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.

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.

In early 2021, a survey found that ** 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 ** 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.

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In the United States in 2024, 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.

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, education, expenditures, and USA.

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, ** percent of respondents with a high school degree or less reported not having read a book in the last year, compared to ** percent who had some college education. Survey respondents who were college graduates or had pursued further education beyond college were the least likely to say that they had not read a single print book, e-book, or audiobook in the past 12 months.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of Reading by gender across 18 age groups. It lists the male and female population in each age group along with the gender ratio for Reading. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Reading by gender and age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group for both Men and Women in Reading. Additionally, it can be used to see how the gender ratio changes from birth to senior most age group and male to female ratio across each age group for Reading.

Key observations

Largest age group (population): Male # 0-4 years (89) | Female # 5-9 years (86). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Scope of gender :

Please note that American Community Survey asks a question about the respondents current sex, but not about gender, sexual orientation, or sex at birth. The question is intended to capture data for biological sex, not gender. Respondents are supposed to respond with the answer as either of Male or Female. Our research and this dataset mirrors the data reported as Male and Female for gender distribution analysis.

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group for the Reading population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the Reading is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the Reading is shown in the following column.
• Gender Ratio: Also known as the sex ratio, this column displays the number of males per 100 females in Reading for each age group.

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 Population by Gender. You can refer the same here

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.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of American Literacy Corporation

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of Reading town by gender, including both male and female populations. This dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Reading town across both sexes and to determine which sex constitutes the majority.

Key observations

There is a slight majority of male population, with 52.06% of total population being male. Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Scope of gender :

Please note that American Community Survey asks a question about the respondents current sex, but not about gender, sexual orientation, or sex at birth. The question is intended to capture data for biological sex, not gender. Respondents are supposed to respond with the answer as either of Male or Female. Our research and this dataset mirrors the data reported as Male and Female for gender distribution analysis. No further analysis is done on the data reported from the Census Bureau.

Variables / Data Columns

• Gender: This column displays the Gender (Male / Female)
• Population: The population of the gender in the Reading town is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each gender as a proportion of Reading town total population. 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 Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here

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.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of Reading by gender across 18 age groups. It lists the male and female population in each age group along with the gender ratio for Reading. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of Reading by gender and age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group for both Men and Women in Reading. Additionally, it can be used to see how the gender ratio changes from birth to senior most age group and male to female ratio across each age group for Reading.

Key observations

Largest age group (population): Male # 45-49 years (540) | Female # 55-59 years (609). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Scope of gender :

Please note that American Community Survey asks a question about the respondents current sex, but not about gender, sexual orientation, or sex at birth. The question is intended to capture data for biological sex, not gender. Respondents are supposed to respond with the answer as either of Male or Female. Our research and this dataset mirrors the data reported as Male and Female for gender distribution analysis.

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group for the Reading population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the Reading is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the Reading is shown in the following column.
• Gender Ratio: Also known as the sex ratio, this column displays the number of males per 100 females in Reading for each age group.

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 Population by Gender. You can refer the same here

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Reading, PA (MSA) (READ742URN) from Jan 1990 to Jul 2025 about Reading, PA, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Reading by Race: White, Asian, and All Other Races, Not Including Black or African American (CXUREADINGLB0902M) from 1984 to 2023 about book, asian, white, expenditures, and USA.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of American Financial Literacy Council

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Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Literacy Volunteers Of America Stamford/Greenwich Inc

Graph and download economic data for All Employees: Professional and Business Services in Reading, PA (MSA) (READ742PBSV) from Jan 1990 to Jul 2025 about Reading, professional, PA, business, services, employment, and USA.