Every year, people all around the world wonder if we are reading fewer books than before. With the rise of social media and mobile phones becoming more affordable over the years, teenagers and adults have made less time for reading.
In a recent survey done by YouGov, 40 percent of British residents haven’t read or listened to a book in the past year. So, yes, every two out of five people haven’t even attempted to read ONE book in the past year. That is really horrible and hearbreaking.
The average amount of books read by a British person was three which is still bad but hey, it’s something. Reading one book every four months is really low but at least they are reading.
According to the poll, 66 percent of women read at least one book over the past year, higher than the 53 percent for men. The poll also found that there was a class divide as 66 percent of middle-class households read a book compared to 52 percent of working-class households.
To nobody’s surprise, older Britons polled higher as more likely to be reading. 65 percent of people aged 65 and older said they read a book in the last year which was higher than the 53 percent for adults aged 18-24.
This poll was taken at the end of January and covers most of 2024. For the most part, I am not surprised by the data. It has been slowly decreasing over the years which is horrible. But people who aren’t reading are missing out and the good thing is that they can always start reading anytime.
What did you make of this poll? Are you surprised that only 60 percent of Britons read at least one book? Do you think this trend is global? Let us know in the comments below!
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I think we need to start encouraging reading in a healthy way early in childrens lives instead of forcing them to read hard to understand books for the sake of an assignment.