Wizards of the Coast has released an extensive breakdown of how 2019 was the best year ever for Dungeons & dragons:
https://screenrant.com/dungeons-dragons-best-year-sales-ever-wizards-coast/

All kinds of interesting data there, but this is the pair of charts that has the community talking-

#DnD #tabletopgames

I don't know for sure, but I assume this data is from online polls WotC have been running. In any case, it seems to represent the most active/communicative players in the community right now:

40% are under 25 years old.
Almost 40% are female.

Anecdotally I've been watching D&D explode among younger players, but having the data back that up is good to see and speaks to the potential for continued growth.

What's also amazing to me is how evenly spread the fanbase is across those age groups. D&D 5th edition has managed to bridge old and new players quite well.

I've spoken at length to the D&D crew about why this explosive growth is happening. It's a confluence of things along with great timing, but I think it falls into 5 major categories-

1) The Game: 5th Edition is a well put together RPG. It's organized well, plays well, and looks good on the shelf. It keeps enough of the elements that "feel" like the D&D of old while also simplifying or streamlining core mechanics so it's also pretty easy to teach.

2) Online Growth: The bottleneck in understanding D&D used to be learning from other people. Reading the rules pales in comparison to seeing it played in terms of grasping how it works.

Twitch + YouTube have broken down most barriers and demystified the whole process.

3) Online Play: The other big bottleneck used to be getting people together around the table to play. Busy schedules, people not close to each other...it's always been a hassle.

The internet makes communicating/scheduling easier and distant play possible.

4) Creative Culture: Teens + 20's are steeped in fan fiction, fan art, and interactive communities. Far more of them want to create things, not just passively receive stories.

Tabletop RPGs are an adaptable toolbox and the barrier to entry is very cheap: pencil, paper, dice.

5) Generational Nostalgia: 1st/2nd/3rd edition players are now old enough to have kids who are the right age to play. There's a passing of the torch within gamer families.

It's a way for parents to recapture that feeling they had and connect with their kids. It's potent.

6) (Bonus)
Pop Culture Cool: Nerdy stuff is accepted in the mainstream now in a way it wasn't before.

Couple that with Stranger Things, Critical Role, Joe Manganiello, Colbert, the Russo Brothers, and others talking up D&D and the result is explosive.