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Nine of ten watched moving images – around eight of ten used social network services
Of all the different types of media, moving images were the most used in 2023. On an average day, no less than 95 per cent of the population watched moving images in some form, including traditional and streamed television, web-TV, downloaded movies, and video clips. Slightly fewer, 85 per cent, used social networking services. Social networking services had a higher daily reach than radio and daily newspapers, which, when including online use, had a reach of 77 and 66 per cent, respectively.
Total usage time for media amounted to almost seven hours per day
Media of various kinds fill a large part of a person’s waking day. In 2023, the total daily usage time for media amounted to 407 minutes, or just over 6.75 hours. This also includes simultaneous, or parallel, media use (e.g., someone listening to music while reading a book). In 2023, the Swedish population spent slightly more time on media for moving images (138 minutes) than on audio media (133 minutes). The calculation includes television and YouTube for moving images and radio, podcasts, and music for audio media.
Listening to the radio in the car is still the most common way
In 2023, 55 per cent of the population listened to the radio in the car on an average day. Car radio was thus the most common way to listen to the radio. About one-third (31%) listened to the radio on a traditional radio set. In terms of the population as a whole, listening via the Internet was less widespread: 29 per cent listened to podcasts and 22 per cent listened to live web radio.
More people watched streamed television than traditional
On a typical day in 2023, an average of 95 per cent of the population aged 9–85 years old watched some form of moving images. 89 per cent watched television. The daily reach for streamed television was 65 per cent, while the reach for traditional television was 51 per cent. Slightly fewer (48%) watched YouTube on a typical day, and 29 per cent looked at other content online.
Two-thirds read a daily newspaper on an average day – digital reading dominated
66 per cent of the population read a daily newspaper on an average day in 2023. 56 per cent read the newspaper digitally and 22 per cent read it on paper. A majority (52%) read a morning newspaper. More people read a morning newspaper digitally (40%) than on paper (20%). For the evening newspaper, the daily reach was 43 per cent. Here, digital readers were in a clear majority.
35 per cent read a magazine or a periodical – reading on paper dominated
On an average day in 2023, 35 per cent of the population read a magazine; 22 per cent read magazines on paper and 18 per cent read digitally. If the time interval for reading increased to the reach of magazines on an average week, the reach for magazines rises to 58 per cent. The largest percentage of readers, 19 per cent per day, had weekly and monthly magazines.
Printed books remain most popular
During an average day in 2023, the percentage of book readers in the population was 49 per cent (64% in an average week). Fiction was the most read genre, followed by textbooks and nonfiction. 37 per cent of the population read printed books, 15 per cent listened to an audiobook, and 7 per cent read an e-book. The average usage time among readers/listeners was the longest for audiobooks.
Facebook and Instagram were the most used social networking services – except among the youngest
In 2023, the daily reach for Facebook was 61 per cent, and for Instagram it was 60 per cent. Facebook was the most popular service among those between 25–85 years old. Snapchat was most popular among 9–24-year-olds. Among them, TikTok was also very popular.
SVT was the most used news provider in 2023
51 per cent received news from SVT (the Swedish public television broadcaster) on an average day in 2023. SVT was thus the most used news provider in the population as a whole. 41 per cent consumed news from SR (Swedish Radio), and 33 per cent read news from a morning newspaper. For SVT, TV4, and SR, as well as the morning press, the reach was significantly higher in the older part of the population than it was in the younger.
One in four received news via Facebook on an average day
25 per cent of the population consumed news via Facebook on an average day, making Facebook the most used social networking service for news. However, the variation was large between different age groups. Among 15–24-year-olds, TikTok and Instagram were the most used sources of news among the social networking services.
Access to smartphones is almost total
In 2023, 98 per cent of the population had access to a smartphone. With that, the smartphone was the most widespread media technology in Sweden, ahead of both television and laptops. In the oldest group, 65–85 years old, access to television was marginally higher than access to a smartphone. 71 per cent of the population had access to a media player (such as Apple TV or Chromecast) and 69 per cent had access to a tablet.
Half of the population had a subscription to a daily newspaper
49 per cent of the population had access to a subscription daily newspaper in their household in 2023. 47 per cent had access to a subscription morning newspaper. Most (40%) had a digital subscription, and 21 per cent had access to a subscribed printed newspaper. 8 per cent of the population had access to a subscription to a digital plus service from an evening newspaper.
Three-quarters of the population had access to a television streaming service
In 2023, 76 per cent had access to a subscription television streaming service (e.g., Netflix). 71 per cent had access to a subscription for a streaming service for music or podcasts (e.g., Spotify). The availability was highest in the 15–24 age group and lowest in the 65–85 age group. 52 per cent of the population had access to channel packages for television.