Singaporeans spend a total of 7.44 hours each week playing video games, the highest rate in Asia and the third highest in the world, according to a new global study of gaming habits across nine countries.

Only Germans (7.98 hours) and Americans (7.61) spend more of their time gaming each week, while the global average is 7.11, reported Business Insider, which focused on the Asian findings from the State of Online Gaming report.

Published by Limelight Networks, a provider of digital content delivery, the comprehensive analysis of gaming trends is based on responses from 4,500 consumers in France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK and the US.

It found that the amount of time that consumers play video games increased 19.3% over the past year, with 34% playing more than seven hours a week and 19.6% playing more than 12 hours a week.

South Korea has the lowest weekly average at 6.69 hours, but even this is up more than 51% from last year’s average of 4.42 hours per week.

However, Singapore tops the global list in terms of the amount of time spent playing video games consecutively (1.56 hours on average), followed by the US (1.54) and South Korea (1.49).

Such is the popularity of video games in the city state that 51% of Singaporean respondents have missed sleep or a meal (38.2%) or even taking a shower (31.4%).

The study also revealed that 37.2% of Singaporeans have prioritised gaming over socialising with a friend or going on a date, while 12.2% have skipped work.

Just 5.2% of Japanese respondents have been prepared to skip time with friends or going on a date, while 54.8% have missed out on sleep – although South Koreans emerged as the most sleep-deprived (66.8%) and Indians were the most willing to skip work (24.2%) because of their gaming habit.

Returning to Singapore, the report also revealed that around two-thirds (66%) of gamers there like to watch others play online each week, with almost 10% watching for more than seven hours.

That means Singaporeans spend more time watching gaming content online each week (2.46 hours) than they do watching sport on TV (2.12) and online (2.13).

Sourced from Business Insider, Limelight Networks; additional content by WARC staff