Documentary Podcasts

Explore 32,741 Documentary podcasts, representing 1.1% of the global podcast market.

Last updated: February 28, 2026

32.7K Documentary Podcasts

Representing 1.1% of all podcasts

32.9% Active Rate

10.8K shows actively publishing

English Leads (50.5%)

Largest language in Documentary

Total Podcasts 32,741
Active Rate 32.9% 10,777 shows
Avg Episodes 34.2 per podcast
Market Share 1.1% of all podcasts

Overview

Documentary represents a popular category in the podcast ecosystem with 1.1% market share and a large library of 32,741 podcasts. The 32.9% active rate is exceptionally high, indicating a very healthy, engaged creator community.

Content is available in 20+ languages. English, Spanish, and French account for 68.4% of all Documentary podcasts.

Growth Trends

Growth peaked in 2020 (7,829 new shows). Recent average: ~3,781 new podcasts per year.

Publishing Patterns

Weekly is the most common schedule (24% of shows). Most episodes run 30-60 min.

Update Frequency

Episode Duration

Episodes per Podcast

Top Documentary Podcasts

1 Up and Vanished
Up and Vanished

Tenderfoot TV

4.5 (62,198) 194 eps
2 Sword and Scale
Sword and Scale

Sword and Scale

4.0 (60,740) 106 eps
3 Radiolab
Radiolab

WNYC Studios

4.6 (42,346) 640 eps
4 Casefile True Crime
Casefile True Crime

Casefile Presents

4.7 (32,886) 393 eps
5 Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

4.5 (30,640) 890 eps
6 In The Dark
In The Dark

The New Yorker

4.6 (27,863) 25 eps
7 Something Was Wrong
Something Was Wrong

Broken Cycle Media

4.1 (25,229) 347 eps
8 Slow Burn
Slow Burn

Slate Podcasts

4.6 (23,793) 215 eps
9 Slow Burn
Slow Burn

Slate Podcasts

4.6 (23,793) 211 eps
10 Culpable
Culpable

Tenderfoot TV & Audacy

4.7 (22,128) 74 eps

Recently Added

The Big Brother Club For Grown Men

The Big Brother Club For Grown Men

Chris Blount

Gilles Galloux
Gilles Galloux

Gilles Galloux

Asunder

Asunder

Minda Briley

Tips for Documentary Creators

The Episode 10 Filter

59% quit before episode 10. Reach 15 episodes and you're in the top 41%.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Documentary podcasts are there in 2026?

As of February 2026, there are 32,741 Documentary podcasts indexed in our database, with 10,777 (32.9%) actively publishing new episodes.

How often do Documentary podcasts publish new episodes?

The most common publishing schedule for Documentary podcasts is Weekly, with 7,980 shows following this pattern.

What are the best Documentary podcasts?

Check out our curated list of top-rated Documentary podcasts above, ranked by listener ratings and popularity on Apple Podcasts.

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