Voice assistants in more than half of UK homes

More than half of UK internet households now own a voice assistant.

According to consumer research from Ampere Analysis, 52% of internet households own a voice assistant device in the UK, while that figure stands at 49% for US households. Across all 25 countries surveyed by the firm, 32% claim to own a voice assistant-enable device.

Ownership of smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home has surged in the past 12 months. The rate of ownership has increased by 12% in the UK, 13% in the US and 18% in Canada since Q1 2020.

Not all countries are adopting the tech though. Ownership in France, the Netherlands and Japan has flatlined since Q1 2020, and is below the international average.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Amazon’s Echo brand of smart speakers leads the way – particularly in the UK and US where Amazon has a high penetration among all internet users.

Minal Modha, Principal Analyst – Consumer Research Lead at Ampere Analysis said: “As smart homes become more popular, voice assistants are at the forefront of consumer adoption. While penetration varies by market, the device’s increasing popularity is evident in its yearly growth. 

“Google faces an uphill battle for market share in core Amazon territories, where Echo devices are highly embedded within the ecosystem of Amazon products. But the tech giant has clear white space in countries in which Amazon has no significant retail presence.”