A. Guttmann
Research Lead covering media
Media usage in Europe - statistics & facts
Even though media usage habits have changed slightly in the last few years, television is still the most used medium in Europe, with 74 percent of individuals interviewed watching TV as of 2023. While the consumption of traditional media such as the written press has decreased, social networks and the internet are becoming increasingly important in the digital age. In 2024, over 92 percent of people in Europe had access to the internet. For comparison: a decade earlier the share stood at 75 percent.
Internet access changes the way people consume media. Slowly but surely digital counterparts take over, given their more mobile accessibility and wider content offer.
Varied video viewing landscape across the continent
As of 2023, 74 percent of Europeans watched TV on a television set every day or almost every day. The countries with the most individuals viewing TV on a TV set were Portugal and Bulgaria, with a share of 91 and 88 percent, respectively. Traditional television was not as popular in Sweden, where a little over half of respondents used TV sets daily. However, the share of the Swedes watching streaming video is quite considerable, especially among younger age groups – in 2023, 73 percent of 9 to 14-year-olds streamed video entertainment over the internet. Sweden is not the only country embracing video streaming. Overall, Germany, the UK, and France are the largest Western European markets based on the number of SVOD subscriptions. While no country is alike in Europe, most follow the global trend of pivoting to streaming video instead of watching linear TV.Audio usage in Europe
After television, social media, and online news, radio is considered to be the fourth most used medium in the European countries. Usage of radio slightly decreased in the past years, falling to 41 percent of individuals listening to it on a daily basis in 2023. When it comes to radio listener numbers, Germany leads the ranking, at more than 58 million, while Malta has fewer than 350 thousand radio consumers. Broadcast radio is also falling from grace now that music streaming is becoming more popular. Europe saw the numbers of music streamers reach nearly 150 million in 2024, and this figure is only expected to grow in the next years. Certain countries remain loyal to over-the-air radio, but music streaming is becoming a commonplace across the continent.Internet access changes the way people consume media. Slowly but surely digital counterparts take over, given their more mobile accessibility and wider content offer.
