American Reading Habits: What, How Much, and How Often the U.S. Reads

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The U.S. is second only to China on the list of countries that publish the most books each year. But how much do Americans actually read?

In this post, we’ll explore how much time Americans spend reading, how they prefer to read, and what the current trends tell us about the future.

How Many Hours a Day Do Americans Read?

According to data from Statista, between 2018–2020, Americans spent an average of 20.4 minutes reading each day.

Of the groups studied:

  • Adults over the age of 65 read the most, with those over 75 in particular averaging almost an hour per day.
  • By contrast, minors and young adults ages 15–19 read the least, averaging just 8.4 minutes per day.

How Many Books Do Americans Read Per Year?

According to 2019 data from the Pew Research Center, Americans read an average of 12 books per year, while the typical (median) American has read four books in the past 12 months. This means that half have read less than four, and half have read more.

It’s worth noting that the definition of “reading” for the purposes of the Pew survey also included listening to audiobooks.

Print or Ebook?

So, we now have an idea of how much Americans read, but how are they doing it? Print is no longer the only option, and increasing numbers of Americans are turning to ebooks and audiobooks. Still, print remains the dominant format.

For the purposes of the Pew Research study, “digital” formats included both ebooks and audiobooks.

With that said, in 2019:

  • 37% of Americans reported reading only print books;
  • 28% read a mix of digital formats and print books;
  • 7% say they read digital formats exclusively.

Fiction or Nonfiction?

Americans have traditionally preferred nonfiction to fiction, with men much less likely than women to read fiction.

In 2020, 5 out of Amazon’s 10 best-selling books of the year were nonfiction, 3 were children’s books, and just 2 were works of fiction.

What Is the Most Read Novel in America?

It’s difficult to pinpoint what exactly is the most read novel in America, since things like sales data can only tell us how many books are bought, and not necessarily read.

However, surveys can tell us a lot about the reading interests of Americans. As part of its “The Great American Read” series, PBS invited the public to vote on 100 finalists for the title of America’s favorite novel.

The winner? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, first published in 1960. Since Mockingbird remains a staple in most middle or high school curricula, it’s quite possible that it’s also one the most read novels in America, in addition to the most popular.

Trends in American Reading Habits

According to the Pew Research Center, the number of Americans who have read a book in any format—print, ebook, or audio—went down from 79% in 2011 to 72% in 2019.

While there still isn’t a lot of data for 2020, it seems the Covid-19 pandemic and all that time spent in lockdown did have some effect on American reading habits.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual American Time Use study reports that Americans collectively spent 25% more time reading in 2020 compared with their 2019 averages.

It’s hard to say what next year’s results will reveal about 2021. While many Americans are slowly returning to in-person or full-time work, millions are not. In fact, those who can are quitting their jobs in record numbers.

This could be for a number of reasons, including amassed savings, care duties, early retirements, inadequate wages, and other conditions, with many realizing during the pandemic that they would prefer to seek opportunities that allow them to maintain the flexible or remote nature that they experienced in 2020.

In any case, the conditions of 2020 were unequivocally unique, so it’s not likely that the stats for 2021 will surpass those of last year—but perhaps anything can happen in the “new normal.” It’s possible that along with seeking better job conditions, Americans will also resolve to keep reading at pandemic levels.

What do you think about these reading statistics from the U.S.? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

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