Media Consumption

In 2022, internet consumption surpassed television for the first time. Data provided by IPSOS Strategic Marketing shows that internet penetration ran at 92% percent of the Serbian population, while TV held 89%. Over recent years, the internet has proven to be the only steadily growing media medium. TV has consistently remained one of the most popular mediums (historically its penetration was over 80% of the population), while print media is losing popularity.  

Daily print editions were followed by about 10% of the total population (over the age of 12), and the total daily print audience reached around 1.8 million readers in 2022. In the same year, the over 300 radio stations in Serbia were followed by more than 2 million daily listeners, a third of the total population (older than 12 years). The average time spent listening was 235 minutes a day. The daily TV audience in Serbia was around 4.3 million in 2022, which makes up over 70% of the entire Serbian population.  The average time spent with a TV set was over 8 hours a day (at the level of the entire observed population), with the oldest population demographic spending the most time watching TV.

2022 data provided by IPSOS shows that more than 4.5 million people in Serbia use the internet on a daily basis.  Its greatest penetration rate is amongst the youngest audience, with 92% of the population between 15 and30 years old reporting daily use. Additionally, 87% of the population hold social media accounts with Facebook being the most popular, engaging 75.6% of the citizens. FB is followed immediately by YouTube and Instagram while Twitter and TikTok have penetration among 20% of the population.

Research carried out by the Center for Media within the Faculty of Political Sciences in 2022 shows that Serbian citizens generally have low levels of trust in the media. The most distrustful of the media are the youth, and the most trusting are the elderly population (only 13% of those under the age of 24 think that the news can be trusted, while this same attitude is held by 25% of people over 55 years old). Respondents prefer algorithmic selection of news based on personal preferences, rather than the selection is carried out by the media.

Serbian citizens have a vast array of media options at their disposal. Data from the Media Registry of the Agency for Business Registries shows that there are 2600 media registered with the Registry – the majority of them being online media outlets. Baring in mind that the media advertising market is worth a mere €200 million annually, most of these media rely on financial support from the state. In this way every citizen supports the economic survival of the media through their taxpayer contributions.

According to data from the Regulatory Agency for Telecommunication (RATEL) from the first quarter of 2023, there are more than 2,2 million users accessing media content using digital cable systems. Media content in this case is bought as a package of services together with internet connections, landline and mobile telephone services. This sector is dominated by two providers, state-run Telekom Srbija and privately owned SBB, which together hold 94% of this market.

  • Project by
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    Global Media Registry
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    Funded by European Union