According to a recent survey by the Reading Agency, half of adults in the UK do not regularly read for pleasure. The study reveals that 15% of adults have never been regular readers, and 35% are lapsed readers who rarely or never read for pleasure anymore.
The report, The State of the Nation’s Adult Reading, highlights that young adults, particularly those aged 16-24, are the least likely to read regularly (32%), with 44% identifying as lapsed readers. In contrast, 62% of adults aged 55 and over read periodically.
The survey also notes a 13.8% decrease in regular readers since 2015, with an 88% increase in those who have never been regular readers. Among 16-24-year-olds, 39% feel underrepresented in reading materials.
Respondents cited lack of time, social media distractions, and mental health reasons as barriers to reading.
Many also reported difficulty finishing books or focusing on reading. To help lapsed readers, respondents suggested more personal time, shorter working hours, and better guidance on book selection.
Commenting on this subject, Bijal Shah, a bibliotherapist, counsellor and author told Asian Voice, “It is alarming to see the rate of reading decline in adults; however, in the backdrop of competing leisure activities such as Netflix and Social Media, this is not a surprise. Many of us either barely read or only turn to books during those long summer holidays or similar. However, to engage in reading, we need to read what we enjoy, and what gives us pleasure and also read more regularly. To do this we need to build a regular reading habit. We can enhance our reading habits through several strategies. First, set aside a short amount of time daily to read, whether it's 10 minutes during your commute, at breakfast or lunch, or before bedtime. Additionally, setting annual, quarterly, or monthly reading challenges can help keep us motivated. Finally, holding ourselves accountable by teaming up with a reading partner or joining a book club ensures we commit to our reading goals and follow through.
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“And if you’re struggling with what to read, a personalised book prescription (which is a tailored reading report of what you might enjoy reading) may help. This is one of our signature services at Book Therapy where we curate reading recommendations based on our interests, needs and reading habits. Many of my clients who are parents, have been extremely concerned about their teenagers, and kids over the ages of ten years, whose reading literary drops off a cliff. This is also echoed by the heads of many London schools, who note the increase in the use of video games and smartphones as competing activities.
“This is then exacerbated by the closure of many local libraries, once community hubs, encouraging many young readers to read more. My response to these parents is that young children and teenagers need to be drawn to reading – they need to connect with the literature, characters and authors in some way, and for this, a level of personalised is required. A role often played by librarians once.
“My own personalised book prescription service at Book Therapy provides reading recommendations tailored to the interests, needs and reading habits of these children. This is a report with a list of 7 to 10 book recommendations designed to get young readers back into reading. This could then service a Summer Reading challenge which gets kids enthused into reading again. The other thing is that children need to see their parents read, who serve as role models and for this, I would suggest the same tips and techniques mentioned above. Essentially, we lose our capacity for reading if we do not use it.”
Aasha Chauhan, a UK-based Indian who runs an initiative called ‘A Box of Stories’, which has been helping bookworms discover new authors since 2018 told Asian Voice, “The publishing industry was ecstatic in 2023. The UK fiction market (revenue) grew by 8 per cent. And now suddenly we have the Reading Agency Report saying people are reading less. So what these trends combined are saying is, that more books are selling, and fewer people are reading. This does not make sense. There is a joke, very popular in our 8,500-member online book group that might explain it. Book buying and Book Reading are two very separate activities. It rings true.
“If you’re doomscrolling social media on your phone, reading books is now a competition. Bookstagram, BookTube and BookTok are primarily about how to read 100 books every year. Or 5 new book recommendations by an influencer 3 days a week. It’s no surprise people find it all formidable and under pressure when they can’t seem to finish a book.
The fact is - reading isn’t about books. Recipes, blogs, short stories, poems, audiobooks. They count as much. 30 minutes of reading in a week is hugely beneficial. But the popular consensus is that a minimum of a 350-page fiction novel will earn you mental health benefits and the approval of your literary-inclined friends. What should we do? Reading needs a re-brand. Take the crown away from ‘Books’ and hand it back to the Joy of Reading. Because reading is the gateway to the world of books and not the other way around.”
