Cinema attendance in Switzerland is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, podcasts are on the rise, while social media is navigating a stable trend.
Digital media consumption in Switzerland fluctuated throughout 2023, with periods of both increase and stabilisation. What are the study results presented by IGEM's Digimonitor?.
Swiss cinemas are seeing an increase in attendance
After years of decline, largely due to the health crisis, Swiss cinemas are almost back to pre-pandemic attendance levels. Thanks to the diversity of films on offer and a return to normal life, cinemas are filling up again. In 2023, 3.2 million people – or 471 per 1,000 of the population – went to the cinema. Compared to the previous year, this represents an increase of 570,000 cinema-goers. During the course of this year, Swiss cinemas reached 92 per cent of their pre-crisis audience figures.
It has also been noted that young people are visiting cinemas more frequently. Among those under 35, an average of two in three – or 65% – have been to the cinema in the last six months.
Podcasts continue their rise
Podcasts are a major trend and continue to grow in popularity. Compared to 2022, the number of podcast listeners has increased by 270,000. Out of a total of 2.9 million listeners – representing 43.1% of the population – the majority are occasional listeners. Only 400,000 people, or 61 per cent, listen to podcasts on a daily basis.
Unlike music streaming and radio, podcast listeners tend to be relatively young. On average, 54% of people under the age of 55 listen to podcasts at least occasionally, and the average age is 44.
This study reveals the most popular podcast platforms in Switzerland: SRF/RTS/RSI (21%), Spotify (20%) and YouTube (16%).
For people under 35, Spotify and YouTube maintain their position as the primary podcast platforms.
The use of social media
In Switzerland, nearly 4.8 million people use a social media platform at least occasionally. This means that 72% of the population is active on social media, and half of these users follow influencers, the majority of whom are under 40.
This study observes that purchasing through social media is growing in importance. Indeed, 890,000 users occasionally purchase an item directly from a social media post, with this group primarily consisting of people between 30 and 40 years old.
