Norwegian Media Barometer 2019

Norwegian Media Barometer is a publication based on Statistics Norway’s annual survey about the population’s use of media. In the survey a representative sample of the total population aged 9-79 years, answer questions regarding their use of media, and access to media in their homes. Included is also media use split in weekdays and different seasons. The first survey was conducted in 1991, and except for 1993, the survey has been conducted annually. In 2019 the survey was based on 1 660 interviews with a response rate of 55.7 per cent.

On an average day in 2019, 27 per cent of the population read printed newspapers, compared with 30 per cent in 2018. Even though there was a decrease in the percentage who read printed newspapers, there was an increase in the percentage who read newspapers online. The report shows that there is a small but significant rise in the total percentage of the population who read newspapers daily.

In 2019, 48 per cent of the population listened to radio, including those who listened to online radio. This is a decline since 2018 when 50 per cent did the same. 38 per cent listened to DAB-radio. 48 per cent of the population watched television daily, which is a 12-percentage point decrease compared with the previous year. On average the population spent one hour and 18 minutes daily watching TV.

Daily, 43 per cent watched video/film media in 2019. This includes DVDs, hard disk recorders and video/film files either downloaded or streamed online. The last few years a smaller proportion prefer to watch video/film on DVDs or via downloaded files, whereas online streaming has increased. More than half of the population listen to sound media an average day. This includes vinyl records, CDs, MP3s, sound files downloaded from the internet or streaming of sound content. Seven out of ten listeners choose to stream, and eight out of ten listeners choose to listen to sound media with their mobile phones.

Nine out of ten use the internet daily. Close to everyone in the age group 13-44 are online on an average day. In the age group 67-79 years, 61 per cent use the internet daily. Time spent on the internet continues to increase.

Digital games are played by 35 per cent of the population and on average they spend half an hour daily on gaming. Children in the age group 9-15 years are the ones that spend most time playing digital games. In general, men spend more time on digital gaming, but women in the age group 45-66 spend more time on gaming compared with men in the same age group.

One in four read books during an average day. A higher percentage of women compared with that of men read books. The highest percentages of book readers are found in the oldest and the youngest age groups.

In 2019, 4 per cent of the population read weeklies daily. Women and the older population are the most eager readers. 3 per cent read printed cartoons, the readers are mainly children. 7 per cent read magazines and scientific journals and these are mostly read by adults with higher education.

Three out of four persons have been to the cinema during the 12-month period prior to the survey. Average visits to the cinema was 3.2. 

72 per cent had access to a DAB-radio at home in 2019. 98 per cent had access to internet at home, and 95 per cent had a smartphone.