Venezuela Turns to screens as Economic Woes Mount, New Survey Reveals
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A new study indicates that entertainment in Venezuela has undergone a dramatic shift, with streaming, television, and social media eclipsing customary outlets like cinema and theatre as primary sources of leisure. The National Cultural Consumption Survey 2025, conducted by the Data and Dialogue Research Institute (Idici) of the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB) with support from Delphos, highlights a nation increasingly reliant on digital escapes amid ongoing economic challenges.
The survey, based on interviews with 800 adults across 23 venezuelan states in July, underscores a resilient cultural appetite despite hardship. “The country has an economic situation, but that does not prevent cultural consumption; rather, entertainment works as an escape valve in Venezuela,” explained a researcher involved in the study.
Television and Streaming Reign Supreme
Television remains the most popular form of entertainment,reaching 78.7% of Venezuelans. However, streaming services are rapidly gaining ground, with 58.2% of the population subscribing to at least one platform. Netflix leads the market (48.8%),followed by Disney+ (16.5%). Access to these digital platforms is primarily through smart televisions (86.3%) and cell phones (41.7%).
the Decline of Traditional Entertainment
The study paints a stark picture for traditional entertainment venues. Only 22.9% of Venezuelans attended a movie theater during the year, and those visits were largely infrequent. High ticket prices (cited by 28% of non-attendees), a preference for home viewing (22%), and lack of time (20.7%) were the primary deterrents.
Theater attendance is even more diminished, with just 7.9% of those surveyed having seen a play in 2025. A lack of interest in the genre (32.8%) and high ticket costs (15.8%) were the main reasons cited for this decline.
Even as digital entertainment surges, traditional media like radio continues to hold relevance, with 55% of respondents tuning in, predominantly on FM frequencies (90.9%). Musical content is the most popular (81.4%), followed by news and political programming (60.3%).
Podcasts are slowly gaining a foothold, with 36.8% of Venezuelans having listened to them, particularly among young adults aged 18-24 (55%).
whatsapp dominates the social media landscape (90%), followed by TikTok (52.4%), Facebook (44.4%), and YouTube (43%). Usage of X (formerly Twitter) has plummeted to just 4.8% daily, attributed to government restrictions imposed in 2024.
Music Thrives, While Reading Declines
Music remains a universally enjoyed cultural product, with 90% of Venezuelans listening regularly, and over half doing so daily. Access is primarily through cell phones and YouTube.
In contrast, book reading is on the decline, with only 45.9% of Venezuelans reading at least one title in 2025. A significant 40% of non-readers report simply disliking or being bored by reading. Religious texts (35%) and novels/stories (27%) are the most popular genres among those who do read.
A Fragmented Consumption Landscape
“The study shows a fragmentation of consumption: everyone chooses what to watch, when and how,” summarized the director of Idici, Gustavo Hernández. The findings will be formally presented at the 10th Western Caracas Book Fair (FLOC UCAB) in late November, with a complete interpretive book featuring analysis from experts in sociology, education, psychology, and history slated for publication in April 2026.
Hernández emphasized the importance of proactively engaging with technology, stating, “Culture serves to think and also to understand our reality.” The survey underscores a basic shift in how Venezuelans seek solace and connection in a challenging habitat, highlighting the power of entertainment as a vital, if evolving, component of daily life.
