Nine of ten Norwegians use the Internet on a daily basis, and among the users, the average time spent online is around three hours a day. Young people aged 16-24 years are the most eager users, with over four hours online per day. In 2017, the time online increased in all age groups, except among the oldest (67-79 years).
Drop in newspaper reading – both on paper and online
Almost seven of ten Norwegians read the newspaper on the average day, in paper form and/or online. Most common is to read the newspaper digitally: on the average day just over half the population reads the paper online, compared to a third who read a print paper.
Previously, the decline has mainly affected print newspapers, but in 2017 online reading also declined – and for the first time, total newspaper reading dropped to under 70 per cent.
Daily newspaper reach: Total, print version and online version (share of population 9-79 years, per cent)
Källa: Norsk mediebarometer 2017, Statistisk sentralbyrå.
Radio listening decreasing
Linear radio listening [1] is decreasing. In 2017, 54 per cent of the population listened to the radio on the average day, down from 59 per cent the year before. Listening fell in all age groups, except among the oldest, where it rose slightly.
In 2017 the national FM networks closed down, region by region; and as of 2018, Norwegian national radio is digital only (DAB and online). In 2017, 33 per cent of the population listened to DAB radio daily, an increase from 25 per cent in 2016. Access to a DAB radio at home increased from 57 per cent of the population in 2016 to 65 per cent in 2017.
TV viewing decreasing
Linear TV viewing television [1] is also declining. In 2017, 62 per cent watched linear TV, down from 67 per cent the year before. In the youngest and oldest age groups (9-15 and 67-79 years, respectively) viewing remains on the same levels, while it is decreasing in all other age groups, especially among the 16-24-year-olds.
TV viewing, radio listening, and use of audio and video media (share of population 9-79 years, per cent)
Source: The Norwegian Media Barometer 2017, Statistics Norway.
Significant increase in use of streaming services
Increased use of streaming audio and video services in 2017 led to a sharp increase in the use of audio media [2] and video media [3] categories.
The share of Norwegians listening to audio media on an average day has increased from 37 per cent in 2016 to 50 per cent in 2017. Among the listeners, seven of ten listen to audio files streamed from the Internet, preferably via mobile phone.
In 2017, nearly four of ten Norwegians (37 per cent) watched video content on a daily basis, of which content from subscribed streaming services (SVOD) and streamed archive programmes was the most popular. Among the 16-24-year-olds, three quarters watched content from SVOD services on an average day.
High use of social media
Among social media Facebook is the most widely used, but it is the other social media that account for the increase. Of those who used the Internet in 2017, 73 per cent used Facebook on the average day (72 per cent in 2016) while 57 per cent used other social media (50 per cent in 2016).
Notes
[1] Linear broadcasts, which also include simultaneous broadcasts on the Internet.
[2] Audio media includes CDs, MP3 players, downloadable audio files from the Internet and streamed Internet files, vinyl discs and tapes. Radio listening is not included in this group.
[3] Video media includes VHS, DVD/Blu-ray, PVR and video files downloaded from the Internet, or streamed over the Internet and paid for. TV viewing and cinema going are not included in this group.
Eva Harrie