According to the results of a survey held in the United States, the share of Americans who had read more than 12 books in the last three months stood at five percent in February 2024. However, 28.5 percent had not any read any books in the three months running up to the survey.

The statistic shows the average number of books read per year by consumers in the United States as of August 2018, broken down by income. The data shows that Americans earning more than $80,000 a year were more likely to have read more books than those on lower salaries, with 16 percent of respondents in this category saying that they read between 20 and 50 books per year compared to 10 percent of Americans with a salary below $40,000.

A survey held between September and November 2020 found that the average number of print books engaged with per month was 3.8 among adults in the United States who took part in the study. By comparison, audiobooks were less popular among survey respondents, with fewer than two audiobooks engaged with per month on average.

As of December 2021, just 12 percent of surveyed women in the United States said that they had not read any books in the last year, ten percent less than the share of men who said the same. Both male and female respondents were most likely to have read one to five books in the year leading to the survey, though nine percent of women reported having read more than 51 books in that time.

During a survey held in early 2021, it was found that 83 percent of adults aged between 18 and 29 years old had read a book in any format in the previous year, up by two percent from the share who said the same in 2019. The survey results showed that adults within this age category were more likely than older respondents to have read a book within the last twelve months.

Book readers in the U.S.

While it is mostly believed that book reading is a vanishing pastime, particularly among Millennials, surveys among consumers in the U.S. have shown the opposite. The share of book readers in the U.S. has varied from 72 percent to 79 percent between 2011 and 2016.

In regards to age of book readers in the country, a 2016 survey shows about 80 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 to 29 had read at least one book in the previous 12 months, the highest share amongst all age groups. About 73 percent of the respondents aged between 30 to 49 years old said they read at least one book in the last 12 months. The share among respondents between 50 and 64 years old stood at 70 percent, whereas 67 percent of respondents aged 65 plus stated reading book during the time measured. In terms of education level, book readers in the U.S. are more likely to have a college degree, or at least some college education – 86 percent and 81 percent respectively. Women in the U.S. read slightly more than men; 68 percent of male respondents started reading at least one book in the previous 12 months, against 77 percent of female respondents that said the same.

Despite the rise of digital platforms and the rising popularity of e-reading devices such as Kindle, Kobo and others, printed books still remain the most popular book format in the U.S., as 65 percent of Americans stated preference for printed books in 2016. E-books were consumed by 28 percent of respondents in 2016, whereas audio books were listened by 14 percent of the respondents. Millennials accounted for the largest share of printed book readers in the U.S. – 72 percent as of 2016.

The statistic shows the average number of books consumers read per year in the United States in 2017, by ethnicity. During the survey, 30 percent of Hispanic American or Latino respondents stated that they read up to 10 books on average per year.

The average daily time spent reading by individuals in the United States in 2023 amounted to 0.26 hours, or 15.6 minutes. According to the study, adults over the age of 75 were the most avid readers, spending over 45 minutes reading each day. Meanwhile, those aged between 15 and 19 years read for less than nine minutes per day on average. Reading and COVID-19 Daily time reading increased among most consumers between 2019 and 2020, part of which could be linked to the unprecedented increases in media consumption during COVID-19 shutdowns. The mean annual expenditure on books per consumer unit also increased year over year, along with spending on digital book readers. Book reading habits A 2020 survey on preferred book formats found that 70 percent of U.S. adults favored print books over e-books or audiobooks. However, engagement with digital books is growing. Figures from an annual study on book consumption revealed that the share of adults who reported reading an audiobook in the last year almost doubled between 2011 and 2019, and e-book readership also grew overall during that period.

A survey held in the United States in early 2021 found that 23 percent of all participants had not read any books in the twelve months running to the survey, whereas 18 percent of adults reported having read more than 20 print, audio, or e-books in the last year. The share of respondents who had read 20 books or more grew consistently between 2018 and 2021.

The statistic shows the average number of books consumers read per year in the United States in 2017, sorted by age. During the survey, 43 percent of respondents aged 60 and older stated that they read more than 15 books on average per year.

In the United States in 2023, Asian Americans spent an average of 17.4 minutes reading per day. White readers spent the most time with books each day, whereas Hispanic Americans read for just six minutes on average.

In 2020, a survey revealed that the average number of audiobooks listened to by responding U.S. consumers in the last 12 months was 8.1, which marks a substantial increase from the previous year. Audiobooks have grown in popularity in the United States in recent years, and are especially appealing to individuals with a high household income.

In early 2021, a survey found that 59 percent of adults in the United States with high school education or less had read or listened to a book in the last year. By contrast, almost 90 percent of adults who had graduated college or pursued further education after college had engaged with a print, e-book, or audiobook in the 12 months leading to the survey.

During a 2020 study fielded in Colombia, respondents in Bogotá said they had read, on average, 4.9 books during the 12 months prior to the survey. In the Central region of that South American country, the average stood at 4.1 books read per year.

The statistic shows the number of books read in the last twelve months by consumers in the United States as of December 2018, sorted by gender. According to the most recent data, 16 percent of male respondents did not read any books in 2018, compared to just 14 percent of females.

In 2021, survey data on book readers in the United States revealed that 78 percent of female respondents stated they had read or listened to at least one book in the previous 12 months. The share of men who had read a book in that time frame was slightly lower at 73 percent, but marked an increase from the 67 percent recorded two years earlier.

Book readers in the U.S.

Whilst digital formats have overtaken print in terms of popularity and consumption, many U.S. media consumers still enjoy a good book – though women tend to read more books than men. A 2018 survey showed that 11 percent of U.S. women read 31 or more books that year, compared to five percent of male respondents. Women were also more likely to prefer reading books in paperback format, and much less likely to be fans of comic books.

Regardless of adults’ preferences, something which many U.S. readers agree on is the importance of reading to children. According to a report on family reading habits, 58 percent of parents with a child aged between three and five years old said that they read aloud to their child five to seven times per week. The frequency of read-aloud time diminished as children grew older, usually because the child could then read independently, though some children eventually swap reading for other activities such as playing video games, watching television, or using social media.

In 2023, adults in the United States spent more time reading on weekends than weekdays, according to recent data. The average time spent reading in the U.S. amounted to 0.28 hours (almost 17 minutes) on weekends and holidays, while daily time spent reading on weekdays in 2023 dropped back to pre-pandemic levels at a quarter of an hour.

A survey held in 2021 found that 74 percent of non-Hispanic Black respondents had read at least one book in the previous 12 months, up from 65 percent who said the same during the 2019 study. Non-Hispanic White adults were the most likely group to have read a print or digital book in the last year.

In 2019, 72 percent of American adults stated that they had read a book in any format in the previous year. This is the lowest in several years, however print books continue to be the most popular format among U.S. readers.

The statistic shows the number of hours consumers spend on reading books per week in the United States as of April 2017. During the survey, 27 percent of respondents stated that they spent two to five hours on reading per week, and 19 percent said that they read for 15 hours or more per week.

According to a survey held in the United States between March and April 2020, 70 percent of respondents said that they read print books the most, with 39 percent of those consumers preferring their books to be new.

The study was conducted as the U.S. went into lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, however although the virus certainly affected media consumption in the United States, what did not change was consumers' book preferences. Print has always been the most popular book format in the U.S. and figures on increased media consumption during the pandemic showed that even Gen Z, a generation famed for loving digital, were the most likely to be reading books more than usual during the outbreak.

Book consumption in the U.S.

Whilst printed newspapers and magazines have struggled to survive as digital formats grow ever more prevalent and appealing, when it comes to books U.S. consumers still have a clear preference for print. Annual survey data consistently shows that U.S. adults are far more likely to have read a print book in the last year than a digital version thereof, and whilst the popularity of digital books has increased, print remains the favorite.

As far as book buying goes, whilst the number of print books sold in the U.S. fluctuates each year, the figures remain relatively stable. Although unit sales have not surpassed 700 million since 2010, the number came close in 2018 and yearly sales from 2015 to 2019 were higher than the amount recorded in 2004.