The proportion of people reading for pleasure daily in the United States has declined by more than 40% over the last 20 years, according to a new study by researchers at UCL and the University of Florida.
Published in the journal iScience, the study analysed data from over 236,000 Americans who participated in the American Time Use Survey between 2003 and 2023. The findings suggest a fundamental cultural shift: fewer people are carving out time in their day to read for enjoyment.
The proportion who read for pleasure on an average day declined from nearly a third (28%) in 2004 to about one in six (16%) in 2023, the study found.
Co-author Dr Jill Sonke (University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine), co-director of the EpiArts Lab, which is based at the University of Florida and run in partnership with UCL, said: "This is not just a small dip - it's a sustained, steady decline of about 3% per year. It's significant, and it's deeply concerning."
Reading for pleasure comprises any kind of reading done for enjoyment or purposes other than work or school. In the American Time Use Survey, the question referred to reading e-books or listening to audiobooks as well as print books as examples of this practice.
Who's reading and who isn't
The decline wasn't evenly spread across the population. Researchers found steeper drops among Black Americans than White Americans, people with lower income or educational attainment, and those in rural (versus metropolitan) areas - highlighting deepening disparities in reading access and habits.
Lead author Dr Jessica Bone, of UCL's Department of Behavioural Science & Health, said: "While people with higher education levels and women are still more likely to read, even among these groups, we're seeing shifts.
"And among those who do read, the time spent reading has increased slightly, which may suggest a polarisation, where some people are reading more while many have stopped reading altogether."
The researchers also noted some more promising findings, including that reading with children did not change over the last 20 years. However, reading with children was a lot less common than reading for pleasure, which is concerning given that this activity is tied to early literacy development, academic success and family bonding.
Why it matters
Reading for pleasure has long been recognised not just as a tool for education, but as a means of supporting mental health, empathy, creativity and lifelong learning. The EpiArts Lab, which uses large data sets to examine links between the arts and health, has previously identified clear associations between creative engagement and well-being.
Dr Sonke said: "Reading has historically been a low-barrier, high-impact way to engage creatively and improve quality of life.
"When we lose one of the simplest tools in our public health toolkit, it's a serious loss."
The American Time Use Survey offers a unique window into these trends.
Dr Bone said: "We're working with incredibly detailed data about how people spend their days. 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."
Why are Americans reading less?
The study is observational so cannot explain the reasons behind the trend, but the researchers point to multiple potential factors: the rise of digital media, growing economic pressures, shrinking leisure time and uneven access to books and libraries.
Dr Sonke said: "Our digital culture is certainly part of the story. 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."
What can be done?
The study's authors say that interventions could help slow or reverse the trend, but they need to be strategic.
Professor Daisy Fancourt, EpiArts lab co-director from UCL's Department of Behavioural Science & Health, said: "Reading with children is one of the most promising avenues. It supports not only language and literacy, but empathy, social bonding, emotional development and school readiness."
Dr Bone added that creating more community-centred reading opportunities could also help. "Ideally," she said, "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 study underscores the importance of valuing and protecting access to the arts - not only as a matter of culture, but as a matter of public health.
Professor Fancourt said: "Reading has always been one of the more accessible ways to support well-being.
"To see this kind of decline is concerning, because the research is clear: reading is a vital health-enhancing behaviour for every group within society, with benefits across the life-course."
