Headlines

Study: US Pleasure Reading Drops 40% Over Two Decades

Published AUG 21 2025

Story

Above: Book shelves at Billie Jean King Main Library on Aug. 7, 2025, in Long Beach, Calif. Image credit: Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

The Facts

A new study published on Wednesday by researchers from University College London and the University of Florida has found that rates of daily reading for pleasure among Americans have declined by more than 40% over the past two decades.
CNN
The New York Times
The researchers analyzed data from surveys of over 236,000 Americans aged 15 and older between 2003 and 2023, and found that the number of people reading daily for pleasure fell from a peak of 28% in 2004 to 16% in 2023.
iScience: Cell Press Journal
University of Florida
As part of the study, participants were assigned at random a day of the week to recall their activities over a 24-hour period between 4 a.m. the day before their survey interview and 4 a.m. on the day of the interview.
iScience: Cell Press Journal
The results revealed demographic disparities in reading habits, with steeper declines recorded among Black Americans compared to white Americans, people with lower income or educational attainment, and those in rural regions as opposed to people in metropolitan areas.
University College London
ABC News
Fox 28 Spokane
While 21% of the surveyed participants had children under the age of 9, only 2% reported reading with children daily, a low rate of engagement that remained largely unchanged throughout the study period.
iScience: Cell Press Journal
Among those who read consistently, however, daily reading times increased by 16.87%, from 83 minutes a day in 2003 to 97 minutes a day in 2023, with most reading occurring at home rather than in libraries, workplaces or other settings.
iScience: Cell Press Journal

Sources Split

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The Spin

Cynical narrative

The decline in reading represents a serious challenge that demands immediate attention. Reading has traditionally been a highly accessible and impactful way to improve life outcomes and engage creativity. If society loses this vital tool, the consequences will reverberate across education, relationships and people’s quality of life.

University of Florida

Optimist narrative

Reading habits are simply evolving with the times, and popular genres like romance, fantasy, and mystery are experiencing surges in popularity through book clubs and social media discussions. Rather than lamenting cultural shifts, people should learn to embrace the level of choice on offer, from traditional print to e-books and audiobooks.