Podcast Statistics: Global Listeners, Demographics, & More in 2025

Podcasts have been all over , but how much of a hit is it in terms of business? 

Here are 50+ key podcast statistics to help you understand their influence and decide if they fit well in your next marketing campaign. 

Global Podcast Statistics

The Global podcast listeners exceeded 4 billion in 2023, with a growth rate of 7.85% year-over-year, expected to reach 5 billion in 2024.

Here are some more statistics on podcasts preferred at a global level. 

1. The global podcast audience has grown to 504.9 million, an 8.7% rise from 464.7 million in 2023.
2. The worldwide podcast market was valued at $30.03 billion in 2024, with projections to reach $131.13 billion by 2030, driven by a 27.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).
3. As of October 2024, there are approximately 4.25 million podcasts worldwide, a 1.67% increase from 4.18 million in May.

U.S. Podcast Statistics

The United States had around 135 million monthly podcast listeners in 2024, where 41% of people listen to podcasts monthly, while 28% do so weekly.

Year	US Monthly Podcast Listeners
2020	37%
2021	41%
2022	38%
2023	42%
2024	47%

Here are more interesting podcast stats based on the behaviour of the US market. 

4. 47% of the population aged 12+ were monthly podcast listeners in 2024.
5. 59% of U.S. listeners aged 12–34 had listened to a podcast in the past month.
6. 55% of U.S. listeners aged 35–54 listened monthly in 2024.
7. 27% of U.S. listeners over age 55 are monthly podcast consumers.
8. 29% of U.S. children aged 6–12 listened to a podcast in the last month.
9. 51% of U.S. podcast listeners are male, 48% are female, and 1% are non-binary.
10. 70% of U.S. weekly podcast consumers use smartphones to listen to podcasts.
11. In the U.S., 41% of people listen to podcasts monthly, while 28% do so weekly.
12. 32% of listeners tune in while driving, and 59% listen while multitasking.
13. Among monthly listeners, 51% hold full-time jobs, and 25% have college degrees.
14. In the U.S., 109.1 million people are podcast listeners, marking a 5.31% increase from 103.6 million in 2023.
15. The U.S. podcast industry alone is valued at $2 billion, with around 100 million active listeners.
16. North America represents 46.3% of all podcast listeners, with Europe following at 32.8% and Latin America at 32.4%

Podcast Platforms Prefered by Listeners 

Spotify is the most popular platform globally, chosen by 35.8% of listeners, with Apple Podcasts closely behind at 33.8%. Meanwhile, the weekly podcast stats tell a different story. 

YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts made up 64% of weekly podcast listening in the U.S. (April 2024).

Let’s unpack more here. 

17. YouTube leads among U.S. monthly podcast listeners (33%), followed by Spotify (24%) and Apple Podcasts (12%).
18. Spotify hosts over 6 million podcast titles by mid-2024, including 250,000 video podcasts (up from 100,000 in 2023).
19. Over 170 million Spotify users have watched a video podcast.
20. Apple Podcasts handles 70% of all episode download requests, significantly outpacing Spotify’s 8.9% share.
21. Apple Podcasts is the top choice in France, while Deezer ranks as the preferred local platform with 7% of listeners.
22. In Latin America, the popular podcast Relatos de la Noche garners 1.38 million downloads weekly.

Podcast Listeners by Country

The United States tops the list with 129.9 million monthly podcast listeners, closely followed by China at 117.1 million. Other countries with notable podcast audiences include Brazil, Mexico, and Germany.

Country	Monthly Podcast Listeners
US	129.9 million
China	117.1 million
Brazil	51.8 million
Mexico	27.5 million
Germany	22.1 million

23. Brazil leads globally in podcast engagement, followed by Sweden and Mexico.
24. Canada has 9 million adult podcast listeners monthly, with 28% earning over $100,000 annually.
25. 33% of U.S. podcast listeners in 2024 prefered video podcasts.
26. 36% of weekly podcast consumers favor audio-only content.
27. 31% prefer listening to podcasts with video playing in the background.
28. Video podcast viewers increased from 30% in 2022 to 33% in 2024.
29. Millennials and Gen Z make up 61.6% of the U.S. podcast audience.
30. Comedy is the top podcast genre worldwide, holding a 30% share of listening hours.
31. Popular genres, including True Crime, have over 85% completion rates, highlighting high engagement. 
32. True Crime remains one of the top genres across different regions.

Podcast Advertising

Global podcast ad spending was projected to reach $4.02 billion in 2024, marking a 16.18% increase from 2023, with forecasts of $5.03 billion by 2027.

Businesses are heavily spending on ads, and here is the proof; 

33. U.S. podcast ad spending in 2024 was $2.56 billion, showing a 16.4% growth year-over-year.
34. 69% of listeners discover new products through podcast ads.
35. 86% of listeners find podcast hosts trustworthy, and 89% consider them authentic.
36. Podcast ads are effective, with 69% of listeners discovering new products through them.
37. AI generated $3 billion in podcasting value in 2024, with 40% of podcasters already using AI tools.
38. 57% of listeners have interacted with AI features, such as personalized recommendations or voice-activated controls.
39. Podcast ads hold attention for many—51% of Super Listeners find them more engaging than other advertising formats.

Podcast Reach, Demographics & Behavior

Podcasts are almost equally popular across genders, with 43% of men and 48% of women listening, especially popular among the younger audience.

40. Female podcast listenership achieved a new peak in 2021, showing continued growth among women.
41. 36% of Americans 12 and older own a smart speaker.
42. 49% of podcast listeners enjoy podcasts at home.
43. The preferred listening time is between 10 AM and 2 PM, followed by the hours before 10 AM.
44. Most listeners (73%) use their smartphones to tune into podcasts.
45. Listening on the go is popular: 28% of adults listen while driving, while 13% use a desktop or laptop.
46. The top 1% of podcasts receive over 3,994 downloads, while the top 5% average 795 downloads.
47. The top 10% get over 335 downloads, the top 25% surpasses 93 downloads, and the top 50% reach more than 30 downloads.
48. 43% of U.S. podcast listeners are between ages 35–54, marking this as the top age group for regular listening.

Podcast Discoverability and Engagement

Listeners love what they hear, and 80% of listeners finish all or most of the episodes once they start.

Here are some more statistics to prove podcasts create a good engagement and a real connection with the listeners.

49. Listeners typically follow an average of eight shows, subscribing to about six at a time.
50. Super listeners (those who consume around 11 hours a week) often favor podcasts with video content.
51. Among Super Listeners, 51% report paying special attention to ads during podcasts, showing the impact of this medium.
52. 30% of new listeners search online to find fresh content.
53. 19% of listeners rely on friends and family for recommendations, while 17% discover shows through social media.
54. 81% of listeners find podcast ads more noticeable than ads on radio, TV, or social media.
55. 51% of Super Listeners find podcast ads more engaging than other forms of advertising.

Loved reading these? Here are some more interesting statistics for you:

• 30+ User-Generated Content Statistics You Need to Know [2024]
• 10 Coupon Statistics You Need to Know [2024]
• 10 Video Marketing Statistics You Need to Know [2024]

Source: emarketer, edison research, WestWood One, Investors, Yougov, Statista, Oberlo