The figures for the first quarter of 2024 show 88.6% of the adult population listen to the radio once a week, breaking the previous record of 49.7 million listeners set in the first quarter of 2022.

Commercial radio has also set a new record with its highest ever audience reach of 39.7 million, which is up from its previous record of 39.3 million in the third quarter of 2023.

The results mean that the BBC’s share of the total radio audience now stands at 43.4%, with commercial radio at 54.2% compared with 51.4% in the same period last year.

Online listening has overtaken listening on analogue FM and AM platforms for the first time on all radio, with the highest ever online listening share of 27.8% compared with 27% for analogue.

Smart speaker listening rose to 16.6% of total listening, a 19% increase year-on-year.

Radiocentre’s chief executive Matt Payton said: “Radio is on a roll. It’s fantastic to see this record-breaking set of listening results, showcasing the industry’s strength and its commitment to delivering for audiences and advertisers.

“To see commercial radio reach record audiences just shy of 40 million people each week is a fantastic achievement and shows how much people in the UK really value and trust the medium.”