America’s relationship with reading is changing.
Fewer people are reading daily for pleasure, yet the book business is still sizable and libraries are busier again post-pandemic.
In 2024, U.S. publishers booked $32.5B in revenue (with consumer “Trade” books up 4.4% to $21.2B), while national time-use data shows reading minutes skewing older and shrinking for teens and young adults.
A big headline from 2023: a YouGov survey found 54% of Americans read at least one book that year—lower than earlier Pew findings where ~75% reported reading a book in the prior 12 months.
Different methods, different years, same signal: casual book reading has softened.
Key Reading Stats
- About three quarters of U.S. adults say they read a book in the past 12 months, across any format print, ebook, or audiobook.
- Roughly 23 percent of U.S. adults say they did not read any book in the past year, even in part.
- Reading for pleasure is getting rarer in daily life the share of Americans who read for enjoyment on an average day fell from 28 percent in the early 2000s to 16 percent in 2023.
- In the same long run dataset, reading with children shows up as very uncommon only 2 percent reported reading with children, even though 21 percent had a child under nine present.
- One widely cited U.S. cultural indicator shows 48.5 percent of adults reported reading at least one book in the past year, down from 52.7 percent five years earlier and 54.6 percent ten years earlier.
- That same federal trend line reports 37.6 percent of adults read a novel or short story in 2022, down from 41.8 percent in 2017 and 45.2 percent in 2012.
- In one recent UK snapshot, 40 percent of British adults said they had not read or listened to a book in the past year, and the median number of books was three.
- A major UK adult reading report says 53 percent of UK adults consider themselves regular readers in 2025, up from 50 percent in 2024, but still below 2015 levels.
- A UK survey highlighted a common barrier story lack of time was the top reason people gave for reading less, with social media distractions also frequently named.
- On skills rather than habits, U.S. adult assessment results show 44 percent of adults scored at Level 3 or above in literacy in 2023.
Is reading time really falling?
Short answer: yes, for many groups. The American Time Use Survey (2024) shows big age gaps: teens average ~9 minutes/day reading for personal interest on an average day; adults 75+ average ~46 minutes. That’s a structural shift toward later-life reading.
A 2025 peer-reviewed study using diary data found only 16% of Americans read for pleasure on a given day in 2023; those who did read spent ~97 minutes that day—suggesting a “few read a lot” pattern.
Are Americans still buying books?
Yes—consumer books remain a large, resilient market. The Association of American Publishers reports $32.5B total revenue in 2024, with Trade up 4.4% to $21.2B (helped by adult fiction and children’s categories). Periodic StatShot updates through 2025 show mixed month-to-month trends, but the long view is steady.
How are kids reading?
Two snapshots matter. In schools, NAEP 2024 shows the national average reading scores for grades 4 and 8 fell again vs. 2022. Internationally, PISA 2022 reported unprecedented drops in reading across the OECD since 2018. Outside the classroom, the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report continues to find enjoyment declines by age—a key predictor of voluntary reading.
What’s happening in libraries?
Usage rebounded: the IMLS reports 800M+ library visits in 2023 (nearly double 2021), and 155M+ registered users. At the same time, book challenges remain elevated: ALA documented 821 challenge attempts in 2024 and 2,452 unique titles targeted—down from 2023’s record but still far above the 2001–2020 average.
How do the big surveys line up?
Methodology matters. Pew (2021) asked about reading any part of a book in the past 12 months and found ~75% said yes; YouGov (2023) found 54%. Meanwhile Gallup has tracked the average number of books Americans say they read (down to ~12 in 2021–2022 from ~16 in 2016). All three point to fewer books and less frequent reading, even if exact shares differ.
Simple tables you can reuse
Reading time by age (U.S., 2024, average day)
| Age group | Minutes of reading (personal interest) |
|---|---|
| 15–19 | ~9 |
| 20–34 | (varies by subgroup; lower than older cohorts) |
| 55–64 | higher than younger adults |
| 75+ | ~46 |
Book market & access indicators
| Indicator | Latest figure |
|---|---|
| U.S. publishing revenue (2024) | $32.5B total; $21.2B Trade (+4.4% YoY) |
| Library visits (2023) | 800M+; registered users 155M+ |
| Book challenges (2024) | 821 attempts; 2,452 unique titles |
Reading FAQ
Do most Americans read books?
It depends on the survey. YouGov (2023) says 54% read at least one book; Pew (2021) found ~75%. Both show a long-term softening in casual reading.
How many books does the average American read?
Gallup has the average near 12 books per year in recent surveys, down from ~16 in 2016.
Are kids reading less?
School measures say yes: NAEP 2024 scores fell again vs. 2022; PISA 2022 shows broad declines across countries since 2018. Enjoyment also drops with age.
Are libraries still relevant?
Very—IMLS shows 800M+ visits in 2023 and 155M+ registered users, alongside high demand and elevated book-challenge activity.
Sources
- Association of American Publishers — StatShot Annual Report: Revenues
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — American Time Use Survey: Results (PDF)
- YouGov — 54% of Americans Read a Book
- Pew Research Center — Three-in-Ten Americans Now Read E-Books (with overall reading share)
- Gallup — Americans Reading Fewer Books Than in the Past
- National Center for Education Statistics — NAEP Reading Assessment
- OECD — PISA 2022 Results, Volume I (PDF)
- Scholastic — Kids & Family Reading Report: Reading Lives
- Institute of Museum and Library Services — Public Libraries Usage Press Brief
- American Library Association / Publishers Weekly — Top 10 Most Challenged Books
- iScience (via PMC) — The Decline in Reading for Pleasure Over 20 Years