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Radio continues to reach the vast majority of European citizens each week, despite a gradual decline in listening, according to the latest data from the European Broadcasting Union.
The EBU’s July 2025 report, “Audience Trends: Radio,” shows that 83% of Europeans listen to radio each week, confirming its status as a mass medium. However, average daily listening time has fallen slightly to 2 hours and 14 minutes — down two minutes compared to 2023, and 13 minutes over the past five years. This modest but steady decline is evident in 20 of the 24 European markets surveyed.
Among younger audiences aged 15–24, the drop in listening time is more pronounced but appears to be stabilizing. Daily listening in this group averages 1 hour and 13 minutes, a 17-minute fall since 2019. While some countries report sharper drops, others are seeing steadier performance.
Public service media continue to play a central role, reaching 43% of Europeans weekly — down from 45.1% in 2019. Among 15–24-year-olds, reach stands at 28%, with only a minor drop of 1.7 percentage points over five years and just 0.2 percentage points between 2023 and 2024.
Digital growth amid shifting habits
Public broadcasters account for 36.4% of total daily radio listening — a year-on-year dip of 0.5 points. Among younger listeners, that share is 22%, down 0.4 points. Despite these declines, public stations remain highly relevant: in 58% of the countries analyzed, the most-listened-to station is publicly funded, and in 94% of markets, at least one public station ranks among the top five.
Public radio continues to expand its digital footprint. Across the EBU area, there are now 288 active online radio streams, reflecting efforts to widen distribution and connect more effectively with listeners, especially younger ones. Most countries now include linear online streams in official audience measurements alongside traditional broadcast signals. Five markets — including France, Norway and Spain — also incorporate non-linear formats such as podcasts and replays.
Despite radio’s broad reach across Europe, average listening time has steadily declined. Since 2003, it has fallen by around an hour. The sharpest drop has occurred among younger audiences, with a 29% decrease since 2015. Older listeners remain more consistent, with time spent listening down by just 10% over the same period, reaching an average of 2 hours and 52 minutes per day
Adults aged 35–59 have seen a 17% decline, while the 25–34 age group follows a similar pattern to the 15–24 cohort. These shifts reflect changing media habits, but the data also show that radio continues to play a meaningful role in daily life across Europe.
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