- Pope Leo XIV emerged as one of the most viewed and searched individuals on digital platforms in 2025, with his Wikipedia profile ranking fifth among the most read articles in English and his name (both pontifical and birth name, Robert Francis Prevost) being among the top global searches on Google.
- The surge in online traffic, particularly to Wikimedia projects, peaked at an unprecedented 800,000 hits per second, more than six times the normal levels, following the election of Pope Leo XIV, indicating a massive global interest in learning about the new pontiff.
- The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, after serving for 12 years as the first Latin American pope, significantly impacted global searches, with his English Wikipedia page ranking 11th among the most read pages as many sought to learn more about his life and legacy.
- Google’s “Year in Search 2025” further highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s prominence, placing him fifth worldwide in the “people” section and ranking the election of the new pope fourth among news searches globally.
- In his native United States, Pope Leo XIV secured the fifth spot among trending people searches, while the election of the new pope ranked seventh in news searches, and the late Pope Francis was seventh on the list of deceased individuals searched in 2025.
Pope Leo XIV among the most viewed and searched on Wikipedia and Google in 2025
