The ABS says there are almost as many people who play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in the world as there are people in the entirety of Australia.
Yes, you read that correctly. That’s word out of the Australian Bureau of Statistics this afternoon, which threw that fun little Poké fact onto its socials for Pokémon Day.
There are almost as many Pokémon Scarlet and Violet trainers in the world as there are people in Australia 🤯 #GottaCatchEmAll #Pokemon #PokemonDay pic.twitter.com/fbsOOViy1U
— Australian Bureau of Statistics (@ABSStats) February 27, 2023
The ABS bases these concerning Pokémon findings on its own National, State and Territory report from June 2022 and Nintendo’s Fiscal Year Ending March 2023 Nine Months Earnings release.
It’s startling to know that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s 21 million-strong player base from around the world gives Australia’s total population a run for its money. But, intrinsically, I know that it makes sense. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are popular games played around the world. Millions of people enjoy them every day. However, it’s always a jolt when Australia’s minuscule populace is thrown into relief against a statistic from elsewhere in the world. People say things like, “There are more people in the USA that choked on hog teeth last year than have ever lived in Australia in the history of the human race.” And you nod and think, “How can the USA hold that many people?? That can’t be good for them.”
(That’s obviously not a real statistic. But it sounds like it could be. If someone told me it was true, I’d believe it.)
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are among the most controversial in the beloved series, launching in a rather dire state last year. However, this did not keep Pokémon fans from gobbling it up to the tune of 10 million units sold in its first week and clearing 20 million sales before 2022 ended.
But if you want to feel truly microscopic, consider that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet‘s numbers pale in comparison to that of Pokémon Go. In 2021, Pokémon Go had 71 million active players worldwide, down from its all-time high of 232 million in 2016. If the Pokémon Go player base declared war on us tomorrow, we’d be overwhelmed.
Anyway, enjoy trying to fall asleep tonight, knowing we’re outnumbered globally by the Pokemon nerds.
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