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Monthly podcast listening in the United Kingdom has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 18% of adults to 39%, according to communications regulator Ofcom. The proportion increases to 43% when video podcast viewing is included, while 27% of adults now listen to podcasts each week.
Ofcom published the figures on Sept. 30 to coincide with International Podcast Day, an annual promotional observance designated by the campaign behind InternationalPodcastDay.com. According to the campaign’s organizers, U.S. podcaster Steve Lee proposed creating a Podcast Day in 2013, the first National Podcast Day took place in 2014 and the organizers renamed it International Podcast Day in 2015.
Findings from Ofcom’s 2026 Media Nations research also show that podcasts account for a growing share of total listening. The proportion of people’s listening time devoted to podcasts increased from 5% in 2022 to 11% in 2026.
Podcast reach is now above average among adults aged 45–54, while 13% of people aged 65 and older listen. Ofcom also identified a small gender difference, with 29% of men and 24% of women listening each week.
Among U.K. weekly podcast listeners, news and current affairs is the most popular genre, reaching 47%. Entertainment follows at 44%, comedy at 41% and discussion and talk shows at 40%.
Age and gender
Preferences vary considerably by age and gender. Entertainment and comedy are most popular among listeners aged 18–34, while those aged 55 and older are more likely to choose news, current affairs and politics. Football podcasts reach 31% of weekly podcast listeners, increasing to 45% among men but falling to 14% among women.
Ofcom found some willingness to pay for podcast content, with 35% of listeners saying they would subscribe to their favorite shows. That figure rises to 48% among people aged 16–34 but falls to 16% among those aged 55 and older. At the same time, 45% of podcast listeners said the programs they hear contain too many advertisements.
Video is also becoming a more prominent part of podcast consumption. More than two-thirds of podcast listeners, or 68%, consume shows that also offer video, while 44% said video podcasts were more engaging.
Mobile phones remain the principal podcast device, used by 64% of listeners. Computers and laptops account for 13%, followed by televisions at 10%, tablets at 8% and voice-enabled speakers at 5%.
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