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

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.

United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Other Small States was 86.25975 % of People Ages 15 and Above in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Other Small States reached a record high of 86.25975 in January of 2023 and a record low of 71.82288 in January of 1983. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Other Small States - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

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

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Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Reading by Highest Education: Less Than College Graduate: High School Graduate (CXUREADINGLB1404M) from 2012 to 2023 about book, no college, secondary schooling, secondary, expenditures, education, and USA.

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 **** hours (almost ** minutes) on weekends and holidays, while daily time spent reading on weekdays in 2023 dropped back to pre-pandemic levels at a ******* of an hour.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, 2011 (PIRLS 2011), is part of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) program. PIRLS 2011 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pirls/) is a cross-sectional study that provides international comparative information of the reading literacy of fourth-grade students and examines factors that may be associated with the acquisition of reading literacy in young students. The study was conducted using questionnaires and direct assessments of fourth-grade students. In the United States a total of 370 schools and 12,726 fourth-grade students participated in 2011. The final weighted student response rate was 96 percent and the final weighted school response rate was 85 percent. The overall weighted response rate was 81 percent. Key statistics produced from PIRLS 2011 are how well fourth-grade students read, how students in one country compare with students in another country, how much fourth-grade students value and enjoy reading, and internationally, how the reading habits and attitudes of students vary.

Abstract This article analyzes a series of reading textbooks produced in the 1940s, in the context of the North American policy for Latin America, known as the "Good Neighbor Policy". The production of these textbooks resulted from an agreement signed in 1944 between the Education Division of the Inter-American Educational Foundation, Inc. (renamed, in 1947, as Institute of Inter-American Affairs, IIAA) and the Ministry of Education from Guatemala. The goal was, however, that this series of reading textbooks was used in the other countries of South America and Central America. The analysis of the seven textbooks shows that there was a close correlation between the contents presented in them and the objectives of the cooperation programs, clearly revealing the civilization intentionality of the United States for the countries from Latin American.

The average daily time spent reading by individuals in the United States in 2023 amounted to **** hours, or **** minutes. According to the study, adults over the age of ** were the most avid readers, spending over ** minutes reading each day. Meanwhile, those aged between 15 and 19 years read for less than **** 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 ** 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.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Reading by Age: from Age 25 to 34 (CXUREADINGLB0403M) from 1984 to 2023 about book, age, 25 years +, expenditures, and USA.

United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Upper Middle Income Countries was 95.61952 % of People Ages 15 and Above in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Upper Middle Income Countries reached a record high of 95.79682 in January of 2020 and a record low of 69.21488 in January of 1976. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Upper Middle Income Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Reading, PA (MSA) (READ742UR) from Jan 1990 to May 2025 about Reading, PA, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This statistic displays the frequency of reading e-books among consumers in the United States, sorted by age group. During the ******** survey, ** percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 years stated that they read e-books several days a week.

National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003 (NAAL:2003), is a study that is part of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy program. NAAL:2003 (https://nces.ed.gov/naal/) is a cross-sectional assessment that collected information about English literacy among American adults age 16 and older. The study was conducted using direct assessment from 19,000 adults 16 or older, in their homes and some in prisons from the 50 states and District of Columbia. Households and prison inmates were sampled in 2003. The weighted response rate was 62.1 percent for households and 88.3 percent for prison inmates. Key statistics produced from NAAL:2003 include reading skills, general literacy, relationships, demographics, and background characteristics.

In 2021, survey data on book readers in the United States revealed that ** 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 ** percent, but marked an increase from the ** 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 ** or more books that year, compared to **** 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 **** to ***** 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.

Graph and download economic data for All Employees: Education and Health Services: Private Education and Health Services in Reading, PA (MSA) (READ742EDUH) from Jan 1990 to May 2025 about Reading, health, PA, education, services, employment, and USA.

United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Small States was 87.28028 % of People Ages 15 and Above in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Small States reached a record high of 87.28028 in January of 2023 and a record low of 76.87106 in January of 1986. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Literacy Rate, Adult Total for Small States - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

The average for 2021 based on 2 countries was 95.22 percent. The highest value was in Costa Rica: 98.04 percent and the lowest value was in Puerto Rico: 92.4 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Reading town population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of Reading town across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2023, the population of Reading town was 25,428, a 0.36% increase year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, Reading town population was 25,336, an increase of 0.08% compared to a population of 25,316 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Reading town increased by 1,567. In this period, the peak population was 25,537 in the year 2020. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2023

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2023)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the Reading town is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Reading town population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Reading town Population by Year. You can refer the same here