We ran a national poll to see how many people read books. The results may surprise you.
The pandemic shifted the lifestyle habits of many Americans, including how, when, and if they read. To get a clearer picture of current reading habits, we conducted a survey of 1,621 American adults. The results revealed some interesting insights into Americans’ reading volume and preferences.
Key Findings
Almost half of the respondents haven’t read any books in over a year: 48.5%
Print books were the most popular format: 35.4%
The 65+ age group recorded the highest population of print book readers: 45.1%
The 45-54 age group contains the highest population of non-readers: 60.9%
Males recorded a slightly higher population of non-readers compared to females: 51.4%
Reading In The United States – Secondary Sources
The National Endowment for the Arts released a report in 2015 that showed literary reading among Americans had declined significantly over the previous 20 years. In 1992, 56% of Americans had read at least one work of literature in the previous year. By 2014, that number had fallen to 46%.
The NEA report also found that literary reading was more common among older adults than younger ones. In 2014, 53% of adults age 65 and older reported reading literature, compared with just 36% of adults ages 18-24.
The American Time Use Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that, on average, Americans age 15 and older spent about 7 minutes per day reading in 2017. This was down from 9 minutes in 2014.
These statistics suggest that although a majority of Americans say they have read a book in the past year, literary reading is on the decline, particularly among younger adults. Americans are also spending less time reading overall.
A Gender Perspective
Our report found that women are more likely than men to have finished a book in the past 12 months. This is evident in the first two book types:
38.7% vs 32.0%: Print books
17.1% vs 13.6%: E-books
More men than women also agreed with the statement, “I didn’t read any books” (51.4% vs 45.7%).
Book Reading By Age Groups
When we analyzed the results from a generational viewpoint, we found the following:
The 45-54 age group has the highest number of non-readers: 60.9%
The 65+ age group reported the lowest number of non-readers: 41.4%
The 18-24 age group reported the highest number of audiobook listeners: 17.0%
The 65+ age group had the lowest number of audiobook listeners: 5.3%
The 65+ age group registered the highest number of Bible readers: 1.9%
The data indicates that the number of non-readers peaks during middle age, while the number of audiobook listeners steadily decreases with age. This may be due to a variety of factors, such as declining health or vision problems.
We made the following observations about the material and type of book read:
Print books registered the highest number of readers with an average of 34.4%
E-books followed with an average of 14.0%
Audiobooks took position #3 with an average of 10.7%
The Bible trailed at number #4 with an average of 0.7%
The above statistics indicate that print books are still the most popular format when it comes to reading, with e-books and audiobooks coming in at a distant second and third, respectively.
This is despite e-books having been commercially available for over 20 years, and audiobooks have seen a surge in popularity in recent years.
Despite the availability of digital alternatives, readers appear to maintain a strong preference for the tactile experience of physical books.
The Bible had the fewest readers among respondents, which is expected given that it appeals to a specific religious audience.
Why Americans May Be Reading Less
The fast pace of the modern world: With the demands of work, family, and social obligations, many people feel the don’t have time to read.
The rise of digital media: In our constantly connected world, it’s easy to get news and entertainment from sources other than books.
The cost of books: Books can be expensive, especially if you’re buying them new. Used books are a cheaper option, but many people simply don’t have the time to hunt for them.
The declining popularity of reading: As fewer people read, it becomes less socially acceptable to do so. This can create a vicious cycle that leads to even fewer people reading.
The Validity Of Our Report
While our report does not reflect the official data, it does provide some key insights that can be used to understand general reading trends.
Some important things to keep in mind:
The data is based on a survey of American adults (18+), so it may not be representative of all American adults, and does not account for younger readers.
All information is self-reported, so it’s possible that some people may have overestimated or underestimated their reading habits.
The survey only reflects the reading habits of those who responded to the survey, so it’s possible that there are other groups of people who read more or less than what is represented in the data.
Despite these limitations, the data provides a valuable snapshot of how reading habits have changed over time, and how they differ between different groups of people.
Method
We conducted an online survey of 1,621 American adults using Google Forms. The survey was open to anyone aged 18 and over who wanted to participate.
We created a survey with the sole question, “What books have you read in the past 12 months?” and offered a selection of reading materials which the respondents were required to choose from.
Survey Characteristics
The survey had a total of 1,621 respondents
The respondents were aged 18 and over
The respondents were from a variety of different backgrounds and occupations
Contact Us (For Raw Data)
If you are looking to obtain raw data, please contact us at info@testprepinsight.com. Thank you!
