Sport, COVID and crypto dominate Australia's Google Search in 2021

It's no secret Aussies love their sport, and that goes double in lockdown, as proven by Google's data from the last year.

The first seven of the country's top Google Search trends for 2021 were claimed by the NBA, AFL, cricket, NRL, football, tennis and Olympics.

COVID NSW, Coinspot and Prince Philip rounded out the top 10 overall most popular searches on the 2021 list released today.

By comparison, last year only the NBA and Kobe Bryant — who died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 — featured among Australia's top searches in a year that was dominated by the arrival of COVID-19 and a blockbuster US election.

Coronavirus continued to trend in 2021, especially with significant outbreaks in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

"We looked to book our vaccines, get our vaccination certificates — and find the meaning of Omicron," wrote Google Australia's Camilla Ibrahim.

"We also showed our savvy and scientific curiosities, searching 'how to make a facemask' and interestingly, 'how to make oxygen'.

In this July 28, 2021, file photo, Buddhist monk wearing a face mask holds an oxygen tank for refill outside the Naing oxygen factory at the South Dagon industrial zone in Yangon, Myanmar.

While COVID-19 continues to feature in Australia's most searched news events, there was also major interest in names like Cleo Smith, Alec Baldwin, William Tyrell, Bert Newton and Christian Porter.

"Through search, we showed our care and concern for Cleo Smith — and kept looking for William Tyrrell," Ms Ibrahim wrote.

"We were shaken by the earthquake in Melbourne, the crisis in Afghanistan — and were curious about crypto.

"And as we wrapped our heads around complex issues and events, we looked up the meanings of terms like emancipated, insurrection and gaslighting."

Below are Australia's top trends in Google Search for 2021.

Overall searches

NBA
AFL
Australia vs India
NRL
Euro 2021
Wimbledon
Olympic medal tally
COVID NSW
Coinspot
Prince Philip

Josh Giddey

News events

COVID NSW
Cleo Smith
QLD COVID update
Alec Baldwin
Coronavirus Victoria
William Tyrrell
Bert Newton
Christian Porter
Afghanistan
Melbourne earthquake

Police check the addresses of people at Bondi Beach during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Aussies

Cleo Smith
Ash Barty
William Tyrell
Christian Porter
Nadia Bartel
Dominic Perrottet
Nick Kyrgios
Ariarne Titmus
Peter Bol
Melissa Caddick

Global figures

Alec Baldwin
Rita Ora
Travis Scott
Kyle Rittenhouse
Adele
Naomi Osaka
Pete Davidson
Simone Biles
Tiger Woods
Emma Raducanu

Alec Baldwin

Loss

Prince Philip
Gabby Petito
Bert Newton
Brian Laundrie
Sean Lock
Michael Gudinski
Sarah Everard
Carla Zampatti
Helen McCrory
Larry King

Photograph of Philip visiting the headquarters of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force's 603 Squadron on July 4, 2015 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sport

NBA
AFL
Australia vs India
NRL
Euro 2021
Wimbledon
Olympics
Australian Open
EPL
French Open

Shai Bolton of the Tigers marks during the round eight AFL match between the Richmond Tigers and the Geelong Cats at Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 07, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)