The 163m is divided across the World Service's 33 language services and gives the BBC an estimated 50% more listeners than any comparable international broadcaster.
This new figure smashes the previous BBC World Service record audience of 153m in 2001.
Nigel Chapman, BBC World Service director, said: "This record-breaking audience is an outstanding achievement against the background of fierce competition, fast-developing technology and rapidly changing audience demands in many media markets.
"The challenges ahead for BBC World Service remain formidable, as they do for all broadcasters, but this is a strong and welcome indication that we are not only strengthening our impact in priority areas but are flourishing in the multimedia age."
The BBC has been gaining extra listeners from FM via partner stations and the BBC's own relays around the world. The World Service is available on FM in a 150 capital cities out of a total of around 190 -- up from 145 last year.
Shortwave and medium wave listening also showed an increase of around 5m, particularly in rural areas in parts of East Africa and South East Asia (Burma, India and Nepal), which are among priority areas for BBC World Service.
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