Reading for Pleasure Has Declined by a ‘Deeply Concerning’ 40 Percent Over the Past Two Decades

Reading for Pleasure Has Declined by a ‘Deeply Concerning’ 40 Percent Over the Past Two Decades

Between 2003 and 2023, the proportion of Americans who read for fun on a given day has been steadily falling, a new study suggests

By Sarah Kuta – Daily Correspondent, August 26, 2025

Fewer Americans are reading for pleasure. Imgorthand via Getty Images

When was the last time you curled up with a good book or flipped through the pages of a magazine? If it’s been a while, you’re not alone: The number of Americans who read for fun has plummeted over the past two decades, new research finds.

Between 2003 and 2023, the proportion of Americans who read for pleasure on a given day dropped by around 3 percent each year, according to a new paper published in the journal iScience. Reading reached its peak in 2004, when around 28 percent of individuals reported reading for pleasure. But by 2023, that number had dropped to 16 percent—a decline of roughly 40 percent.

Reading for fun has been declining since the 1940s. However, the “sustained, steady” drop over the past 20 years is “deeply concerning,” says study co-author Jill Sonke, research director at the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, in a statement.

The results are troubling because reading has always been “one of the more accessible ways to support well-being,” adds co-author Daisy Fancourt, a behavioral health researcher at University College London, in the statement. “The research is clear: Reading is a vital health-enhancing behavior for every group within society, with benefits across the life-course.”

Quick fact: Analyzing how Americans spend their time

For this study, the researchers analyzed data from the annual American Time Use Survey, which asks thousands of Americans ages 15 and older to provide a detailed account of how they spent their time over a 24-hour period.

The scientists studied the responses of more than 236,000 Americans. The survey used a broad definition of “reading for personal interest,” one that included books, magazines, newspapers, audiobooks and e-readers.

In addition to the overall decline, the researchers also found disparities between different groups. For example, Black Americans were less likely to read for fun than white Americans, and men were less likely than women. Older individuals, those with higher education levels and those with higher income levels were also more likely to read for pleasure.

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