INTERNET IS ON THE RISE
Media consumption habits of young Cambodians
Research and Learning
Dec 2016
METHODOLOGY
Nationally
representative
quantitative survey
2016
1,565 young Cambodians who are 15-24 years old.
2013
2,597 young Cambodians who are 15-24 years old.
Qualitative study
Two locations of Cambodia Urban and Rural.
14 Focus groups discussions Young Cambodian age 15-30 years old
Data collection in October 2016.
Phnom Penh
Kampong Cham
All media access platforms is defined as ever having access in their household or in any other place.
Base: 2013 (n=2,597) and 2016 (n=1,565).
Traditional media is declining - radio faced the largest drop in the past three years. But internet access has increased a lot among Cambodian youth.
96 92 92
34
90 86
71
48 45 43
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Figure 1: Access to different media platforms in the last three years
2013 2016
90 86
71
48 43
82 79
59
39
12 0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
%
Figure 2: Overall and every week of media access among youth in Cambodia in 2016
Overall Everyweek
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565). Overall access is defined as ever having access in their household or in any other place.
Young people access mobile phone, internet and TV
frequently
55
70 75 77
94 95
40
71
38 40
84 88
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
%
Figure 3: Media access pattern in urban and rural among youth in Cambodia in 2016
Urban Rural
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565). Media access is defined as ever having access in their household or in any other place.
Urban youth have more access to internet than rural youth
How different young people access to different media?
Urban, High education
Urban, Male, older young group, high skilled young people
Urban and Rural, Male
Urban, male, high education Urban and
older young
group
SNAPSHOT: MOBILE PHONE
• Mobile phone access is near universal amongst young Cambodians.
• Young people with access to smartphones are more likely to be male, living in urban areas,
those from households with higher incomes and higher education levels.
• Metfone used to be the most used sim card
company in 2013, but in 2016 Smart nearly had
equal levels of use of their sim cards.
57%
90% 90%
Urban, high educated, and older young people have more access to mobile phone
94 88 85
95
86 87
96 100
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Urban Rural 15-19 20-24 Primary Secondary High School University
%
Figure 4: Overall access to mobile phone by key demographics in 2016
Location Age Education
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565); Usage of mobile phone is defined as ever having access in their
household or in any other place.
85%
87%
89%
89%
89%
94%
98%
98%
100%
100%
50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Farmer Student Unemployed Fisherman Housewife Unskilled Labour Skilled worker Businessperson, Industrialist Technician Skilled worker Civil servant
Figure 5: Main occupation of mobile phone users in 2016
Usage of mobile phone is defined as ever having access in their household or in any other place.
Base: All respondents in 2016 (n= 1,565).
Those from higher income households are more likely to have access to mobile phone.
81% 82%
89%
94% 94% 96%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Figure 6: Household economic status of mobile phone users in
2016
Base:
Level 1 (n=95) : We don’t have enough money, even for food
Level 2(n=218): We can afford food but purchasing of clothes is a serious problem
Level 3 (n=630): We can afford food and clothes, but purchasing of durables such as TV set or a refrigerator is difficult for us
Level 4 (n=409): We can afford main household appliances, but purchasing a car is beyond our means
Level 5 (n=140): What we earn is sufficient to buy anything except such expensive purchases as an apartment or house
Level 6 (n=71): We do not face financial problems. If necessary we can buy an apartment or a house
The types of phones young Cambodians have access to are either a smart phone or a feature phone – with near equal levels of access.
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565). Respondents own any phone (n=1,097).
45%
45%
10%
Smart phone Feature phone Smart and Feature phone
70% of young people owned
any phone
• Similar to 2013 most young people
accessed to mobile phone through
personal phone (68%
in 2013, 70% in 2016).
• Access is equal among both male and female.
Feature phone offers basic simple features, typical having black and white screen interface, allow user to call, text, listen to music and radio, game.
Smart phone offers many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, Internet
access, and an operating system capable of
running downloaded
apps.
Males, those from urban areas, those with high education, those with higher household income were more likely to access a smart phone
Smart phone in
Cambodia is cheap (a Chinese version is
around 50-60 USD).
Those who are male, living in urban areas, young people in
university, have more
access to smart phone.
Metfone sim card company was the main provider in 2013, but in 2016 Smart is catching up.
• Smart has done lots of
promotions and has good signal coverage across the country
which may
account for this increase.
41
68
47 48
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Smart Metfone
Figure 7: Sim card company patterns among youth in Cambodia from 2013 to 2016
2013 2016
Base: Respondents in 2013 (n=2,597).
Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565).
SNAPSHOT: INTERNET
• Internet is most accessed amongst those in urban areas and males.
• Young people in low skill jobs have least access to internet.
• Young people are in households with higher incomes have more access to internet.
• The vast majority of internet users access social
media and Facebook.
57%
Access to internet increased from 2013 but urban and male young people are still the dominant group users
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565); Female(n=786), Male(n=779), Urban(n=309), Rural(n=1,256), 15-19 years old(n=890), 20-24 years old (n=675), primary(n=433), secondary (n=638), high school(n=379), university(n=80).
38%
57%
77
40 45 52
26
44
71
95
0 20 40 60 80 100
Urban Rural 15-19 20-24 Primary Secondary High School University
%
Figure 8: Overall access to Internet by key demographics in 2016
Location Age
Education
Young people in university have high access to internet.
Qualitative research revealed it was really important to them in daily life (school or work
activities) and they have knowledge in using internet better than other groups.
Young people used smart phone to
access to internet. Only student
groups have access to variety
devices like computer and iPad
(qualitative).
22%
25%
36%
46%
50%
53%
62%
64%
82%
100%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Fisherman Farmer Housewife Unemployed Unskilled Labour Student Businessperson, Industrialist Skilled worker Civil servant Technician Skilled worker
Figure 9: Internet user profile in 2016
Base: All respondents in 2016 (n=
1,555).
Young people in households with higher income are more likely to have access to internet
16%
28%
43%
63%
68%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Figure 10: Household economic status of internet users in 2016
Base:
Level 1 (n=95) : We don’t have enough money, even for food
Level 2(n=218): We can afford food but purchasing of clothes is a serious problem
Level 3 (n=630): We can afford food and clothes, but purchasing of durables such as TV set or a refrigerator is difficult for us
Level 4 (n=409): We can afford main household appliances, but purchasing a car is beyond our means
Level 5 (n=140): What we earn is sufficient to buy anything except such expensive purchases as an apartment or house
Level 6 (n=71): We do not face financial problems. If necessary we can buy an apartment or a house
Farmers and fisherman and those from lower
income households have least access to internet.
Though the internet cost is better if compared to
2013, it still poses a concern around cost for
unskilled workers-farmer/construction worker
(qualitative).
57%
36% 54%
Almost all young people who have access to internet use social media
75
38 42
49
24
41
68
95
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Urban Rural 15-19 20-24 PrimarySecondary High School University
%
Figure 11: Overall access to social media by key demographics in 2016
Location Age Education
Access to internet is defined as ever having access in their household or in any other place.
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,555)
95%
Of interne
users, use
social media
Facebook is the most popular site, followed by YouTube
1%
2%
4%
10%
29%
76%
86%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Tumblr Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Google Yotube Facebook
Figure 12: Favorite social media of young people in 2016
Base: All internet users (n= 746).
Qualitative research revealed young people
use all functions that Facebook has, while
they access YouTube mainly for movie and
music. Only university student sometimes
access YouTube for tutorials or lessons
(qualitative).
SNAPSHOT: TELEVISION
• The majority of young Cambodians are consuming TV.
• Nearly half of young Cambodians access TV everyday.
Amongst those who did not access TV everyday, they watched it more on Saturday and Monday.
• Farmers is the occupational group who have least access to TV, mainly due to limited affordability of own TV set and signal problems. Many of them still watch TV content
however by renting DVDs.
84%
57%
88%
Most young people have access to TV, but access is higher in urban and amongst those in higher education groups
94
84 87 85
79
87
93 95
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Urban Rural 15-19 20-24 Primary Secondary High School University
%
Figure 13: Overall access to TV by key demographics in 2016
Location
Education
Age
TV access is defined as ever having access in their household or in any other place.
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565); Female(n=786), Male(n=779), Urban(n=309), Rural(n=1,256), 15-19 years old(n=890), 20-24
years old (n=675), primary(n=433), secondary (n=638), high school(n=379), university(n=80).
75%
77%
82%
86%
87%
90%
90%
91%
92%
100%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Farmer Housewife Civil servant Unskilled Labour Unemployed Student Businessperson, Industrialist Technician Skilled worker Skilled worker Fisherman
Figure 14: TV viewer profile in 2016
Base: All respondents in 2016 (n= 1,565).
Qualitative research
revealed farmers have less access to TV but they
frequently use DVD player to watch drama or movies like Thai, Korea, or Chinese films. They watched it
regularly (almost everyday) for about 4-5 hours per day.
They rent the discs from district town which cost about 1000riels ($0.25) per movies (1.5 hours). They watched it together as a family and sometime with their neighbors.
Farmers have less access to TV if compared to other
occupational groups
SNAPSHOT: RADIO
• Radio listenership has been dropped down from 2013 to 2016 from 92% to 71% and it is the same trend cross all locations and demographics of
young people.
• In 2016, radio listenership almost equal
penetration amongst those in urban and rural locations and different age groups.
• Young people listen to radio using both mobile
phone and radio sets at an equal rate.
57%
Though declining, radio reaches urban and rural people almost equally and those of different age groups.
70 71 69 73
64 70
78 84
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Urban Rural 15-19 20-24 Primary Secondary High School University
%
Figure 15: Overall access to Internet by key demographics in 2016
Location Age
Education
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565)
Radio is defined as ever having access in their household or in any other place.
68% 74%
In other Asian countries, radio is found to be accessed more amongst rural areas which was not the case in Cambodia. It is likely young Cambodian either in urban or rural are having similar preference about programme on radio. There are two mainly programmes (qualitative):
1. Receiving update on hot news (domestic news like accident, fire,..etc) 2. The family/love consultation (Kru Monou), the programme can be found
from FM ABC, 102, VOA, RFA
57% 68% 74%
2016 2013
93%
90%
Radio access has dropped among all key demographics in 2016
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565); Female(n=786), Male(n=779), Urban(n=309), Rural(n=1,256), 15-19 years old(n=890), 20-24 years old (n=675).
Base: Respondents in 2013 (n=2,597); Female(n=1,302), Male(n=1,295), Urban(n=520), Rural(n=2,077), 15-19 years old(n=1,449), 20-24 years old (n=1,148),
96
90 92 92
70 71 69 73
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Urban Rural 15-19 20-24
%
Figure 16: Overall access radio access pattern among youth in Cambodia from 2013
to 2016
2013
2016
59%
64%
64%
67%
68%
70%
71%
73%
77%
91%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Civil servant Housewife Businessperson, Industrialist Fisherman Unskilled Labour Farmer Unemployed Student Skilled worker Technician Skilled worker
Figure 17: Radio listeners profile in 2016
Base: All respondents in 2016 (n= 1,565).
Middle-income household young people are more likely to have access to radio
54%
66%
74% 74%
71%
66%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 6
Figure 18: Household economic status of radio listeners in 2016
Base:
Level 1 (n=95) : We don’t have enough money, even for food
Level 2(n=218): We can afford food but purchasing of clothes is a serious problem
Level 3 (n=630): We can afford food and clothes, but purchasing of durables such as TV set or a refrigerator is difficult for us
Level 4 (n=409): We can afford main household appliances, but purchasing a car is beyond our means
Level 5 (n=140): What we earn is sufficient to buy anything except such expensive purchases as an apartment or house
Level 6 (n=71): We do not face financial problems. If necessary we can buy an apartment or a house
High proportion of radio listeners accessed to radio using both mobile phone and radio set
46%
73% 73%
NB. Circle size is not exactly proportionate to the size of the audience segment
Base: Respondents listened to radio (n=1,107). Radio set (n=811), mobile phone radio (n=809)
Radio set has been used more male (56%
vs. 48%) and rural (53% vs 46%) young people.
Mobile phone has been used more by male young people (56% vs.
47%) and youth in better
household income and education.
37%
57%
49%
Newspaper/magazines are accessed by more male, urban and high educational groups of young people
55
40 41
46
22
44
60
71
0 20 40 60 80 100
Urban Rural 15-19 20-24 Primary Secondary High School University
%
Figure 19: Overall access to Internet by key demographics in 2016
Location Age
Education
Base: Respondents in 2016 (n=1,565); Female(n=786), Male(n=779), Urban(n=309), Rural(n=1,256), 15-19 years old(n=890), 20-24 years old (n=675), primary(n=433), secondary (n=638), high school(n=379), university(n=80).
11%
28%
31%
38%
44%
48%
51%
51%
53%
55%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Fisherman Housewife Farmer Unemployed Unskilled Labour Skilled worker Businessperson, Industrialist Student Civil servant Technician Skilled worker
Figure 20: newspaper/magazine users profile in 2016
Base: All respondents in 2016 (n= 1,565).
The better income household, high skilled, and students have more access to newspapers/magazines
21%
27%
43%
51%
55%
51%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6
Figure 21: Household economic status of newspaper/magazine user in 2016
Base:
Level 1 (n=95) : We don’t have enough money, even for food
Level 2(n=218): We can afford food but purchasing of clothes is a serious problem Level 3 (n=630): We can afford food and clothes, but purchasing of durables such as TV set or a refrigerator is difficult for us
Level 4 (n=409): We can afford main household appliances, but purchasing a car is beyond our means
Level 5 (n=140): What we earn is sufficient to buy anything except such expensive purchases as an apartment or house
Level 6 (n=71): We do not face financial problems. If necessary we can buy an apartment or a house
