30.56 million Germans stated they read books less than once a month. Even less did so several times a week. Figures varied during the specified time period.
Reading habits
In terms of reading habits, most consumers are quite involved with reading magazines, at least as far as print is concerned, and turn to them for anything from inspiration to concentrating on particular articles. Reading books during leisure time is still done by most less than once a month or even never. At the same time, the number of people reading books on electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, e-readers) is gradually increasing. Print foreign-language newspapers and books are also accessible in Germany, and while the number of people never reading them has remained pretty much consistent, the number of readers who do so regularly is growing.
Children and teenagers
And what of specifically younger reader generations in Germany? Based on recent surveys, the largest share of children liked to read once or several times a week. The share of teenagers who liked to read daily or several times a week fluctuated somewhat, but generally remained at around 40 percent.
Number of people reading books in Germany from 2019-2023, by frequency
(in millions)
Information on base:
German-speaking resident population aged 14 years and older.
Information on random sample:
2017: 23,356 respondents, projection to 70.09 million people
2018: 23,389 respondents, projection to 70.45 million people
2019: 23,318 respondents, projection to 70.60 million people
2020: 23,191 respondents, projection to 70.64 million people
2021: 22,563 respondents, projection to 70.54 million people
2022: 23,015 respondents, projection to 70.60 million people
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IfD Allensbach. (June 19, 2023). Number of people reading books in Germany from 2019-2023, by frequency (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 09, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/380433/books-frequency-of-reading-germany/
IfD Allensbach. "Number of people reading books in Germany from 2019-2023, by frequency (in millions)." Chart. June 19, 2023. Statista. Accessed October 09, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/380433/books-frequency-of-reading-germany/
IfD Allensbach. (2023). Number of people reading books in Germany from 2019-2023, by frequency (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 09, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/380433/books-frequency-of-reading-germany/
IfD Allensbach. "Number of People Reading Books in Germany from 2019-2023, by Frequency (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Jun 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/380433/books-frequency-of-reading-germany/
IfD Allensbach, Number of people reading books in Germany from 2019-2023, by frequency (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/380433/books-frequency-of-reading-germany/ (last visited October 09, 2024)
Number of people reading books in Germany from 2019-2023, by frequency (in millions) [Graph], IfD Allensbach, June 19, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/380433/books-frequency-of-reading-germany/