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 Frequency 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.
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. The word was subsequently adopted by amateur radio operators.
748,519 | 0.223 | 2024 | ||
381,899 | 0.304 | 2021 | ||
101,763 | 0.147 | 2018 | ||
240,000 | 0.017 | 2024 | ||
63,070 | 0.073 | 2019 | ||
70,198 | 0.187 | 2018 | ||
58,700 | 0.127 | 1999 | ||
75,660 | 0.114 | 2018 | ||
42,632 | 0.082 | 2012 | ||
38,000 | 0.026 | 1993 | ||
32,053 | 0.016 | 1997 | ||
32,000 | 0.037 | 2023 | ||
30,000 | 0.049 | 1993 | ||
27,815 | 0.011 | 1997 | ||
13,500 | 0.019 | 2022 | REF preliminary callsign statistics | |
17,265 | 0.037 | 2000 | ||
16,889 | 0.042 | 1999 | ||
15,805 | 0.041 | 2024 | ||
15,448 | 0.060 | 2023 | ||
15,679 | 0.001 | 2000 | ||
12,790 | 0.113 | 2023 | SSA callsign statistics published in QTC 11/2023 | |
12,582 | 0.07 | 2018 | Agentschap Telecom - Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat | |
11,273 | 0.03 | 2023 | ||
9,079 | 0.152 | 2022 | ||
6,500 | 0.317 | 2000 | ||
6,930 | 0.077 | 2022 | ||
6,000 | 0.12 | 1994 | ||
6,000 | 0.012 | 1994 | ||
6,818 | 0.125 | 2022 | Nkom callsign statistics | |
5,332 | 0.05 | 2023 | ||
5,116 | 0.051 | 2023 | ||
5,000 | 0.090 | 2016 | ||
3,962 | 0.056 | 2020 | ||
3,527 | 0.018 | 2017 | ||
3,234 | 0.033 | 2023 | ||
1,945 | 0.039 | 2020 | ||
1,745 | 0.032 | 2023 | ||
700 | 0.052 | 2020 | ||
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 Citizenship 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 bureaucracy 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.
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 oprator, whether or not she is herself licensed.
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. The average age of most amateur radio operators is approaching 70 in most European countries.
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. 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. WOSM'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.
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==Gallery==
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