1,509,486,580 16.51%
United & England 1,026,595,040 11.23%
Ashleigh Barty 742,749,820 8.13%
Tour de France 649,874,590 7.11%
England World Cup 584,539,040 6.40%
McGregor & UFC 424,611,290 4.65%
Ben Simmons & The NBA 325,270,720 3.56%

Health & Fitness

No matter where in Australia readers are located, most 2021 open web browsers are gathering information on COVID vaccines. We also see interest from Australian readers in other countries’ COVID information, including the U.S. and Israel.

Top Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
COVID – Sydney & Victoria Areas (Melbourne) 3,721,240,780 62.8%
COVID Vaccine 1,718,385,800 29.0%
Trump & Weight Loss 334,716,050 5.6%
Biden, Trump, & Vaccines 35,414,550 0.6%
Married At First Sight – Sarah Roza & surgery 33,210,420 0.6%
Daniel Lanzer, Hospital, & Surgery 27,801,010 0.5%
Human Brain & Thought 26,204,540 0.4%
COVID, Israel, & Vaccines 14,432,590 0.2%
Biden & Vaccines 10,327,020 0.2%
Health Insurance 7,026,040 0.1%

Germany

Source: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

General News

Privacy concerns grew more apparent in 2021, with Germany’s internet users reading up on new features and terms from their most-trusted technology websites and apps, including Google and Meta. We also saw considerable pageviews for technology brands, including Samsung and Apple.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Internet Technology 1,177,051,160 27.07%
Google & Whatsapp 545,060,370 12.54%
Samsung 487,825,930 11.22%
Hardware 455,641,670 10.48%
Euro & Samsung 454,672,100 10.46%
Northwest Police 451,843,690 10.39%
FC Bayern Munich 374,468,130 8.61%
Android, Apple, & Google 286,310,950 6.58%
Football (Soccer) Euro (Europameisterschaft) 59,317,360 1.36%
Football (Soccer) Euro 56,111,350 1.29%

Entertainment

Readers in Germany want Bond, James Bond. No Time To Die, the twenty-fifth spy film in the James Bond series, was released in September 2021, starring Daniel Craig (spoiler) for the last time.

But nothing beats the thrill of good versus evil displayed in Tag & Nacht, a scripted reality TV show straight out of the capital city of Berlin, which has seized one of Germany’s top topic spots.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Shows & Events 1,765,633,810 26.00%
Berlin – Tag & Nacht 1,524,519,480 22.45%
Movies & TV 1,124,879,070 16.57%
Amazon & TV 626,665,730 9.23%
James Bond & Netflix 498,213,340 7.34%
Eurovision Song Contest 354,382,470 5.22%
Games on Steam 332,013,110 4.89%
Let’s Dance – Rúrik Gíslason & Renata Lusin 240,945,490 3.55%
Bikini 215,424,620 3.17%
Helene Fischer & Florian Silbereisen 107,128,430 1.58%

Finance

It’s all about where your euros are headed for German readers! You’ll notice traditional German bank names like “Volksbank,” “Deutsche Bank,” and “Commerzbank” have ranked in our top topics. This shows German readers are considering their banking options and investments in 2021. On the flip side, our readership data shows more and more excitement about investing and start-up topics.

Top Financial Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Bank 731,422,100 39.66%
Bank & Euro 495,974,820 26.89%
Investing 192,434,220 10.43%
Höhle der Löwen & Investors 71,193,160 3.86%
Bank, Euro & Volksbank 67,634,140 3.67%
Deutsche Bank & Euro 63,739,780 3.46%
Bayer & DAX 57,539,150 3.12%
Commerzbank 55,827,830 3.03%
Shares, Stock Exchange & Euro 54,272,360 2.94%
Euro 54,152,650 2.94%

Sports

Football (Soccer) still seems to be the most popular sport to read up on in Germany. FC Bayern München is a common denominator among Germany’s leading sports topics. This year’s top stories around FC Bayern München include praise for player Corentin Tolisso and insight into Coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Football (Soccer) 6,328,667,870 39.66%
FC Bayern München & Nagelsmann 3,207,411,020 20.10%
Champions League & FC Bayern München 1,844,883,710 11.56%
Olympics 1,447,374,080 9.07%
Germany & Olympics Tokyo 1,151,126,440 7.21%
Germany & EURO 1,115,885,310 6.99%
Dynamo & FC Bayern München 441,325,520 2.77%
Champions League 419,008,640 2.63%

Business

There’s no shortage of 2021 headlines regarding the automotive industry this year. Cars suddenly became a must-have during the pandemic, as people looked for ways to get around without contact with other individuals.

Here, you’ll see car topics including Volkswagen and Audi, as well as other forms of contactless transportation, including motorcycles and bicycles.

Top Business Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Cars 8,855,155,410 51.06%
Euro & VW 3,901,916,240 22.50%
Police & Accident 1,413,657,190 8.15%
Formula 1 – Hamilton & Verstappen 658,750,950 3.80%
Motorcycles 523,338,300 3.02%
Euro & Accident 461,031,350 2.66%
Audi & VW 408,160,380 2.35%
Bicycles & Equipment 383,678,360 2.21%
Euro 380,647,170 2.19%
Audi, BMW, & VW 355,682,890 2.05%

Health & Fitness

Even royalty need physical and mental health checks. In November 2021, Insider reported Princess Charlène of Monaco was being treated for emotional and physical exhaustion.

The news of the Princess being admitted to a treatment facility made headlines on top publishers, accumulating pageviews on the Taboola network and providing some distraction for readers during the second year of the pandemic.

Top Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Illness & Health 7,803,068,530 50.67%
Germany & Vaccinations 2,640,255,720 17.14%
Germany & Health Minister Spahn 1,735,664,650 11.27%
Princess Charlène of Monaco 1,166,395,780 7.57%
Robert Koch Institute (RKI) 564,445,340 3.67%
Bavaria & COVID 554,673,240 3.60%
COVID – Germany, Nuremberg 464,611,780 3.02%
COVID 244,754,330 1.59%
Hamburg 226,712,830 1.47%

Brazil

Source: Reproduction TV Globo

General News

Conflict in government is an overarching theme in 2021’s Brazil general news topics. This year brought conflicts between President Bolsonaro and the Supreme Court, between the Senate and the Supreme Court, and between federal police and the Supreme Court.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Government 1,823,881,580 22.48%
Bolsonaro & STF 1,443,263,550 17.79%
Senate & STF 1,426,681,450 17.58%
Federal Police & STF 1,057,252,880 13.03%
The United States & Taliban 759,556,180 9.36%
Politics 540,711,960 6.66%
China & The United States 536,331,840 6.61%
Fire 278,040,600 3.43%
Public Ministry 249,233,280 3.07%

Entertainment

It’s all about BBB! Big Brother Brasil, one of the biggest reality television shows in Brazil, has landed three of our top entertainment spots, including mentions of the host of the show, Tiago Leifert, and Big Brother Brasil 21 2021 winner, Juliette.

Also tragically making headlines, Brazil lost two celebrity icons, singer Marília Mendonça and comedian Paulo Gustavo. Mendonça died this year in a helicopter crash, while Gustavo passed away from complications caused by COVID-19.

Top Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Shows & Events 4,198,049,740 43.05%
Films 1,866,156,500 19.14%
Marília Mendonça 1,578,749,260 16.19%
Netflix 723,541,760 7.42%
Diogo Nogueira & Paolla Oliveira 458,498,380 4.70%
Tiago Leifert 387,678,220 3.98%
Juliette 316,284,780 3.24%
Big Brother Brasil 120,137,370 1.23%
Paulo Gustavo 84,849,430 0.87%
Neymar 17,292,030 0.18%

Finance

Investments, inflation, and income make up Brazil’s top financial topics this year. Those readers whose income were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are researching new, creative ways to make more money and overcome the rising cost of living.

Top Finance Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of Pageviews Out of Top Topics
Investments 3,981,164,120 48.63%
CAIXA 1,688,276,500 20.62%
Bolsonaro 663,286,990 8.10%
Inflation 623,446,800 7.62%
Government 420,460,910 5.14%
Income Tax 323,810,110 3.96%
Income 171,538,860 2.10%
Paulo Guedes 119,481,060 1.46%
XP 102,176,340 1.25%
Petrobras 92,948,650 1.14%

Sports

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics hosted this summer brought Brazil its first medals ever in three sports, tennis (which we also see on this topics list), skateboarding, and surfing. Brazil was awarded seven gold medals, six silver, and eight bronze medals.

We also see arguably Brazil’s two most popular football (soccer) teams, Corinthians and Flamengo, at the top of our results. The Flamengo’s reached the Libertadores Final (another top topic!) this year.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network
Football (Soccer) 7,281,331,360 54.29%
Corinthians 2,510,477,730 18.72%
Olympics 960,537,350 7.16%
Flamengo 664,296,150 4.95%
Copa do Brasil 607,110,080 4.53%
Neymar 441,797,970 3.29%
Final Libertadores 437,352,650 3.26%
UFC 241,916,160 1.80%
Tennis 135,375,060 1.01%
Copa America 131,831,450 0.98%

Health & Fitness

Headlines regarding COVID-19, its symptoms, and the vaccines to prevent people from becoming infected with the illness overtook Brazilian publishers’ content. What’s less talked about but very real is the anxiety pandemic caused and is still causing.

Top 10 Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network
Illness 9,154,893,710 50.44%
COVID 6,327,751,350 34.86%
Vaccine 1,790,034,100 9.86%
Pfizer 465,013,610 2.56%
Anxiety 249,798,870 1.38%
Ministry of Health 162,438,300 0.89%

Japan

Source: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

General News

This year, readers in Japan were most engaged with national news – and rightfully so! With live events that brought in international travelers, like the Tokyo Olympics, resuming in Japan despite rising COVID cases in the area, citizens relied on local premium publishers to provide up-to-date information on the pandemic and other national concerns.

Top General News Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of PVs Out of Top Topics
National News 253,000,690 59.88%
Yoshimoto 130,785,380 30.95%
MLB 38,750,510 9.17%

Entertainment

One of Japan’s most famous comedians, Hitoshi Matsumoto, gave fans what they’ve been asking for this year – the much-anticipated return of his Amazon Original series, Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental. Watchers of the show took to the open web to find more information on Matsumoto, new episodes, and how to stream the series.

Top 10 Entertainment Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of PVs Out of Top 10 Topics
Movies and TV 863,414,040 38.25%
Shows and Events 532,445,020 23.59%
Hitoshi Matsumoto 496,704,830 22.01%
Nogizaka 46 364,607,760 16.15%

Finance

The global financial movement for more knowledge on banking, investments, and insurance continues as we look at readership trends in Japan. In recent news, the Japanese government announced it wants greater premium payments from employers and employees as the employment insurance system is running low on funds.

Top 10 Finance Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of PVs Out of Top 10 Topics
Bank 200,197,650 52.28%
Investment 134,149,700 35.03%
Insurance 48,580,460 12.69%

Sports

Despite hosting concerns due to the pandemic, Japan had its best Olympic display yet, including the most gold medals, the most medals overall, and a third-place finish in gold medals behind the United States and China. Japan received the gold medal for baseball and nine gold medals for Judo.

Top Sports Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of PVs Out of Top 10 Topics
Baseball 2,902,899,020 57.30%
Olympics 1,139,975,050 22.50%
Tokyo Olympics 611,110,820 12.06%
Judo 412,530,100 8.14%

Health & Fitness

There are no surprises here in Japan’s health & fitness top topics – the pandemic continues to dominate readership trends, with those searching for more information on vaccinations and hospitals in Tokyo.

Top 10 Health & Fitness Topics Number of Pageviews on Taboola’s Network Percentage of PVs Out of Top 10 Topics
Disease 1,262,285,200 72.05%
Tokyo & Vaccinations 355,919,720 20.32%
Hospital 133,737,390 7.63%
Originally Published:

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