The NPR and Edison Research Spring 2019 Smart Audio Report is showing that the number of Smart Speakers in households across the US is now at 118.5 million as of December last year.

Up from 66.7 million in the previous year, that’s an increase of 78% in twelve months with a further 57% of the remaining population (18+) saying they have at least some interest in owning a smart speaker.

Of those interested in buying a smart speaker, one of the major reasons they haven’t made a purchase is concern over hackers getting access to personal information (69%), with 40% saying they are concerned about the government being able to listen to private conversations.

The report also made some interesting findings with 55% of respondents saying they would be interested in having a feature that would allow their smart speaker to call 911 if multiple smoke alarms went off in the home, and 24% expressed interest in having a smart speaker feature that would recommend mental health resources if it detects feelings of depression or suicide.

69% of smart speaker owners agree that they don’t know enough about the features offered to use them all, with music, weather and general questions among the top uses.

The average number of skills used weekly is higher for new owners (11.7) as opposed to those who have owned a smart speaker for 2 years or more (7) with 45% saying that they discover new skills from friends and family.

Related report: see the recent report from investment firm Loupventures