Evergreen reading guide · Updated October 8, 2026
There is no single worldwide number for how many books the average person reads in a year. In two US adult surveys conducted in 2021, the mean was about 13–14 books. The median in Pew’s survey was five. In a separate 2025 survey of adults in Great Britain, YouGov reported a median of three. The date, population and definition of “read” all matter.
What the reading surveys actually found
| Survey | Population and fieldwork | Result | What was counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pew Research Center | US adults; January 25–February 8, 2021 | Mean: 14 books; median: 5 | Books read all or part of in the previous 12 months; print, e-books and audiobooks |
| Gallup | US adults; December 1–16, 2021 | Mean: 12.6 books | Books read all or part of in the previous year, including e-books and audiobooks |
| YouGov | Adults in Great Britain; January 29–30, 2025 | Median: 3 books; 40% reported none | Books read or listened to in the previous 12 months |
These are findings from specific survey periods, not measurements of what people are reading in 2026. The two US surveys did not interview the same people at the same time. Great Britain is also a different population, so these figures do not establish a simple US-versus-UK ranking.
Mean and median answer different questions
The mean adds everyone’s reported book totals and divides by the number of people. Readers who report very large totals can raise it. The median is the middle result when the totals are placed in order. It is often more useful if you are asking what a typical respondent reported.
For a made-up example, imagine five people read 0, 1, 2, 3 and 24 books. Together they read 30, so their mean is six books. Their median is two. Neither number is an error: each describes the same group in a different way.
This distinction explains why “Americans read 14 books a year” can give a misleading impression when used without context. Pew’s five-book median belongs beside its 14-book mean. Both figures include adults reporting little or no reading; they are not averages restricted to enthusiastic book-club members.
Do audiobooks and unfinished books count?
They do in the US survey definitions summarized above. YouGov also includes listening. A survey counting print books finished cover to cover could produce a different answer. Book length matters too: finishing a short novella and finishing a long history each adds one to a book total.
When comparing reading claims, check the country, year, age group, formats and whether partially read books count. A number without those details is a weak basis for comparing readers or setting a personal challenge.
How many books should you aim to read?
Your goal should fit the time and energy you have. One book a month can be a useful starting point, but a pages-per-week or minutes-per-day goal may work better if you read long books. There is no universal number that proves you are a good reader.
I have found that reading during commutes and travel creates opportunities I might otherwise miss. That is a personal approach, rather than evidence that everyone has the same spare time or reading speed. For a routine you can adapt, see our practical guide to reading more books.
Use the survey figures to understand reading habits, then choose your own target. Enjoyment, attention and what you take away from a book matter beyond the number you finish.
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Reading 10 books is an interesting fact for the U.K., I personally don’t read books, just articles etc.
Articles are short books in my opinion lol. Some of them do read like books.
I was pondering that to be honest. How do you define “book” is it word count or cover to cover physical object
I think in day and age it has changed. I’ve read long article pieces that feel like books but without the fluff which is why I feel like many articles feel like books when they are well written
Agreed, books can have too many words for the complexity of message 🙂
this was an interesting read! for the past three years, i have managed to read 100+ books per year and I am still not sure how i managed it 😂
That is amazing! I did it once and ran out of books to read afterwards 😅
😂 that’s fine. i am studying literature. so, at this book they just keep coming at me. hope you find more books to indulge in!
How many books have you read so far in total? I’m revisiting old books for the most part at the moment
last i checked my Goodreads, it stands at 147 books hehe. and re-reading old books also counts! they are an absolute delight.
Nice! That they are!
*me remembering when this blog used to be actual book reviews..* 😔
Lol I’ll get to that next week. It’s pretty hard to choose books to review when I’ve done most of the ones I wanted to.
yeah i get it…
I tend to read 100-150 a year, but that’s my hobby. I rarely watch TV or movies, so that helps a lot too.
I keep track of pages n words read because as you noted in another comment sometimes an article can be pretty full. Plus, I read a good bit in the visual medium (Manga n comics) so need more metrics than just ‘books read’.
That is amazing and props to you! You are welcome to write an article about how you achieve that goal on my blog if you want 🙂
I’d like that actually. November is all scheduled up for me, but shoot me an email at bookstooge at protonmail dotcom and we set something up for december
Once I set a goal to read one book per week I actually have been reading 80-120 books in a year. Before that goal it was more like 30 books in a year though.
Very impressive!
When I was a kid, I averaged 3-4 books per week. For a little while, between work and home life, I slowed down to probably more like 5 to 6 books a month. After 2020, I basically backed out of all social media and found that I had way more time to read. In 2021 I read 160 books, last year I read 183 books and this year I’m on track to read about the same. I honestly love reading and would prefer to read more than pretty much anything else.
Reading is far to important to ignore the facts .People today only read in blips .Books are to long and take to much commitment. Also books are to expensive for the average person example Obama,s book was $60.00 how many people can afford that.
In 2021, I read 138 books in addition to the articles and social media I read. This was accomplished because I had my TV covered while remodeling for 6 months. I easily read more than 60 books a year in normal circumstances.
That’s pretty good!
“In the U.S., the average person reads about 14 books per year. That is pretty good considering that that is more than one book per month. The median average for the whole population is 4 books per year but to be honest, I don’t know what that really entails.”
I think that means that the average of 14 is an inflated estimate of how much most people read. It is being skewed by outliers who read voraciously (one person I know set a Goodreads goal of 100 books per year- granted, she is mostly retired and only works part-time). 4 is likely the better guess of how much a random person picked off the street reads.