Record 51 million people now listen to UK radio every week

More people than ever are listening to UK radio, with the latest RAJAR figures for the second quarter of 2026 reporting a record weekly audience of 51 million people, up 2% year on year.

Commercial radio also enjoyed one of its strongest ever quarters, with its audience surging past 40 million to stand at 40.2 million listeners each week. Commercial radio now accounts for 55.1% of all listening compared to 42.6% for the BBC, maintaining its lead in listening share.

Online radio listening continues its growing momentum, with the figures revealing it now reaches 30.3% of adults each week, up from 29.3% year on year, and well ahead of AM/FM which is now at 24.5%.

For commercial radio alone, online listening accounts for over a third of its listening hours, up from 32.9% to 33.6% compared to the same period last year.

For all radio, smart speaker listening continues to grow now accounting for 18.7% of total listening, up from 18.4% in Q2 2025, underpinning the ongoing shift towards listening via connected devices.

These figures come only a week after it was revealed that advertising revenues for online radio are growing faster than any other media channel in the UK.

Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton, says:

“These are really strong figures for radio, with a record audience of 51 million people now tuning in each week across all platforms. This result underlines the enduring appeal of the medium and demonstrates its successful evolution alongside changing listener habits.

For commercial radio, these latest figures reinforce radio’s ability to deliver mass reach for advertisers in a trusted environment, making it one the most effective channels for driving profit and helping brands grow.”