Top 60 Number Of Podcasts Stats To Know In 2025

As of 2025, around 4.4 million podcasts are available globally, and the total number of listeners is projected to surpass 580 million before the year ends.

Podcasting continues to grow as a go-to format for storytelling, learning, and niche content. 

While comedy and true crime still dominate the charts, podcasts on health, tech, and personal development are seeing rapid growth in audience numbers.

In this article, we’ll break down the latest number of podcasts stats, covering listener trends, top categories, and platform growth.

Top Number Of Podcasts Stats

The total number of podcasts continues to grow each year, with millions of active shows and episodes across various platforms. 

Whether it’s solo creators or media companies, more voices are entering the space than ever before.

Here are the most important statistics about the total number of podcasts, how fast the industry is growing, and what it means for creators and listeners.

1. As of 2025, there are now over 4.5 million podcasts worldwide, based on Podcast Index data.

2. Between 2009 and 2020, the number of new podcasts grew every year. In 2009, there were just over 20,000 new shows, but by 2020, that number had jumped to more than 1 million—a huge increase over the decade.

3. However, growth has slowed in recent years. In 2021, the number of new podcasts dropped by nearly 29%, and 2022 saw an even bigger dip of almost 67%.

4. There are over six times more podcasts than audiobooks on Audible, but podcasts still trail behind other forms of media. For example, IMDb has almost 3x more movies, and Spotify has about 22x more songs.

5. Video podcasts are becoming more popular, with about 40% of podcast listeners in the U.S. choosing to watch rather than listen.

6. YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts are currently the top platforms where people go to find and enjoy podcasts.

7. In the past year alone, nearly 30 million podcast episodes were released, and they’re available in over 100 languages worldwide.

8. Search data from Keywords Everywhere shows that podcast-related terms get a lot of monthly searches, which means interest in podcasts remains strong online.

Popular Podcast Platforms

With so many platforms available, listeners now have many ways to access their favorite shows. From Spotify and Apple Podcasts to newer apps gaining traction, competition is heating up.

Here are the number of podcasts stats that show which podcast platforms are leading the market and how users interact with them:

9. As of October 2024, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts accounted for 62% of weekly podcast listeners’ most-used platforms in the U.S.

10. YouTube was the top choice for podcast listening among monthly U.S. podcast listeners, with 33% saying they preferred it, followed by Spotify at 24% and Apple Podcasts at 12%.

11. When it comes to discovering new shows, YouTube was the most common starting point for 31% of listeners, ahead of Spotify at 24% and Apple Podcasts at 12%.

12. As of March 2025, Spotify hosted more than 6.5 million podcast titles on its platform, making it one of the largest collections of podcasts available today.

13. YouTube, now a major podcast player, reports having over 1 billion monthly viewers for podcast content globally. In 2024 alone, users watched more than 400 million hours of podcast videos each month on their living-room devices, according to the platform.

14. As of June 2024, Apple Podcasts had 460,536 active shows listed. While that’s a strong number, nearly half of those shows had just three episodes or fewer, suggesting many creators don’t continue past a few episodes.

15. About 70% of podcast listeners prefer using a smartphone or tablet, but this varies by platform—88% of Apple Podcasts users use mobile devices, compared to just 54% of YouTube users.

16. Computers and laptops are the second most-used devices for podcast listening at 12%, though only 3% of Apple Podcasts users prefer this method, while 21% of YouTube users choose to listen this way.

Podcasts By Region

Podcasting has gone global, and its reach varies widely across different countries and regions. 

Some areas are beginning to embrace podcasts, while others have seen steady growth for years.

In this section, we’ll break down how podcast adoption looks by region, including which countries are producing the most content and where listenership is rising fast.

17. Despite podcasts being created in many countries, the U.S. still dominates the space, with 66.05% of all podcasts originating from the United States.

18. Brazil ranks second with 195,269 podcasts, representing 6.8% of the total podcast count, showing strong growth in South America’s podcast scene.

19. Indonesia follows with 141,801 podcasts, or 4.94%, placing it third among countries with the most podcast production.

20. Germany is next with 75,679 podcasts, accounting for 2.64% of the global share, reflecting a steady European presence in the podcast space.

21. France ranks fifth with 54,756 podcasts, which makes up about 1.91% of the worldwide total.

22. The United Kingdom comes in sixth, hosting 47,395 podcasts, or 1.65%, continuing its long-standing contribution to global media.

23. Spain has 44,706 podcasts, accounting for 1.56% of the worldwide total, showing consistent activity in the Spanish-speaking market.

24. India appears in eighth place with 32,158 podcasts, or 1.12%, and continues to grow as more creators and listeners join the space.

25. In terms of listener numbers, the U.S. leads with an estimated 129.9 million podcast listeners. China comes in second with around 117.1 million listeners, followed by Brazil with 51.8 million.

26. While the United States and Canada currently have the highest number of podcast listeners, Insider Intelligence predicts that China and Latin America could overtake them sometime between 2025 and 2026. This shows how the global podcast audience is quickly shifting.

Podcast Episode Stats

The number of episodes a podcast has can say a lot about its consistency and popularity. Some shows produce daily content, while others release episodes monthly or in seasons.

Here are the number of podcasts stats that show episode-related data—such as average episode count, length, and frequency—and what it tells us about podcast production habits.

27. There are now over 150 million podcast episodes available across platforms, with an average of about 50 episodes per podcast.

28. Half of all podcast episodes are downloaded fewer than 29 times in their first week, showing how competitive it is to gain listeners early on.

29. The average length of a single podcast episode is 20 to 40 minutes, but length varies greatly across genres.

30. According to Amplifi and Podnews, 44% of all podcasts have fewer than three episodes, and only about 720,000 shows have more than 10 episodes published.

31. Out of those 720,000 podcasts with over 10 episodes, only 156,000 are releasing a new episode weekly, which highlights how rare consistent publishing is.

32. Buzzsprout’s global stats show that around 34% of podcasts post a new episode every 3 to 7 days, while 39% publish every 8 to 14 days, reflecting the most common release schedules.

33. 90% of podcasts never make it past episode three, and of those that do, another 90% stop before reaching 21 episodes, meaning only about 1% of podcasts ever get past that 21-episode mark.

34. English is the most common language in podcasting by far, with 2.1 million English-language podcasts. In second place is Spanish, with just 378,000 shows.

35. Many podcast creators offer free episodes on platforms like Apple Podcasts while posting extra content or early releases on platforms like Patreon for paying subscribers.

36. About 70% of podcast fans listen to most of the episodes they download, but only 68% finish the episodes completely, which suggests that keeping listeners engaged through the end is still a challenge.

37. If your podcast episodes get between 25 to 30 downloads in the first few days, you’re already in the top 50% of all podcasters, based on monthly download data from Buzzsprout.

38. Roughly 34% of Americans listen to an average of 8.3 podcast episodes each week, and 23% spend more than 10 hours a week listening, showing just how deeply some people are plugged into the podcast world.

Podcast Listener Demographics

Understanding who listens to podcasts is key to knowing where the industry is headed. Listener demographics reveal preferences by age, gender, income, and more.

In this section, we’ll analyze podcast audience breakdowns and how different demographic groups engage with podcasts today.

39. According to a 2025 Edison Research study, 66% of people in the U.S. aged 12 – 34 listened to a podcast in the past month, making this age group the most active among podcast listeners.

40. The same study showed that 61% of U.S. adults aged 35 to 54 had listened to a podcast in the last month, showing strong interest in podcasts among middle-aged listeners as well.

41. Even older adults are tuning in—38% of Americans over age 55 are now monthly podcast listeners, and 29% of kids ages 6 to 12 also listened to a podcast in the past month.

42. Among monthly podcast listeners in the U.S., 51% are male and 48% are female, which shows that the gender split is nearly even.

43. Podcast audiences are becoming more diverse over time. The percentage of white listeners dropped from 67% in 2014 to 58% in 2024, while Hispanic listenership saw the biggest growth, jumping from 12% to 18%.

44. In 2024, 63% of monthly podcast listeners had part-time or full-time jobs, and 56% were homeowners.

45. About 20% of podcast listeners are early adopters who enjoy trying new products, have a college degree or higher, and live in households earning over $100,000 a year.

46. In 2023, the most common place to listen to podcasts was at home during chores, with 49% saying they heard this way, but 42% also tuned in while commuting to and from work.

47. When asked why they listen, 84% of younger podcast fans said they tune in to explore topics more deeply. Many Gen Z listeners also said they listen to stay informed and hear unique viewpoints not covered in traditional media.

Popular Podcast Genres

Some genres consistently attract large audiences, while others quietly build loyal followings. From true crime to self-improvement, people are tuning in for all kinds of content.

Here are the number of podcasts stats that will reveal the most popular podcast genres and the trends driving their growth.

48. When looking at the global share of listening hours by genre, comedy leads at 30%, followed by society and culture at 18%, lifestyle and health at 15%, true crime at 10%, and educational content at 7%.

49. A survey of 2,000 U.K. adults commissioned by Vodafone found that comedy was also the top genre there, preferred by 30% of respondents. Entertainment (25%), sports (23%), and true crime (19%) were also popular picks.

50. In the U.K., other genres that ranked highly include news (18%), health and fitness (16%), politics (15%), personal development (14%), pop culture (14%), and drama (12%), showing a wide range of listener interests.

51. According to the Podcast Marketing Academy, many of the most successful podcasts are found in the fiction and leisure categories, while shows in society and culture, education, and the arts tend to be less likely to dominate.

52. Successful podcast formats often involve co-hosted interviews without guests or solo fiction storytelling, suggesting that personality-driven formats perform better than guest-based ones.

53. The fastest-growing podcast genre right now is health and wellness, with more new shows and listeners turning their attention to well-being and personal care content.

Popular Podcast Channels

Certain podcast channels and networks have built strong reputations with high-quality, consistent content. These major players often set the tone for the industry.

The following number of podcasts stats will highlight the most well-known podcast channels, their standout shows, and what makes them successful in a competitive space.

54. According to Edison Podcast Metrics, the top six podcasts in the U.S. held their positions from Q4 2024 into 2025: The Joe Rogan Experience, Crime Junkie, The Daily, Call Her Daddy, This Past Weekend with Theo Von, and Dateline NBC continue to dominate the charts.

55. This American Life and New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce made a return to the Top 10 list, showing strong listener support after a brief dip in ranking.

56. Rotten Mango, hosted by former YouTuber Stephanie Soo, entered the Top 10 for the first time in Q1 2025 at #8. The true crime podcast gained extra attention after being featured in YouTube’s press release, highlighting their 1 billion monthly podcast viewers.

57. SmartLess, a regular in the Top 10, saw a small drop this quarter but still remains a strong performer. It was down by two spots compared to the previous quarter.

58. New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce had a significant leap, jumping nine spots to land in the Top 10. The sports and lifestyle show continues to ride a wave of popularity thanks to the Kelce brothers’ mainstream appeal.

59. In the Top 50 rankings, The Mel Robbins Podcast debuted at #15 in Q1 2025. Hosted by best-selling self-help author Mel Robbins, the show has quickly risen in popularity, helped by her viral “Let Them” mindset that’s taken over social media platforms.

60. Also making its appearance in the Top 50 for the first time is Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, debuting at #50. The comedy show, hosted by Matt McCusker and Shane Gillis, began as a video podcast on Spotify. Gillis has been in the spotlight lately, hosting Saturday Night Live for the second time and performing in a surprise show with Zach Bryan ahead of the Super Bowl.

Conclusion

Podcasting has grown from a niche interest into a major part of how people consume content across the world. 

While global lockdowns may have accelerated the initial boom, the continued rise in listeners, platforms, and creators shows that podcasting is far from slowing down. 

As technology improves and video podcasts become more common, the space will only become more competitive and diverse. 

With millions of shows available, podcasting is a long-term digital media force.