Contents
- Electronics hobby participation statistics: What U.S. surveys measure
- Amateur radio technical interests and electronics hobby participation statistics
- electronics hobby participation statistics: Electronics prototyping frequency and project types
- Electronics hobby participation statistics: Toolkit experience
- electronics hobby participation: Electronics hobby learning and prototyping practices
- Electronics hobby participation statistics: Moving from prototypes to copies
- Sources
Electronics hobby participation statistics: What U.S. surveys measure
Electronics hobby participation is difficult to summarize with a single prevalence figure because the available surveys ask different questions of different groups. A U.S. adult survey offers a broad science-hobby measure, but its technology category combines electronics with computers, machines, and other technology. Separate research describes amateur-radio newcomers and people who have already built electronic prototypes. These findings illuminate participation and practice, but their populations and measures should not be treated as interchangeable.
In a survey conducted May 30–June 12, 2017, 18% of U.S. adults reported a science-related hobby, interest, or activity outside work. Within the same report, 3% of all U.S. adults named the combined category “Technology, computers, electronics, machines.” Among U.S. adults who reported a science-related hobby, 15% named that combined category. The 3% figure is therefore not an electronics-only participation rate: the category does not separate electronics from the other listed interests. Source: Pew Research Center, “Science News and Information Today”
The report also shows that broad science-hobby participation varied by respondents’ science-news consumption. Among U.S. adults surveyed in 2017, 42% of active science-news consumers reported a science-related hobby, compared with 7% of uninterested science-news consumers. This comparison concerns science-related hobbies overall, not electronics specifically. A separate activity measure found that 2% of U.S. adults said they had ever participated in a maker movement to develop new technology or a hack-a-thon. That “ever” measure covers a broad activity, rather than regular electronics hobby practice. Source: Pew Research Center, “Science News and Information Today”
| U.S. adult survey measure | Result | Population and period |
|---|---|---|
| Science-related hobby, interest, or activity outside work | 18% | U.S. adults, May 30–June 12, 2017 |
| Combined technology, computers, electronics, machines hobby category | 3% | U.S. adults, May 30–June 12, 2017 |
| Combined category among adults reporting a science-related hobby | 15% | U.S. adults with a science-related hobby, May 30–June 12, 2017 |
| Ever joined a maker movement to develop new technology or a hack-a-thon | 2% | U.S. adults, survey conducted May 30–June 12, 2017 |
The first 3 rows reflect survey responses about hobbies; respondents could list up to 3 hobbies. The maker movement measure uses a distinct “ever participated” question. Neither is a current-year estimate or an electronics-only measure. Source: Pew Research Center, “Science News and Information Today”
Amateur radio technical interests and electronics hobby participation statistics
An online survey of newcomers who took a UK amateur-radio course provides a more specific view of technical attraction. As of February 18, 2021, 1,038 newcomers had completed the survey. Asked what initially attracted them to amateur radio, 335 respondents, or 32.27%, selected electronics and radio construction. General technical interest was selected by 575 respondents, or 55.39%. The question allowed multiple responses, so these selections describe overlapping interests rather than mutually exclusive groups. Source: Ham Train, “Ham Train Newcomer’s Survey 2020”
Other technical and practical attractions also appeared among those 1,038 survey completers. Antenna design was selected by 291 respondents (28.03%); using radio equipment for other hobbies by 259 (24.95%); data modes by 216 (20.81%); and space and satellite communications by 244 (23.51%). Listening, scanning, or shortwave listening was selected by 414 respondents (39.88%). Each percentage is reported for the newcomer survey’s initial-attraction question; they should not be added together because respondents could choose more than 1 option. Source: Ham Train, “Ham Train Newcomer’s Survey 2020”
| Initial attraction to amateur radio | Respondents | Reported share |
|---|---|---|
| General technical interest | 575 | 55.39% |
| Listening, scanning, or shortwave listening | 414 | 39.88% |
| Electronics and radio construction | 335 | 32.27% |
| Antenna design | 291 | 28.03% |
| Radio equipment for other hobbies | 259 | 24.95% |
| Space and satellite communications | 244 | 23.51% |
| Data modes | 216 | 20.81% |
These results describe newcomers who completed one online course survey, not all radio amateurs, electronics hobbyists, or adults in the UK. Their value is in showing the range of interests respondents connected with amateur radio, including direct construction interests alongside communications and listening. Source: Ham Train, “Ham Train Newcomer’s Survey 2020”
electronics hobby participation statistics: Electronics prototyping frequency and project types
A 2020 online snowball survey examined 122 people who had built at least 1 electronic device prototype. The 2021 paper reports the share who had built different device types “several times,” defined as more than once or twice. Learning and fun projects were reported by 70% of respondents. Wearable electronics followed at 45%, home-automation systems at 43%, and robotic systems excluding wheeled robots at 42%. These figures concern experienced prototype builders, not a representative sample of the general public. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
The same reported-frequency measure covered a broad mix of projects: games and toys (33%), office or workplace devices (32%), wheeled robots (25%), interactive textiles (25%), biomedical-sensing devices (24%), flying vehicles (12%), and in-vehicle devices for cars (8%). These categories are reported separately and describe what respondents had built several times; the figures are not a ranking of all electronics projects or estimates of how common each project is among hobbyists generally. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
| Device or project category built several times | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Learning and fun | 70% |
| Wearable electronics | 45% |
| Home-automation systems | 43% |
| Robotic systems, excluding wheeled robots | 42% |
| Games and toys | 33% |
| Office or workplace devices | 32% |
| Wheeled robots | 25% |
| Interactive textiles | 25% |
| Biomedical-sensing devices | 24% |
| Flying vehicles | 12% |
| In-vehicle devices for cars | 8% |
The survey’s definition of “several times” groups repeated builds, rather than measuring a precise annual frequency. It gives a useful snapshot of project variety among people with prototyping experience, while leaving open how closely their activity reflects the wider population of electronics hobbyists. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
Electronics hobby participation statistics: Toolkit experience
The toolkit study distinguishes awareness of prototyping platforms from hands-on experimentation and frequent use. Among its 122 participants, 97% had heard of more than 4 platforms, and 75% had heard of more than 7. Hands-on experience was also broad: 98% had experimented with at least 2 platforms, 65% with 4 or more, and 33% with 7 or more. Awareness therefore exceeded frequent use, a distinction that matters when interpreting how varied a builder’s actual toolkit is. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
When asked about platforms they often used, 8% reported 2 or 3, 28% reported 4 to 6, and 6% reported 7 or more. The paper also compared respondents by disciplinary background: among the 116 included in that comparison, 42% of electronics engineers often used more than 4 platforms, compared with 19% of respondents from other disciplines. This describes the study’s comparison groups and does not establish a general difference across all builders. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
| Platform experience measure | Reported share |
|---|---|
| Had heard of more than 4 platforms | 97% |
| Had heard of more than 7 platforms | 75% |
| Had experimented with at least 2 platforms | 98% |
| Had experimented with 4 or more platforms | 65% |
| Had experimented with 7 or more platforms | 33% |
| Often used 2 or 3 platforms | 8% |
| Often used 4 to 6 platforms | 28% |
| Often used 7 or more platforms | 6% |
The survey also records reasons participants gave for staying with current platforms. Overall, 70% said they were happy with the platforms they already used. Within that subgroup, 59% said it was unclear what benefits a new platform would bring. Separately, 30% of respondents said they did not want to learn another platform. The 59% figure applies only to the respondents who were happy with their current platforms; the 30% response came from a multiple-answer question and represents a different reported reason. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
electronics hobby participation: Electronics hobby learning and prototyping practices
For work with discrete electronic components, 64% of respondents reported often using solderless breadboards. The paper’s other frequently used techniques span assembly, modules, and board design. Through-hole soldering was reported by 48%, soldering components to a custom PCB by 43%, soldering to strip boards by 37%, and surface-mount component soldering by 36%. Using pre-built modules, such as Wi-Fi or battery-charging modules, was also reported by 36%. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
Design and reuse practices round out the reported techniques. Designing custom PCBs for surface-mount components was reported by 33% of respondents, using pre-built breakout boards for surface-mount components by 22%, and designing custom PCBs for through-hole components by 21%. The survey asked about techniques respondents used often, so these figures do not represent one-time exposure or the proportion of projects built with each method. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
| Technique used often | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Solderless breadboards | 64% |
| Soldering through-hole components | 48% |
| Soldering components to a custom PCB | 43% |
| Soldering components to strip boards | 37% |
| Soldering surface-mount components | 36% |
| Using pre-built modules, such as Wi-Fi and battery-charging modules | 36% |
| Designing custom PCBs for surface-mount components | 33% |
| Using pre-built breakout boards for surface-mount components | 22% |
| Designing custom PCBs for through-hole components | 21% |
Breadboards, modules, strip boards, and custom PCBs appear in the same set of reported practices, illustrating that experienced builders use multiple routes for prototyping. The survey does not establish a fixed sequence that every participant followed. Its observations are descriptive of the study participants and should be read alongside the study’s recruitment method and eligibility requirement: respondents had already built at least 1 electronic prototype. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
Electronics hobby participation statistics: Moving from prototypes to copies
Asked about how they started a prototyping process, 53% of respondents often began with Type 2a development boards, 44% with solderless breadboards, and 30% with Type 2b breakout boards. These were not mutually exclusive answers. The paper reports that 15% of all respondents had used a system of modules such as Grove, Pmod, or Click among those using Type 2b toolkits. Starting with a Type 3 toolkit with the intention of transitioning to a custom PCB was reported by 10% of respondents. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
The study also asked about making multiple copies of prototypes. Multiple copies were reported by 94% of electronics engineers and 73% of respondents from other disciplines. Across all respondents, 24% had made more than 100 copies, 9% more than 1,000 copies, and 5% more than 10,000 copies. These are reported maximum-copy thresholds in the survey, not estimates of typical production volumes for electronics hobbyists generally. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”
For making copies, 39% of respondents often used a custom PCB, while 12% often made copies using the same prototyping platform as the one-off prototype. Together, the measures show that the sampled builders reported several ways to move from an initial prototype toward repeated builds. They do not show that every prototype became a copy, nor do they establish why respondents chose one route over another. The findings apply to the 122-person survey of people with prior electronic-device prototyping experience. Source: “A Survey and Taxonomy of Electronics Toolkits for Interactive and Ubiquitous Device Prototyping”