In 2022, 52.8% of the population of the European Union (EU) aged 16 and over reported having read books in the last 12 months, according to the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). The data shows a significant variation in reading habits by age, with the youngest age group, 16 to 29 years old, having the highest reading rate at 60.1%. This trend decreases with age: 53.5% of people aged 30 to 54 read books, followed by 52.6% of the 55 to 64 age group, and finally, 47.2% among those over 65 years old.
When breaking down the data by gender, a higher percentage of women in the EU read books, reaching 60.5%, compared to men, who recorded 44.5%. This trend persists when analyzing the number of books read: 28.8% of women and 24.8% of men read less than five books. Additionally, 14.3% of women and 9.8% of men read between five and nine books, while 17.4% of women and 9.9% of men read ten or more books.
Country-wise analysis shows that Luxembourg had the highest proportion of people who read books in the 12 months prior to the survey, at 75.2%. They were followed by Denmark at 72.1% and Estonia at 70.7%. In contrast, Romania reported only 29.5% of readers in the same period, closely followed by Cyprus at 33.1% and Italy at 35.4%.
The release of this data coincides with the celebration of International Book Lovers Day on August 9, 2024, highlighting the importance and benefits of reading in the daily life of European citizens.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
