Adele's highly-anticipated fourth album sold more than five million copies in just two months, said the IFPI.
It was the biggest-selling record on vinyl and CD, the industry body added.
Meanwhile, The Weeknd's moody retro-pop ballad topped the charts in 18 countries, and was streamed 2.15 billion times.
It was the second year running that the Canadian star delivered the world's most popular song.
Last year's chart-topper, Blinding Lights, made the top 10 for a second time in 2021, at number seven.
