YouTube reports 224% jump in refugee-related searches since start of elections
According to YouTube, refugee, immigration, gun control, economy and health care related searches have risen during the past year.
Tracking the 2016 presidential election trends, YouTube found refugee-related searches on the site have increased 224 percent since last April, when the 2016 presidential candidates began announcing their campaigns.
YouTube listed refugees, immigration, gun control, economy and health care as “some of the most searched” election-related topics during this election cycle. Among these five political issues, refugee searches accounted for three times more growth than any other topic.
Video searches for immigration topics — an election-related issue attached to the refugee crisis — saw the second highest amount of growth in searches, at 51 percent.
Top YouTube video search trends for political issues
YouTube also reports a 294-percent increase in paid views for candidate ads since October 2015, claiming that it “essentially sold out” of its reserve ad inventory before the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada primaries.
More on YouTube’s election trends report can be found on our partner site at Marketing Land: YouTube: 2016 presidential election-related video watch time up 485% since last April.
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