According to a survey held between January and March 2020, 54.7 percent of children and young people read printed fiction books outside of school at least once per month during that period, up very slightly from the previous year. Whilst there remains a clear preference for printed books, digital engagement is growing, with 2020 marking the first time that the percentage of nine to 18-year-olds reading fiction on a screen rather than in paper form surpassed 20 percent.
Share of children and young people reading fiction books outside of school in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 2017 to March 2020, by format
school children who read non-fiction books at least once per month
Method of interview
Online survey
Supplementary notes
*The source noted that the study was held from January to mid-March 2020.
**Refers to 2020 survey. Participants in the 2017 to 2018 study were aged eight to 18, and aged nine to 18 in following years.
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National Literacy Trust. (July 13, 2020). Share of children and young people reading fiction books outside of school in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 2017 to March 2020, by format [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/299071/fiction-reading-by-young-people-in-the-uk/
National Literacy Trust. "Share of children and young people reading fiction books outside of school in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 2017 to March 2020, by format." Chart. July 13, 2020. Statista. Accessed January 28, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/299071/fiction-reading-by-young-people-in-the-uk/
National Literacy Trust. (2020). Share of children and young people reading fiction books outside of school in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 2017 to March 2020, by format. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 28, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/299071/fiction-reading-by-young-people-in-the-uk/
National Literacy Trust. "Share of Children and Young People Reading Fiction Books outside of School in The United Kingdom (Uk) from November 2017 to March 2020, by Format." Statista, Statista Inc., 13 Jul 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/299071/fiction-reading-by-young-people-in-the-uk/
National Literacy Trust, Share of children and young people reading fiction books outside of school in the United Kingdom (UK) from November 2017 to March 2020, by format Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/299071/fiction-reading-by-young-people-in-the-uk/ (last visited January 28, 2022)
