An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio license by a governmental regulatory authority after passing an examination on applicable regulations, electronics, radio theory, and radio operation. As a component of their license, amateur radio operators are assigned a call sign that they use to identify themselves during communication. About three million amateur radio operators are currently active worldwide.[1]

Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term "ham" as a nickname for amateur radio operators originated in a pejorative usage (like "ham actor") by operators in commercial and professional radio communities, and dates to wired telegraphy.[2][3] The word was, in the 1920s, adopted by amateur radio operators.[4]

Demographics

CountryNumber of amateur
radio operators		% populationYear of
Report		Source
748,5190.2232024[5]
381,8990.3042021[6]
101,7630.1472018[7]
240,0000.0172024[8]
63,0700.0732019[9]
70,1980.1872018[10]
58,7000.1271999[7]
75,6600.1142018[11]
42,6320.0822012[12]
38,0000.0261993[7]
32,0530.0161997[7]
32,0000.0372023[13]
30,0000.0491993[7]
27,8150.0111997[7]
13,5000.0192022[14]
17,2650.0372000[7]
16,8890.0421999[7]
15,8050.0412024[15]
15,4480.0602023[16]
15,6790.0012000[7]
12,7900.1132023[17]
12,5820.072018[18]
11,2730.032023[7]
9,0790.1522022[19]
6,5000.3172000[7]
6,9300.0772022[20]
6,0000.121994[7]
6,0000.0121994[7]
6,8180.1252022[21]
5,3320.052023[22]
5,0000.0902016[23]
3,9620.0562020[24]
3,5270.0182017[25]
3,2340.0332023[26]
1,9450.0392020[27][28]
1,7450.0322023[29]

Few governments maintain detailed demographic statistics of their amateur radio operator populations, aside from recording the total number of licensed operators. The majority of amateur radio operators worldwide reside in the United States, Japan, and the nations of East Asia, North America, and Europe. The top five countries by percentage of the population are Slovenia, Japan, the United States, Canada, and Denmark. Only the governments of Yemen and North Korea currently prohibit their citizens from becoming amateur radio operators. Although not officially outlawed, it is effectively impossible to become licensed in Eritrea as well, and there are no licensed operators in Eritrea. There are also very few if any operators in Turkmenistan and Myanmar. In other countries, acquiring an amateur radio license is difficult because of the bureaucratic processes or fees that place access to a license out of reach for most citizens. Most nations permit foreign nationals to earn an amateur radio license, but very few amateur radio operators are licensed in multiple countries.[citation needed]

Gender

In the vast majority of countries, the population of amateur radio operators is predominantly male. In China, 12% of amateur radio operators are women,[30] while approximately 15% of amateur radio operators in the United States are women.[31] The Young Ladies Radio League is an international organization of female amateur radio operators.[citation needed]

A male amateur radio operator can be referred to as an OM, an abbreviation used in Morse code telegraphy for "old man", regardless of the operator's age. A single female amateur radio operator can be referred to as a YL, from the abbreviation used for "young lady", regardless of the operator's age. A licensed married female is sometimes referred to as an XYL. The term "XYL" also often means the wife of a licensed amateur operator, whether or not she is herself licensed.

Age

Most countries do not have a minimum age requirement in order to earn an amateur radio license and become an amateur radio operator. Although the number of amateur radio operators in many countries increases from year to year,[32] the average age of amateur radio operators is relatively high. In some countries, the average age is 68 years old.[citation needed]

The unfavourable age distribution has led to a slow decrease in amateur operator numbers in most industrialised countries due to attrition, but in countries which do not apply yearly licence fees, the effects are not immediately noticed. It has been estimated from German statistics, which are considered the most reliable, that the net decrease currently is in the order of 1 to 1.5% per year.[citation needed] The average age of most amateur radio operators is approaching 70 in most European countries.[citation needed]

Some national radio societies have responded to the aging ham population by developing programs specifically to encourage youth participation in amateur radio, such as the American Radio Relay League's Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program.[33] The World Wide Young Contesters organization promotes youth involvement, particularly among Europeans, in competitive radio contesting. A strong tie also exists between the amateur radio community and the Scouting movement to introduce radio technology to youth. World Organization of the Scout Movement's annual Jamboree on the Air is Scouting's largest activity, with a half million Scouts and Guides speaking with each other using amateur radio each October.[34]

US amateurs by state

StateTotal%RankClub
AA40.00590
AE1570.02560
AK38470.464580
AL132281.5922244
AP1440.02571
AR89141.0731129
AS250.00583
AZ221662.7812249
CA11578713.9311528
CO203692.4516222
CT81780.9832188
DC5870.075254
DE19300.235038
FL468565.643610
GA206502.4814390
GU3340.045413
HI43860.5343117
IA69930.8435119
ID104041.252885
IL214672.5813367
IN167982.0218303
KS79530.9633143
KY103761.2529147
LA68230.8237166
MA146411.7621272
MD121391.4625184
ME49800.604181
MI228342.759375
MN125201.5123185
MO166992.0119262
MP3530.045318
MS58490.7039131
MT44500.544263
NC235492.838337
ND17290.215153
NE40830.494481
NH60350.7338112
NJ148341.7820295
NM72370.8734131
NV89181.0730112
NY295883.566531
OH301483.635511
OK107011.2927152
OR222422.6810354
PA261323.147437
PR51170.6240108
RI21430.264871
SC108441.3026147
SD21220.264933
TN204162.4615261
TX584157.032737
UT195132.3517116
VA222172.6711298
VI2980.045527
VT23070.284659
WA374944.514515
WI121781.4724215
WV68540.823678
WY22810.274737

NOTE:[35]
AA..US Armed Forces Americas
AE..US Armed Forces Africa/Canada/Europe/Middle East
AP..US Armed Forces Pacific
AS..American Samoa
GU..Guam
MP..Mariana Islands
PR..Puerto Rico
VI..US Virgin Islands

Canadian amateurs by province

ProvinceTotalRank
AB77004
NL147310
ON232701
YT21412
BC188273
NS26475
PE31111
ZZ17747
MB21616
NT9513
QC190392
NB16888
NU2814
SK16249

NOTE:[35]
ZZ..Canadian amateurs outside of Canada

Silent Key

When referring to a person, the phrase Silent Key, and its abbreviation SK, is a euphemism for an amateur radio operator who is deceased.[36] The procedural signal "SK" (or "VA") has historically been used in Morse code as the last signal sent from a station before ending operation,[37] usually just before shutting off the transmitter. Since this was the last signal received by other operators, the code was adopted to refer to any amateur radio operator who is deceased, regardless of whether they were known to have used telegraphy in their communications.[citation needed]

Notable amateur radio operators

References

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