Contents
- household radio ownership statistics in South Africa: census trends
- household radio ownership statistics by South African headship and province
- household radio ownership statistics in Kenya: rural, urban, and household groups
- household radio ownership: Radio ownership patterns in Rwanda’s 2022 household census
- Household radio ownership by zone in Tanzania’s 2022 census
- Zambian household radio ownership by year
- Polish household radio ownership by receiver type and household profile
- Sources
household radio ownership statistics in South Africa: census trends
South Africa’s census series records radio ownership among households at 73.0% in Census 2001, 67.5% in Census 2011, and 50.3% in Census 2022. These figures describe the share of households reporting a radio as a household good. The figure specifies that reported assets were in working order; for 2022, unspecified responses were excluded from the percentages. The series therefore offers three comparable census observations under the report’s stated asset condition, rather than a count of radios or a measure of listening. Statistics South Africa, Census 2022 Statistical Release, Figure 8.19
| Census year | Households owning a radio |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 73.0% |
| 2011 | 67.5% |
| 2022 | 50.3% |
The series is useful for describing how household radio ownership was recorded across the three census years. It does not explain why the reported share changed, and these values should not be treated as a measure of access to every device capable of receiving audio. The report’s “working order” note is part of the meaning of the measure. Statistics South Africa, Census 2022 Statistical Release, Figure 8.19
household radio ownership statistics by South African headship and province
A separate South African analysis reports radio access or ownership by the sex of the household head, using General Household Survey measures. Among male-headed households, the reported shares were 57.2% in 2016, 38.3% in 2019, and 35.9% in 2022. Among female-headed households, they were 53.3%, 35.0%, and 31.5% for those same years. These are headship-group measures, not the census household-goods series above, so the figures should be read within their own survey framing. Statistics South Africa, Gender Disparities in Access to and Use of ICT in South Africa, 2016–2022, Table 5.3
| Year | Male-headed households | Female-headed households |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 57.2% | 53.3% |
| 2019 | 38.3% | 35.0% |
| 2022 | 35.9% | 31.5% |
The provincial examples in the report show that the headship breakdown can also be examined within a province. In Eastern Cape in 2016, radio ownership was 49.6% among male-headed households and 43.9% among female-headed households. In KwaZulu-Natal in 2022, the corresponding values were 50.0% and 46.9%. These are specific province-and-year observations; they are not a complete ranking of all provinces or a national provincial average. Statistics South Africa, Gender Disparities in Access to and Use of ICT in South Africa, 2016–2022, Figure 5.4
The national table and selected provincial values provide related but distinct views: one tracks headship groups across three years, while the other gives examples at particular province-year points. Neither set by itself establishes what accounts for differences between male- and female-headed households or between provinces. Statistics South Africa, Gender Disparities in Access to and Use of ICT in South Africa, 2016–2022, Tables 5.3 and Figure 5.4
household radio ownership statistics in Kenya: rural, urban, and household groups
Kenya’s 2022 household radio ownership estimate was 65.8% nationally. The residence breakdown was 71.2% for urban households and 62.1% for rural households. The same report provides earlier national and residence observations for 2014: 62.7% nationally, 69.6% in urban areas, and 58.5% in rural areas. These paired years make it possible to compare the displayed survey estimates by residence while keeping each value attached to its reported year and population. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Analytical Report on ICT Based on 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, Table 3.1
| Year | National | Urban households | Rural households |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 62.7% | 69.6% | 58.5% |
| 2022 | 65.8% | 71.2% | 62.1% |
The report also presents 2022 ownership by wealth quintile. The values run from 29.8% among households in the poorest quintile to 60.4% in the poorer quintile, 69.4% in the middle quintile, 73.6% in the richer quintile, and 84.5% in the richest quintile. The labels describe the report’s household wealth groups. This sequence is a distribution of ownership rates within those groups, not the proportion of radio-owning households that belongs to each group. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Analytical Report on ICT Based on 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, Figure 3.2
A further 2022 comparison concerns household headship: radio ownership was 70.6% among male-headed households and 56.4% among female-headed households nationally. Together, the residence, wealth-quintile, and headship breakdowns describe different ways the report groups Kenyan households. They are not interchangeable measures, and the figures alone do not identify the reasons for the differences. Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Analytical Report on ICT Based on 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, Figure 3.8
household radio ownership: Radio ownership patterns in Rwanda’s 2022 household census
Rwanda’s 2022 Population and Housing Census reports that 82% of private households had radios nationally. The residence figures were 92% for urban private households and 77% for rural private households. The report also gives household-head sex values: 86% for private households with male heads and 71% for those with female heads. Each figure refers to private households in the census, with the grouping specified in the report. National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Rwanda Population and Housing Census 2022: Thematic Report on Housing and Households Characteristics, Figure 9.1
| Rwanda private household group, 2022 | With radios |
|---|---|
| National | 82% |
| Urban | 92% |
| Rural | 77% |
| Male-headed | 86% |
| Female-headed | 71% |
The census figure includes provincial observations. Radio ownership among private households was 94% in Kigali City, 76% in Southern Province, and 80% in Eastern Province. These examples show the spread of values among the selected locations, while the national, residence, and headship observations answer different grouping questions. National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Rwanda Population and Housing Census 2022: Thematic Report on Housing and Households Characteristics, Figure 9.1
The census measure concerns whether a private household had a radio. It does not state how often household members listened, what stations they used, or which member used the device. Those questions are outside the ownership percentages reported here. National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Rwanda Population and Housing Census 2022: Thematic Report on Housing and Households Characteristics, Figure 9.1
Household radio ownership by zone in Tanzania’s 2022 census
Tanzania’s 2022 Population and Housing Census reports household radio ownership for geographic zones. The Lake Zone figure was 36.6%, and Western Zone was 30.0%. In the highlands, South-West Highlands recorded 39.3% and Southern Highlands 43.8%. Other reported values were 35.9% in the Southern Zone, 44.2% in the Eastern Zone, 32.9% in the Central Zone, 41.1% in the Northern Zone, and 42.0% in the Zanzibar Zone. National Bureau of Statistics Tanzania, Information and Communication Technology Analysis in Tanzania, 2022 Population and Housing Census, Table 5.3
| Zone | Households owning a radio |
|---|---|
| Lake | 36.6% |
| Western | 30.0% |
| South-West Highlands | 39.3% |
| Southern Highlands | 43.8% |
| Southern | 35.9% |
| Eastern | 44.2% |
| Central | 32.9% |
| Northern | 41.1% |
| Zanzibar | 42.0% |
All nine entries are percentages of households in the named zone that owned a radio, as reported in the table. The figures are not a distribution of radio-owning households across zones. Keeping that denominator clear matters: the table describes ownership within each zone, rather than the share of the national radio-owning population living there. National Bureau of Statistics Tanzania, Information and Communication Technology Analysis in Tanzania, 2022 Population and Housing Census, Table 5.3
Zambian household radio ownership by year
Zambia’s national household radio ownership series reports 52.7% in 2013, 45.0% in 2015, 40.0% in 2018, and 35.0% in 2022. These are historical survey observations for Zambian households nationally. The source presents them as a year-by-year series; the values should remain attached to those dates rather than being read as a current estimate. Zambia Statistics Agency, 2022 National Survey on Access and Usage of Information and Communication Technologies by Households and Individuals, Figure 33
| Year | Zambian households reporting radio ownership |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 52.7% |
| 2015 | 45.0% |
| 2018 | 40.0% |
| 2022 | 35.0% |
The figure is titled “Ownership of Radios by Households” and shows the national series. The supplied observations support a comparison across the four listed survey years, but do not by themselves explain the changes or provide a breakdown by province. Provincial values in a separate figure are not used here because they describe the distribution across provinces, rather than each province’s within-household ownership rate. Zambia Statistics Agency, 2022 National Survey on Access and Usage of Information and Communication Technologies by Households and Individuals, Figure 33
Polish household radio ownership by receiver type and household profile
Poland’s 2024 KIM Establishment Survey reports that 76.1% of households had a radio receiver. In this survey, the receiver measure excludes computing and mobile devices. A car radio was listed separately and was present in 54.9% of households. These figures describe equipment categories in the survey’s January–December 2024 period; they should not be equated automatically with broader definitions of radio access used in other countries’ census or household surveys. National Media Institute, Selected Results of the KIM Establishment Survey: Households in 2024, household equipment results
The receiver measure also varies by residence and household size. Radio-receiver ownership was 81.8% among rural households and 73.3% among households in cities. Among households with 4 or more people, the reported rate was 84.0%. These are separate profile-specific estimates, preserving the survey’s categories and 2024 reference period. National Media Institute, Selected Results of the KIM Establishment Survey: Households in 2024, residence and household-size breakdowns
| Polish household measure, 2024 | With receiver |
|---|---|
| All households: radio receiver | 76.1% |
| All households: car radio | 54.9% |
| Rural households: radio receiver | 81.8% |
| Households in cities: radio receiver | 73.3% |
| Households with 4 or more people: radio receiver | 84.0% |
The distinction between a radio receiver and a car radio is relevant when reading the equipment results: they are separately reported categories. The source’s definition excludes mobile and computing devices, so its total is a receiver-based household measure. National Media Institute, Selected Results of the KIM Establishment Survey: Households in 2024, household equipment results
Sources
- Census 2022 Statistical Release (P0301.4), Statistics South Africa
- Gender Disparities in Access to and Use of ICT in South Africa, 2016–2022, Statistics South Africa
- Analytical Report on ICT Based on 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics
- Rwanda Population and Housing Census 2022: Thematic Report on Housing and Households Characteristics
- Information and Communication Technology Analysis in Tanzania, 2022 Population and Housing Census
- 2022 National Survey on Access and Usage of Information and Communication Technologies by Households and Individuals, Zambia
- Selected results of the KIM Establishment Survey: Households in 2024, National Media Institute