Wordle, World Cup, Betty White and lettuce: Australia's most Googled searches of 2022
There's just weeks until 2022 officially draws to a close, and the world's most popular search engine is revealing what Australians have been looking up.
Between the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation's devastating flood crisis, the war in Ukraine and the deaths of icons like Shane Warne and Olivia Newton-John - it's fair to say there's been a lot for people to Google.
It may come as no surprise that health, sport and war largely dominated search trends, however, the most popular search term of 2022 was practically unheard of just a year ago.
The addictive online game Wordle has amassed millions of players and topped the most searched term this year.
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Worlde was the most Googled word of 2022, followed by Australian Open, World Cup and Shane Warne. Supplied
This may in part come down to our reliance on the search engine, with people Googling 'Wordle' instead of going straight to the specific website.
Major sporting events like the Australian Open put sporting heroes like Ash Barty and Nick Kyrigos ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the most searched-for Aussies list, and even on the year of the Federal Election.
While Novak Djokovic's inclusion is in part to his sporting prowess, it's likely his visa ordeal at the start of the year also contributed.
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The cost of living crisis also played a major part in search trends, with Australians Googling why simple supermarket staples like lettuce skyrocketed in price.
This year also marks the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic that COVID-19 did not feature in Google's top 10 overall searches.
Take a look at the most searched phrases in news, sport, coronavirus and global figures.
Most Googled terms: Overall
- Wordle
- Australian Open
- World Cup
- Shane Warne
- Ukraine
- Novak Djokovic
- Ashes
- Ash Barty
- Olivia Newtown-John
- Betty White
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Rafael Nadal won the men's singles Australian Open. Getty
Most Googled terms: News Events
- Ukraine
- Election results
- Omicron symptoms
- Monkeypox
- Tonga
- Tsunami warning
- Novavax Australia
- Cassius Turvey
- COVID update Perth
- Japanese encephalitis
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The war in Ukraine was the most searched for news event of 2022. Mick Krever/CNN
Most Googled terms: Australian figures
- Ash Barty
- Nick Kyrgios
- Anthony Albanese
- Thanasi Kokkinakis
- Dylan Alcott
- Brittany Higgins
- Grace Tame
- John Farnham
- Alex de Minaur
- Peter Dutton
Brittany Higgins was one of the most Googled Australian women in 2022. Dominic Lorrimer
Most Googled terms: Loss
- Shane Warne
- Olivia Newtown-John
- Betty White
- Queen Elizabeth
- Anne Heche
- Andrew Symonds
- Taylor Hawkins
- Aaron Carter
- Bob Saget
- Paul Green
Shane Warne and Olivia Newton-John were the most Googled deaths in Australia. Redferns
Most Googled terms: Global Figures
- Novak Djokovic
- Nadal
- Medvedev
- Amber Heard
- Johnny Depp
- Will Smith
- Andrew Tate
- Anna Delvey
- King Charles
- Danielle Collins
Novak Djokovic made major headlines this year over this stance on COVID-19 vaccinations. Matthew Stockman via Getty Images
Most Googled terms: Sport
- Australian Open
- World Cup
- Ashes
- Winter Olympics
- Rugby League World Cup
- Indian Wells
- Commonwealth Games
- ATP Cup
- AFLW
- NBL
Australians were captivated by the 2022 FIFA World Cup, head in Qatar, where the Socceroos made it to the top 16. Getty
Most Googled terms: Recipes
- Dahl recipe
- Ezy sauce recipe
- Drunken chicken recipe
- Mash potato recipe
- Salmon patties recipe
- Jaffle recipes
- Fish tacos recipe
- Egg salad recipe
- Butter cream icing recipe
- Lamb stew recipe
Dahl recipes were the most Googled food query of 2022. Supplied
Most Googled terms: 'How to make…?' DIY queries
- How to make a paper popper
- How to make pom poms
- How to make friendship bracelets
- How to make a ninja star
- How to make a paper crane
- How to make paper flowers
- How to make a terrarium
- How to make stickers
- How to make paper mache
- How to make candles at home
Some trends that really kicked off over lockdown continued in 2022. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Most Googled terms: 'Why is…?'
- Why is Russia invading Ukraine
- Why is plain yoghurt good for females
- Why is petrol so expensive
- Why is lettuce so expensive
- Why is there a lettuce shortage
- Why is diesel so expensive
- Why is crypto going down
- Why is Camilla queen consort
- Why is Australia not part of NATO
- Why is snapchat not working
Australians were very interested in the price of lettuce this past year. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Most Googled terms: COVID-19 Queries
- Can you get COVID twice?
- How long does COVID last?
- Can dogs get COVID?
- How long is COVID contagious for?
- How long does it take to get COVID?
- How long do COVID symptoms last?
- Is vomiting a symptom of COVID?
- How long after COVID can I get a booster shot?
- How many people have died from COVID?
- What to do if COVID positive?
Although we've now entered a new phase of the pandemic, there was no shortage of COVID-19 related questions. Supplied
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