In a global celebration of queer culture and connection, New Zealand has found itself in the spotlight in Grindr’s annual Unwrapped report — named one of the world’s top “Daddy Capitals” for 2025.
The yearly data-driven roundup, which has fast become a pop culture moment in the queer digital space, combines anonymous user insights with responses from over 32,000 community members. This year’s edition is Grindr’s most comprehensive to date, drawing from the activity of its 15 million monthly users.
Billions of Chats and Tags: A Snapshot of 2025’s Queer Digital Landscape
In 2025 alone, Grindr users exchanged more than 135 billion messages and shared upwards of 3.3 billion private albums, a vivid indicator that digital intimacy remains a core part of modern queer life.
The platform’s most-searched tags globally reflected a mix of desire and identity — with “hung,” “trans,” “bb,” “dom,” and “feet” ranking highest. Meanwhile, “tribes” — Grindr’s identity tags — continue to help users signal their communities and preferences within the app.
Among this year’s standout global findings:
- Switzerland led as the “Twink Capital,” with the highest proportion of users identifying as twinks.
- South Africa was named the leading “Bottom Hotspot.”
- Singapore claimed the title of “Side Hotspot,” indicating a rise in non-penetrative sexual expression.
- Australia was recognised for its highly “vers” user base.
New Zealand, however, stood out by earning the title as a “Daddy Capital”, signalling a significant number of users aligning with the “daddy” tribe — either identifying as daddies or seeking them out.
Pop Culture, Queer Edition: The Community Speaks
Grindr Unwrapped doesn’t just analyse behaviour — it reflects tastes, too. The community vote crowned Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” as Song of the Year, with her album “Mayhem” taking top honours as Album of the Year.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Bailey topped the charts as 2025’s “Hottest Man,” followed by Bad Bunny, David Corenswet, Michael B. Jordan, and Jung Kook.
The Grindr audience also voted Over Compensating as the year’s standout TV show.
Aotearoa’s Digital Queer Identity: Playful, But Revealing
Although New Zealand appeared just once in the global rankings, its inclusion as a “Daddy Capital” says a lot about local queer dynamics. The designation hints at both how Kiwis present themselves and what kinds of connections they seek on the app.
While the country didn’t rank in categories like twinks, bottoms, sides, or vers, its prominence in the “daddy” tribe highlights a distinctive digital identity in the global Grindr ecosystem.
Beyond the Data: A Cultural Time Capsule
While cheeky in tone, Grindr Unwrapped offers one of the most expansive, anonymised insights into queer behaviour and trends worldwide. Though not a scientific study, the report serves as a powerful cultural artefact — reflecting the shifting ways queer people connect, categorise, and express desire online.
For New Zealand, being counted among the world’s “Daddy Capitals” provides both a light-hearted nod and a genuine insight into the evolving landscape of queer digital life. As global queer identities continue to evolve, next year’s Unwrapped is sure to provide even more revelations from Aotearoa and beyond.
