Brandwave

How popular isKFC in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 24.9M branded searches for KFC worldwide which held steady over the last 12 months. KFC holds 80.2% estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide and is ranked 1st of 3 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. KFC80.2%
  2. Popeyes19.7%
  3. Nando's0.14%
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Which fried chicken chains compete with KFC?

KFC against fried chicken chains worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for KFC, Popeyes. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthKFCPopeyesNando's
Oct 202576.8%23.1%0.17%
Nov 202576.8%23.1%0.17%
Dec 202580.1%19.7%0.13%
Jan 202676.8%23.1%0.15%
Feb 202680.1%19.7%0.16%
Mar 202676.8%23.1%0.15%
Apr 202676.8%23.1%0.15%
May 202680.1%19.7%0.18%
Jun 202680.1%19.7%0.16%
Jul 202680.1%19.7%0.16%
Aug 202683.1%16.7%0.13%
Sep 202680.2%19.7%0.14%
  1. 1.KFC

    80.2%

    Held 1st. 24.9M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -3 points.

  2. 2.Popeyes

    19.7%

    Held 2nd. 6.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +3 points.

  3. 3.Nando's

    0.14%

    Held 3rd. 44.4K estimated branded searches, -9.9% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between KFC and its closest rivals

How has branded search demand for KFC changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for KFC worldwide held steady at 24.9M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide increased from 76.8% to 80.2%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide peaked at 83.1% in August 2026 and was lowest at 76.8% in October 2025.

How did search popularity change for fried chicken chains worldwide in September 2026?

  1. In September 2026, Popeyes gained estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide, from 16.7% to 19.7%.

  2. In September 2026, KFC lost estimated Share of Search among fried chicken chains worldwide, from 83.1% to 80.2%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Nando's worldwide fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 54.2K to 44.4K in September 2026.

Where does KFC compete?

KFC is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of SearchRanking
Fast food chains3rd of 911.7%Show ranking
Fried chicken chains1st of 380.2%Shown above

How is KFC measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using KFC’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

1 branded search term

  • kfc

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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Is KFC your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.