Worldwide, how many people play RPGs per year?

[Tuzenbach]

I know about that "4 million" stat, but (IIRC) that only applies to D&D, America, and people who play it every month. But what about ALL RPGs, worldwide, and per year? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks!

 

[Crothian]

no one knows. THe D&D poll is the only large scale informnation gathering on RPGs so people can offer educated guesses I suppose, but I no one has hard data on this.

 

[Tuzenbach]

Hmmmm...... Any guesses? Assuming the "4 million" thing is reasonably accurate, I'll say as low as 9 million but as high as 15 million.

 

[Romnipotent]

That and some role players are isolated and dont read enworld, wotc, {insert site name} and get left out of the poll. When I take over the world and my census is distributed there will be question 12 (right after all the name stuff) "Do you play pen and paper role-playing games?" and we shall have a better difinition.

 

[der_kluge]

Figures I have seen indicate that 4 million play D&D in the U.S., but then I've also seen a figure that indicated that the number was as low as 1.5 million pay D&D regularly. I've also seen a figure of 5.5 million play "RPGs" in the U.S.

But, like Crothian said, I don't think there are any figures regarding world-wide usage.

 

[Tuzenbach]

I'm surprised more people haven't ventured to guess the elusive number.

 

[Galethorn]

I'll venture a guess that I can say is wrong, for certain.

Based on the US population, and extrapolated for the world population...

80,000,000 people.

Now, that would be if there were 4 million in the US, and every single nation had the same ratio as the US.

I'd say between 6 and 12 million is much closer to the real number, but there's no easy way of ever knowing, barring widespread internet and a crazy, crazy billionaire who wants to blow his money on finding things like that out.