It’s that magical time of year when Spotify Wrapped exposes our deepest, darkest secrets (yes, you did listen to Stan Walker 57 times this year, and no, we’re not judging).
Google Trends is no different, with our most searched thoughts and questions of the year now revealed for the world to see, and honestly, I feel exposed.
Nothing screams 'cost of living crisis' quite like one of the top searches in Aotearoa being "how to make butter". Tough times, but I am absolutely here for people trying a bit of DIY in the kitchen.
The food obsession didn’t stop there. If we saw it on TikTok, we were Googling how to make it. From “how to make matcha” to “Dubai chocolate recipe”, because who wants to pay $19.50 for a block of chocolate? If it could be made at home, we were attempting it.
Kiwis were also trying really hard to be financially sensible this year. “How to invest” and “how to calculate tax refunds” were among the most searched queries, which demonstrates just how much we were all looking for a bit of extra cash.
But 2025 wasn’t all recipes and budgeting hacks. We actually wanted to get involved with things that matter to us. Searches around the Treaty Principles Bill submissions climbed, and thousands of us wanted to know how to say “Happy Matariki” properly in te reo Māori.
A huge year for actually participating instead of just watching from the sidelines.
And even though the weather wasn’t quite as dramatic as recent years, we still panicked every time the wind became a little too aggressive, googling “wind warning,” “rainfall warning,” and “tsunami warning.”
Big news moments had us searching, with the deaths of Charlie Kirk and Tom Phillips dominating national headlines. And as true Kiwis, what truly united the country was “All Blacks vs France.”
We also went down some incredibly rogue rabbit holes, including “how to style curtain bangs,” “cowgirl outfit ideas,” and the classic “what is 6 7,” which I am pretty sure we still do not have the answer to.
Now here’s hoping ChatGPT doesn’t drop its own ‘Wrapped’ and expose the questions we all typed, lowkey hoping no one would see.
The top Google trends: Overall Searches
Charlie Kirk
COPD treatment
Osteoporosis treatment
Tom Phillips
All Blacks vs France
Ozzy Osbourne
Cyclone Alfred
Iran
Ed Gein
Club World Cup
Famous Kiwis
Joseph Parker
Benjamin Doyle
Lorde
Liam Lawson
Daniel Hillier
Kai Kara France
David Nyika
Brooke Van Velden
Chris Wood
Stuart Nash
Deaths
Charlie Kirk
Tom Phillips
Michelle Trachtenberg
Gene Hackman
Hulk Hogan
Diane Keaton
Val Kilmer
David Lynch
Robert Redford
Jane Goodall
People
Belle Gibson
D4vd
Diogo Jota
Pope
Andy Byron
Luke Combs
Jimmy Kimmel
Tyler Robinson
Kendrick Lamar
Prince Andrew
Local Moments
Wind warning
Rainfall warning
Tsunami warning
Thunderstorm warning
Cyclone Tam
Treaty Principles Bill Submission
Metallica Auckland
Tongariro Fire
Measles
Sail GP Auckland
Global Moments
Cyclone Alfred
Iran
Day of the Dead
LA Fires
Labubu
Russia Earthquake
KPop Demon Hunters
Bianca Censori Grammys
67
Air India Crash
How To…
How to make butter
How to invest money in shares
How to make buttermilk
How to get rid of bed bugs
How to screenshot on Macbook
How to watch All Blacks vs France
How to soft boil an egg
How to say Happy Matariki in te reo Maori
How to clear cache on Chrome
How to calculate a tax refund
Definitions:
Plancha
Taki
Parens
Loris
Hubris
Atria
Ziti
Ouroboros
Orgo
Seitan
Internet Trends/Memes
Viral Ice Cream
Action Figure Trend
Mango Ice Cream
Barbie AI Trend
Revenge Saving Financial Trend
Peach Ice Cream
What is the 6 7 Trend
Squishy Toy Trend
Polaroid Trend
Starter Pack Trend
Sports Events
All Blacks vs France
Club World Cup
India vs England
Auckland FC
India vs Australia
Champions Trophy
New Zealand vs Pakistan
Super Rugby Fantasy
All Blacks vs Australia
New Zealand vs West Indies

Published by Georgia Watt
04 Dec 2025