New research reveals startling drop in reading for pleasure among Americans

A comprehensive new study analyzing two decades of data from the United States has found a sustained and significant drop in the number of people who read for pleasure on a daily basis. The research, published in the journal iScience, also reveals that existing disparities in reading habits are worsening, with widening gaps appearing along lines of race, education, and income.

Reading for pleasure is associated with a wide array of individual and societal benefits, from improved vocabulary, empathy, and reasoning skills to better employment opportunities, reduced stress, and even a longer life. Given its importance, researchers have long tracked reading habits, but past studies have produced a mixed picture, with some suggesting a crisis while others found little change. This inconsistency is often due to methods that rely on people recalling their habits over a full year, which can be inaccurate.

To get a clearer picture, a research team led by Jessica K. Bone, a senior research fellow at University College London, set out to analyze daily behaviors over a long period. The researchers wanted to provide a more precise account of reading patterns in the US, identify which groups are reading the most and least, and see how these habits have changed over 20 years.

“We’re working with incredibly detailed data about how people spend their days,” said Bone. “And because it’s a representative sample of U.S. residents in private households, we can look not just at the national trend, but at how it plays out across different communities.”

To conduct their analysis, the scientists used data from the American Time Use Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted continuously by the U.S. Census Bureau. They examined the daily time diaries of 236,270 individuals aged 15 and over from 2003 to 2023, excluding data from 2020 due to collection interruptions during the pandemic. In the survey, each person recounts every activity they did over a 24-hour period. This method reduces the recall errors and social desirability biases found in surveys asking about activities over longer periods. The researchers focused on two behaviors: “reading for personal interest,” which includes books, magazines, e-readers, and audiobooks, and “reading with children.”

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The study’s main finding is a stark decline in leisure reading. In 2003, about 27% of people read for pleasure on an average day. By 2023, that figure had fallen to just 16%. The analysis showed that the proportion of people engaging in daily reading for pleasure decreased by 3% each year over the two-decade period.

“This is not just a small dip — it’s a sustained, steady decline of about 3% per year,” said Jill Sonke, a study co-author and director of research initiatives at the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine. “It’s significant, and it’s deeply concerning.”

While fewer people are reading overall, the research uncovered an interesting pattern among those who still do. The average amount of time dedicated readers spent on the activity actually increased slightly. In 2003, a person who read for pleasure did so for about 1 hour and 23 minutes a day; by 2023, that had risen to 1 hour and 37 minutes.

“While people with higher education levels and women are still more likely to read, even among these groups, we’re seeing shifts,” said Bone. “And among those who do read, the time spent reading has increased slightly, which may suggest a polarization, where some people are reading more while many have stopped reading altogether.”

The study also looked at the social context of reading. In 2023, most leisure reading (67%) was a solitary activity, and an overwhelming majority (94%) took place inside the home. The analysis showed a slight decrease over time in the small number of people who read with others or outside the home.

In contrast to the decline in personal reading, the rate of adults reading with children remained stable but very low over the 20-year period. On any given day, only about 2% of the population engaged in this activity. The authors note this is a concern, as reading with children is known to be a powerful influence on a child’s own future reading ability and engagement.

“Reading with children is one of the most promising avenues,” said Daisy Fancourt, a professor at University College London and a study co-author. “It supports not only language and literacy, but empathy, social bonding, emotional development and school readiness.”

Perhaps the most troubling findings concern the growing inequalities in reading habits. The analysis confirmed that in 2023, women, older individuals, and those with higher levels of education and income were more likely to read for pleasure. However, the study also showed that disparities between different groups have widened over time.

The gap in reading rates between Black and White participants grew larger over the 20 years. By 2023, Black participants had a 49% lower prevalence of daily reading compared to White participants. Similarly, the gaps between education levels became more pronounced. In 2023, individuals with a postgraduate degree were nearly three times more likely to read daily than those with a high school education or less. A similar, though less dramatic, widening gap was observed between the highest and lowest income groups.

The authors suggest several factors could be contributing to the general decline. “Our digital culture is certainly part of the story,” Sonke said. “But there are also structural issues — limited access to reading materials, economic insecurity and a national decline in leisure time. If you’re working multiple jobs or dealing with transportation barriers in a rural area, a trip to the library may just not be feasible.”

These findings point to an urgent need for policies and programs that do more to promote reading, especially among the groups who are falling behind. While initiatives from organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts and celebrity book clubs exist, the data suggests they may not be enough to reverse the trend or close the widening gaps.

The researchers argue that access to reading should be seen not just as a cultural good, but as a component of public health. “Reading has historically been a low-barrier, high-impact way to engage creatively and improve quality of life,” Sonke said. “When we lose one of the simplest tools in our public health toolkit, it’s a serious loss.”

The study does have some limitations. The American Time Use Survey categories do not distinguish between different types of reading material, such as fiction versus non-fiction, or different formats like print books versus audiobooks. These different forms of reading could have different benefits. Future research could explore these nuances more deeply and investigate the specific causes for the widening disparities.

Moving forward, the authors suggest a focus on making reading a more communal and supported activity. Bone added that creating more community-centered reading opportunities could help: “Ideally, we’d make local libraries more accessible and attractive, encourage book groups, and make reading a more social and supported activity — not just something done in isolation.”

The research presents a clear message: without targeted efforts to support reading for all Americans, a behavior with profound benefits for individuals and society may continue to fade, further entrenching social inequalities.

“Reading has always been one of the more accessible ways to support well-being,” Fancourt concluded. “To see this kind of decline is concerning because the research is clear: reading is a vital health-enhancing behavior for every group within society, with benefits across the life-course.”

The study, “The decline in reading for pleasure over 20 years of the American Time Use Survey,” was authored by Jessica K. Bone, Feifei Bu, Jill K. Sonke, and Daisy Fancourt.