Americans Read Twelve Books a Year, Pew Study Finds

September 9, 2016

African American man looking down at smartphone.Americans read an average of twelve books per year according to the results of a Pew Research Center study released last week. The findings were collected in a national telephone survey of 1,520 American adults conducted March 7 to April 4, 2016.

The study also found that most Americans still reach for a print book rather than a digital device—only 28% of Americans this year have read an ebook, while 65% read a print book. Even fewer Americans—14%—consumed an audiobook.

Despite the continued reign of print, though, changes in the ebook landscape reflect a changing set of reading habits among Americans. Many Americans are turning to their smartphones and tablets to read ebooks rather than to use e-readers. Sixteen percent of black individuals, for instance, reported that they use their cellphones to read books, which is quadruple times the share who read books using e-readers (4%).

The study also found that younger adults are more likely than older adults to read for work, school, or pleasure. Review the full the results at Pew Research’s website.

Related news: The Dictionary of American Regional English has launched a “sonsy” campaign to save words that are “on the cusp of extinction.”

 

Photo Credit: Derick Anies.


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