In Germany, some 300 radio programs are available on DAB+, depending upon region, and more than 100 of those programs are exclusive to digital channels.
To see how that compares to elsewhere in Europe, Digitalradio Büro Deutschland recently published a look at the state of DAB+ across the continent.
There are currently DAB and/or DAB+ radio broadcasts in 29 European countries, according to the Büro.
In 2017, Norway became the first nation to switch off its national FM networks in favor of DAB+. Across the country, including in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, 99.7% of the Norwegian population can receive digital radio signals, and since 2020 listening time for DAB+ has exceeded the previous numbers for FM listening.
Switzerland is following suite as it heads towards a year-end 2026 FM switchoff, with national public broadcaster SRG SSR phasing out analog broadcasting at year-end 2024.
In Denmark, 98% of the population can receive DAB+ signals, and the current rate of digital radio reception is at about 28%. Once the rate of digital listening reaches 50%, the current Danish government plans to begin an FM switchoff.
The Czech public broadcaster Český Rozhlas now reaches 96% of the population. Private broadcasters have also expanded their reach in recent months in larger cities and major transportation corridors. A new tender launched this year to help private radio expand its DAB+ presence to match ČR.
In Belgium, more than 95% of the population can receive DAB+ radio programs in all three of the country’s language communities.
The Netherlands is also at 95% coverage for both public and private national radio broadcasters. In 2024, the country is expanding the number of local radio stations on DAB+ in about 60 regions, including via 22 small-scale DAB multiplexes.
In Italy, where more than 85% of the population can receive DAB+ signals, private broadcasters have the best-developed networks, leading the public broadcaster RAI. In the South Tyrol region in the north of the county, DAB+ coverage is complete and the regional public broadcaster Rundfunkanstalt Südtirol has switched off a number of its FM transmitters.
Although officially still a test service, almost 80% of the Serbian population is covered by a multiplex carrying a dozen programs from public broadcaster Radio-Televizija Srbije and private radio stations.
In the United Kingdom, digital penetration reached 73.7% in the second quarter of 2024, and DAB+ — at 42.8% of listening — is the most popular way to access radio. More than 600 radio stations can be heard in the country via DAB and DAB+, and that number has grown in recent years with the launch of local small-scale DAB+ multiplexes.
In Slovakia, 67% of the population is supplied with public and private radio programs via DAB+.
Two national multiplexes cover metropolitan areas and motorways across France with DAB+ signals. These are supplemented by regional multiplexes across the country, putting more than 60% of the French population within range of DAB+ signals.
In Slovenia, a national multiplex and three regional platforms cover 91% of the country’s motorways.
About 30% of the population of Türkiye, including the major cities of Ankara and İstanbul, are covered by an eight-channel multiplex from the state broadcaster Türkiye Radyo ve Televizyon Kurumu.
During 2024, Austria launched a second national platform with 14 programs. There are also five regional bouquets for Tyrol, Vienna/Lower Austria, Upper Austria/Salzberg, Styria/Burgendland and Vorarlberg with a total of 17 additional new programs on DAB+. There’s an additional local multiplex in Vienna.
In Poland, 17 regional Polskie Radio platforms are on the air, alongside 16 local platforms with private and non-commercial stations, including in Warsaw, Gdańsk, Szczecin, and Wrocław.
Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges Radio operates a national multiplex heard primarily in major cities, but the Viaplay Group has launched a national DAB+ package with 13 private stations. It joins the Bauer national multiplex launched in 2020. Altogether about half the Swedish population can tune DAB+.
2024 marked the first push by Radio Nacional de España to spread DAB/DAB+ signals beyond Madrid and Barcelona. This move follows a private effort to bring local digital radio multiplexes online in large cities and holiday locations like the Balearic Islands.
Croatia has divided its national test network into ten regional groups, with public broadcaster Hrvatski Radio programming three channels and nine private broadcasters operating nationally or in select regions.
In Greece, the public broadcaster ERA operates a total of 13 programs on DAB+ in the greater Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras areas. In addition, a pilot project with nine commercial programs is currently in operation in the northern metropolitan area of Athens.
Local DAB+ services are on the air in Baku, Azerbaijan; the Greater Sofia area of Bulgaria; Chişinău, Moldova; and Kyiv, Ukraine.
Even in Europe’s smallest nations, digital radio is doing well. In Malta, DAB+ signals cover the entirety of the archipelago and a total of 55 programs air via two national, one regional, and a test platform.
Liechtenstein’s public broadcaster Radio L broadcasts on a regional ensemble for Eastern Switzerland that covers the principality, but talks are ongoing about setting up a local multiplex in the country.
Monaco has four multiplexes carrying 37 private radio programs in French, Italian, and English, and the Vatican operates its own four-program multiplex in Rome.
In the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, the public service Gibraltar Broadcasting Corp. operates a three-channel multiplex. DAB+ has been available in the Channel Islands since 2021 and now 22 stations can be heard digitally in Guernsey and Jersey.
