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    Media usage

    Where do I find statistics on the use of media?

    Note: Below, we provide links to Statistics Denmark and others who make statistics on the subject. In some instances, the sources referred to below have content in Danish only or limited content in English.

    At Statistics Denmark’s subject page “Digital behaviour”, you will find statistics on e-commerce and access to computer and internet by household type as well as a link to scheduled releases, such as the survey “ICT usage by households”. The results of the survey are published in a publication (in Danish) and in tables in StatBank Denmark. Statistics Denmark take up special topics from the survey in their newsletter series “Nyt fra Danmarks Statistik” (in Danish): "It-anvendelse i befolkningen" - most recently on the use of social media: "Danmark bruger sociale medier mest i EU" (in Danish). Other thematic articles were published in the now completed series"It-anvendelse i befolkningen (tema)" (in Danish).

    Surveys on the Danes' cultural habits have been made at regular intervals since 1964. The surveys give you details on the consumption of e.g. TV, radio, magazines, books and internet. Tables from the Cultural habits survey are available in StatBank Denmark under "Cultural and recreational activities" as well as under the individual subjects. The news series "Nyt fra Danmarks Statistik” (in Danish)  takes up special themes from the survey .

    Publications (in Danish) from former surveys are published by The Ministry of Culture Denmark.

    Statistics Denmark also releases a number of cultural statistics on e.g. the production of books, readership for newspapers and specialised magazines, audience ratings for flow TV, radio listening time and cinema ticket sales. The statistics are gathered in the annual publication “Kultur" (in Danish) and can also be found in StatBank Denmark

    Each year, the Ministry of Culture Denmark, publishes a ”Report on media development in Denmark”, which deals with the supply and use of TV, radio, newspapers and internet. Furthermore, the ministry publishes a series of special reports in connection with the annual report. Based on the survey, the ministry also publishes brief news: "Kort nyt" (in Danish) on e.g. the use of streaming services and podcasts.

    Each year, the research unit of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR Medieforskning, issues a report on the development in the population’s use of electronic media. It involves e.g. the development in TV and radio consumption, including streaming of TV and music.

    The annual reports, årsrapporter (in Danish), of the Book Panel (under the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces) document developments in the Danish book market, including the production, distribution and consumption.

    Where do I find statistics on the use of media by children and young people?

    Reports by the Ministry of Culture Denmark that have to do with ”Media development in Denmark” contain tables broken down by the age group 12-18-year-old persons.

    In 2022, DR Medieforskning assessed daily screen time in minutes of 3-8-year-olds, 9-14-year-olds and 15-24-year-olds on traditional TV and streaming.

    In 2022, the Media Council for Children and Young People has published the study "Småbørns brug af digitale medier" (in Danish) with information on the media use of 0-6 year-olds.

    In their analysis "Børn og unges trivsel og brug af digitale medier" (in Danish) from 2020, VIVE compares various Danish and international surveys on e.g. children’s screen time.

    A survey of schoolchildren from 2018, ”Skolebørnsundersøgelsen 2018”  (in Danish), contains a section on e.g. use of TV and computers. As part of the survey, the children were asked about their different types of screen activities (film, TV series, YouTube, games, social media, video conversations and online surfing), and how much time they usually spent on various recreational activities during the day.

    The survey of school-aged children is prepared as our contribution to an international alliance of researchers working with health behaviour in school-aged children. Because of this, it is possible to compare the results with those of other countries, as it has been done e.g. in the article ”Børn i Danmark ser deres venner meget mindre i forhold til børn i de fleste andre europæiske lande” (in Danish), in which you can read that Danish boys hold the European record in time spent at the computer and that Danish children see their friends a lot less than children in most other European countries.

    In "Børns digitale liv" (2023) (in Danish), published by Algoritmer, Data & Demokrati, the children themselves answer questions about their well-being, security and concerns when using digital media.

    [This page was last reviewed in August 2023]