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Newly revealed data from 2024 reveals that America remains at the top of the list for manga piracy. A new detailed report from a piracy analytics firm saw manga dominating publishing piracy as a whole.
The report from MUSO, shared by TorrentFreak, showed that, despite a global decline of more than 5% in visits to piracy websites overall, manga was a surprising, rising exception. Visits to publishing-related pirate sites around the world saw an increase of 4.3%, from 63.6 to 66.4 billion. Manga piracy made up the majority of publishing-related visits, with a share of over 70%. For comparison, the second-highest category consumed was traditional publishing at 14.82%. The United States was the top consumer of publishing piracy traffic when sorted by country, accounting for 12.39% of visits.
New Manga Piracy Data Reveals Top-Ranked List of Countries, Led by U.S.
|
Rank |
Country |
Visits |
Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
United States of America |
8,226,264,472 |
12.39% |
|
2 |
Indonesia |
6,884,334,602 |
10.37% |
|
3 |
Russian Federation |
4,870,399,895 |
7.34% |
|
4 |
Vietnam |
4,113,780,255 |
6.20% |
|
5 |
Japan |
2,893,971,177 |
4.36% |
|
6 |
Taiwan, Republic of China |
2,288,351,465 |
3.45% |
|
7 |
France |
2,055,994,765 |
3.10% |
|
8 |
India |
2,044,575,130 |
3.08% |
|
9 |
Thailand |
1,763,044,772 |
2.66% |
|
10 |
Canada |
1,514,648,173 |
2.28% |
|
11 |
South Korea |
1,501,134,911 |
2.26% |
|
12 |
Brazil |
1,385,075,482 |
2.09% |
|
13 |
Philippines |
1,359,197,514 |
2.05% |
|
14 |
China |
1,357,524,109 |
2.04% |
|
15 |
Mexico |
1,286,610,496 |
1.94% |
MUSO’s data included the top 15 countries for publishing piracy traffic, with the U.S. emerging at the top. Japan, which is the home of manga, placed fifth on the list, accounting for just 4.36% of visits. Other countries in the top five included Indonesia, Russia and Vietnam. Manga’s total share of publishing piracy dwarfed traditional eBooks, academic texts and news content, reinforcing manga as a central part of youth-driven online piracy. Recent reported trends have highlighted Gen Z fans’ interest in the genre, many of whom are likely seeking out their favorite series as soon as new chapters are released in Japan, which are often fan-translated into English and other languages.
MUSO reported that the global demand for manga is currently unmet commercially, with fan-translated content often arriving faster than official releases. While streaming services like Crunchyroll and Netflix have helped make it easier for fans to consume anime legally worldwide, manga’s digital delivery still remains relatively fragmented. Major publishers like Shueisha and Kodansha have made efforts to simulpub digitally through platforms like Manga Plus and K Manga, but regional restrictions, paywalls and other factors still have many fans turning to unofficial sources.
For popular ongoing manga series like One Piece, Kaiju No. 8, Chainsaw Man and more, fan-uploaded translations often appear before official English versions, drawing in high volumes of pirated reads when official channels can’t keep up with fan demand. As anime continues to rise in popularity around the world, it acts as a double-edged sword, with viewers rushing to read the manga source material and often turning to piracy if official editions aren’t easily available.
Recently, Japanese publishers have ramped up their anti-piracy efforts, signaling that they are aware of the surge in manga piracy. As the demand for manga globally continues to rise — especially in North America — Japanese publishers are continuing their efforts to provide fans with accessible, affordable and timely legal options.
Those looking to read manga online legally can check out platforms like Shonen Jump, Manga Plus and ComiXology.
