Media Consumption Habits in Nepal

2024-02-18

This study explores the changing media consumption habits in Nepal. The findings offer insights into media consumption habits across different demographic and geographic segments, highlighting a shift from traditional to digital platforms. This study is a quantitative survey, including 819 respondents from 32 districts across all seven provinces of Nepal, representing a diverse mix of age, gender, income, education, and location.

The findings show that social media surpasses traditional platforms like television, radio, and newspapers in popularity—especially among younger, urban, and more educated individuals. Students are the most active users of social media for news, while older and retired individuals continue to rely more on traditional media. Urban residents prefer social media slightly more than those in rural areas. Gender differences are minimal, with both men and women showing similar preferences.

Education and income also influence media choices. People with higher education levels and income groups tend to use digital platforms more frequently, while those with lower education or low income show stronger preferences for traditional media. Television remains popular in certain provinces, and radio continues to be a key source of information in rural and remote areas. Newspapers have limited reach overall but are still relevant among bachelor’s degree holders. While social media is now the dominant medium for news, traditional media continues to play an important role, particularly in rural areas and among older or less digitally connected populations.

Overall, the study highlights a shifting media landscape in Nepal, where digital platforms are becoming the norm, but traditional media still holds value. These insights can help media organizations, development partners, and policymakers better understand audience behavior and design strategies that reflect evolving media preferences across different segments of the population.

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