More than one-third of children aged 3 to 5 played video games, Istat says

Video games are already part of everyday life for more than one-third of Italy’s youngest children, according to an Istat report covering 2024.

Among people aged three and older, 29.7% said they had played a video game at least once in the previous 12 months. That figure was 35.5% among children aged three to five and 68.8% among those aged six to 10.

Usage reached its highest level among 11- to 14-year-olds, with 78.6% saying they played. The share remained high among 15- to 17-year-olds, at 72.2%, and among young adults aged 18 to 24, at 58.4%, before declining in older age groups.

Daily gaming was especially common among younger boys. Among 11- to 14-year-olds, 44.7% of boys played every day, compared with 13.8% of girls. More than one-third of people aged 11 to 17 played at least weekly, as did 36.2% of children aged six to 10.

Half of video-game players aged three and older, 50.2%, said they played online using a computer, console, smartphone, tablet or another device. The share reached 72% among 11- to 14-year-olds, 69.1% among 15- to 17-year-olds and 68.2% among 18- to 24-year-olds. Among online players aged 11 and older, 41% used games that allowed them to spend money on tools or progress. Of those users, 47.9% said they had spent money sometimes or often.