A YouGov poll has revealed much about reading habits among the British public. “The median Briton,” said YouGov, “has read just three books in the past year.” At the present, reading is “far from a universal habit” among adults in the UK. Over the last year, the median Briton has only read (or listened to) to three books and 40% have not read or listened to a single one in that time.
Just under a quarter said that they have read between one and five in the last year while a further 10% have been reading or listening to between six and ten. An additional 10% have consumed between 11 and 20 books or audiobooks while a small number, 4%, are “mega-readers,” having read over 50 in that time or around one or more a week.
Two thirds of women, compared with just over half of men have read at least one book in the last year, the survey found. Older Britons are more likely to be readers; 65% of over 65s and 63% of 50-64-year-olds have read at least one book or listened to one audiobook over the last year. That falls, albeit slightly, to 57% and 53% for 25-49-year-olds and 18-24-year-olds respectively.
A class divide in reading has also been revealed. 66% of those in middle class households have read or listened to at least one book over the last 12 months compared with 52% of those in working class households.
Fiction is more popular with 55% of those who are reading opting for it. 18% of readers say they exclusively read fiction compared with 19% of those who say they mostly or only read non-fiction. A further 23% say they tend to read a mix of the two.
Women are more likely to opt for fiction with 63% saying that most or all of they books they are reading or listening to are fiction. For men, that figure falls to 46%.
Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.
Follow us on:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!
We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!
