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Reading is a highly beneficial activity, both for children and adults.
But how much can you gain by reading? And what are the exact benefits?
Learn it below in my benefits of reading statistics guide for 2024.
Use this jump link to quickly jump to the KEY STATS section of the article.
Also, all the references and resources I used in crafting my guide are listed at the bottom of the page.
Let’s go!
Jump here: Benefits of Reading Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year| Benefits of Reading Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year (Detailed Data)| Statistics on Benefits of Reading for Children| Statistics on Benefits of Reading for Teens and Young Adults
Table of Contents
Benefits of Reading Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year
Benefits of Reading Statistics, Facts and Trends for 2024
- Adults who read for 30 minutes a day live an average of 23 months longer than those who don’t read regularly.
- Reading fiction for just 6 minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68%.
- Adults who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. It’s been shown that reading can slow the rate of memory decline by 32% in late adulthood.
- People who read books for 3.5 hours or more per week are 23% less likely to die over a 12-year period compared to non-readers.
- Reading improves sleep quality, with 42% of adults reporting better sleep when they read before bed.
- Regular readers score 10% higher on tests of empathy compared to infrequent readers. Adults who read literary fiction perform 14% better on tests of social perception and emotional intelligence.
- 81% of adults who read regularly report feeling more connected to their community.
- Adults who read for pleasure report 20% higher life satisfaction and 10% higher self-esteem than non-readers.
- 52% of Americans read for pleasure in 2021, down from 55% in 2019. In 2024 53% of Americans read for pleasure.
- The average American owns less that 100 physical books and reads 12 books per year.
- Women are more likely to read for pleasure than men, with 77% of women reading at least one book in the past year compared to 68% of men.
- 35% of people who read for pleasure do so to relax and reduce stress.
- Adults aged 65 and older read an average of 44 minutes per day, more than any other age group.
- Fiction accounts for 68% of books read for pleasure.
- Children who are read to at least three times a week have a 74% higher likelihood of performing well in school compared to children who are read to less frequently.
- Reading to children from an early age is associated with a 14% increase in their vocabulary by age 3.
- Children who are read to regularly show a 12% increase in phonemic awareness, a crucial skill for learning to read.
- Parents who read to their children at least 5 times per week raise kids who are three times more likely to love reading.
- Reading aloud to children for 15 minutes per day exposes them to approximately 1 million words per year.
- Children who are read to frequently are 28% more likely to develop empathy and understand others’ feelings.
- Regular reading to children is associated with a 37% reduction in aggressive and problem behaviors in preschoolers.
- Less than 20% of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for pleasure.
- More than 80% of teens say they use social media every day.
- Roughly 23% of American adults say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audiobook form.
- 53% of adults reported going to a local public library in the past 12 months.
- There has been a steady decline in reading for pleasure over the past decade.
- Time spent reading for pleasure has dropped among teenagers, even with access to multiple forms of media on smartphones.
- Middle and high school students are spending increasing amounts of time on social media, interactive websites, and video games rather than traditional media.
- Children and teens who have parents that read regularly are more likely to develop reading habits themselves.
Benefits of Reading Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year (Detailed Data)
How Much Longer Do Adults Who Read Daily Live on Average Compared to Those Who Don’t Read Regularly?
Adults who read for 30 minutes a day live an average of 23 months longer than those who don’t read regularly. This phenomena is currently unexplained, but is well documented.
Here’s another interesting stat: people who read books for 3.5 hours or more per week are 23% less likely to die over a 12-year period compared to non-readers.
Perhaps it has something to do with chronic stress? A recent study (which I link in the footer of the page) showed that reading fiction for just 6 minutes per day can reduce stress levels by up to 68% (note: fiction accounts for 68% of books read for pleasure belong to the Fiction genre).
How Many Times Less Likely Are Regular Readers to Develop Alzheimer’s Disease Compared to Non-Readers?
Adults who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Another study showed that regular reading (at least 3 times per week, 30 minutes or more) slows the rate of memory decline by 32% in late adulthood. Memory decline is one of the major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Reading also improves sleep quality, with 42% of adults reporting better sleep when they read before bed.
How Much Higher Do Regular Readers Score on Tests of Empathy Compared to Infrequent Readers?
Regular readers score 10% higher on tests of empathy compared to infrequent readers. It seems that (for some unknow reason) reading fiction has a particularly positive effect on empathy and social intelligence.
Namely, adults who read literary fiction perform 14% better on tests of social perception and emotional intelligence. Further more, 81% of adults who read regularly report feeling more socially connected to their community.
What Percentage of Americans Read for Pleasure?
52% of Americans read for pleasure in 2021, down from 55% in 2019. In 2024 53% of Americans read for pleasure. The average American owns less that 100 physical books and reads 12 books per year.
There are also American who don’t read at all. roughly 23% of American adults say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audiobook form. Having nearly a quarter of population not reading and educating themselves is a problem of huge magnitude.
Compared to Non-Readers, How Much Higher Life Satisfaction and Self-Esteem Do Adults Who Read for Pleasure Report?
Adults who read for pleasure report 20% higher life satisfaction and 10% higher self-esteem than non-readers.
What Percentage of Women and Men Read at Least One Book in the Past Year, and How Do These Percentages Compare?
Women are more likely to read for pleasure than men, with 77% of women reading at least one book in the past year compared to 68% of men.
How Many Minutes per Day Do Adults Aged 65 and Older Read on Average, and How Does This Compare to Other Age Groups?
Adults aged 65 and older read an average of 44 minutes per day, which is more than any other age group.
| Age group | Average time spent reading per day |
|---|---|
| 15–19 | 7.8 minutes |
| 20–24 | 6 minutes |
| 25–34 | 7.2 minutes |
| 35–44 | 9.6 minutes |
| 45–54 | 15 minutes |
| 55–64 | 16.8 minutes |
| 65–74 | 44 minutes |
| 75 and older | 43.8 minutes |
Statistics on Benefits of Reading for Children
How Much More Likely Are Children Who Are Read to at Least Three Times a Week to Perform Well in School?
Children who are read to at least three times a week have a 74% higher likelihood of performing well in school compared to children who are read to less frequently
What Percentage Increase in Vocabulary Is Associated With Reading to Children From an Early Age by Age 3?
Reading to children from an early age is associated with a 14% increase in their vocabulary by age 3. Also, children who are read to regularly show a 12% increase in phonemic awareness, which is a crucial skill for toddlers learning to read.
How Many Times More Likely Are Children to Love Reading if Their Parents Read to Them at Least 5 Times per Week?
Parents who read to their children at least 5 times per week raise kids who are three times more likely to love reading.
How Many Words per Year Are Children Exposed to When Read Aloud to for 15 Minutes per Day?
Reading aloud to children for just 15 minutes per day exposes them to approximately 1 million words per year.
How Much More Likely Are Children Who Are Read to Frequently to Develop Empathy and Understand Others’ Feelings?
Children who are read to frequently are 28% more likely to develop empathy and understand others’ feelings. More empathy= less behavioral problems and lower aggression levels.
Note: Regular reading to children is associated with a 37% reduction in problem behaviors and aggressiveness.
Statistics on Benefits of Reading for Teens and Young Adults
What Percentage of U.S. Teens Report Reading a Book, Magazine or Newspaper Daily for Pleasure?
Less than 20% of U.S. teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for pleasure. On the other hand, more than 80% of teens say they use social media every day and they do read while on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram even. Of course, there are no books there to read.
What Percentage of Teens Reported Going to a Local Public Library in the Past 12 Months?
53% of adults reported going to a local public library in the past 12 months. It’s interesting to note that despite deep digitalization that has us modern people swimming in devices connected to the internet and through which we can read, there are still people who prefer going to the library and getting physical books to read and consume.
What Are Middle and High School Students Spending Increasing Amounts of Time on Instead of Traditional Media?
Middle and high school students are spending increasing amounts of time on social media, interactive websites, and video games rather than traditional media. That’s the reasons why traditional media is investing more in more into digitizing their work and going after web traffic of all demographics.
But the major problem here is probably the dry topics digital media covers (mostly politics and boring finances) which simply aren’t interesting to most teens and young adults.
How Does Parental Reading Habits Affect Children’s Reading Habits?
Children and teens who have parents that read regularly are more likely to develop reading habits themselves.
Benefits of Reading Statistics, Facts and Trends Guide FAQ
What Are the Benefits of Reading Shakespeare?
The benefits of reading Shakespeare is that you’ll have lots of fun, you’ll get acquainted or reacquainted with Elizabethan, and you’ll start to understand numerous reference to Shakespeare’s work in modern filmography.
You’ll have a blast:)
And if you read to your child it too will experience the same benefits, only sooner in life.
What Are the Benefits of Reading Fiction?
The benefits of reading fiction are:
- Stress relief: Reading reduces stress levels by up to 68% in as little as six minutes (see stats in the upper section of this article).
- Creativity: reading fiction can stimulate your imagination and encourage you to think divergently.
- Improved sleep: reading fiction before bed improves the quality of your sleep.
- Empathy: Reading fiction can help you understand others and see the world from a new perspective.
- Vocabulary and knowledge: Reading fiction can help you expand your vocabulary and knowledge.
- Critical thinking: Reading fiction will help you develop critical thinking skills which will be of use to you in the real world.
- Cognitive agility: Reading fiction can help develop cognitive agility and acuity.
- Emotional skills: Reading fiction helps develop in-demand emotional skills.
What Are the Benefits of Reading Out Loud?
The benefits of reading out loud is that you’ll improve your diction. If you’re reading out loud to your child then that will strengthen the bond between you and him/her.
Another benefit to reading out loud is that it’s been proven to boost memory. In other words if you were to read out this “benefits of reading statistics” article out loud you’d remember more stats and facts than if you were to read it silently.
What Are the Benefits of Reading Before Bed?
Reading before bed has many benefits, including:
- Stress relief: Reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. It can help you transition your mind away from the day’s stresses and into a more relaxed state.
- Improved sleep quality: Reading before bed help you sleep better, wake up less often, and sleep for longer. It also helps have more vivid dreams, depending on what you read before turning off the lights.
- Better memory: Reading before bed can help with memory consolidation, which is the process of turning short-term memories into long-term ones.
- Creativity boost: Reading can help nourish your creative side.
- Break from screen time: reading physical books helps separate you from screens and the blue light they emit (blue light is detrimental to sleep).
- Part of a bedtime routine: reading before bed can be part of a bedtime routine that signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep.
What Are the Benefits of Reading to Babies?
The one major benefit is that your baby will get accustomed to your voice. Another benefit is that reading to your baby will stimulate its brain development, which in turn will help build language, literacy, and social-emotional skills.
What Are the Health Benefits of Reading?
Health benefits of reading are too numerous to expand upon here:
But here are some of them:
- Stress reduction: Reading reduces stress levels by lowering blood pressure and heart rate, and by easing muscle tension.
- Better sleep: Reading helps calm your brain, which makes it a great activity to do right before you hit the sack.
- Empathy: Reading can help you understand and share other people’s feelings.
- Improved focus: Reading improves your concentration and focus, especially as technology works hard at shortening it.
- Mental health: Reading can help distract you from negative thoughts and feelings, which in turn will prevent depression from taking hold of you.
- Brain connectivity: Reading improves brain connectivity which helps your brain stay sharp as you age. Sharp brain is the number #1 enemy of serious diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
- Vocabulary and comprehension: Reading increases your vocabulary and comprehension.
- Cognitive decline and better memory: Reading improves memory and helps prevent cognitive decline as you age.
What Are the Benefits of Reading Newspapers?
The benefits of reading newspapers is that you’ll be informed on the current event in your town, counrty and the whole world.
The disadvantages are that you’ll drastically increase your stress levels (newspapers mostly cover the bad stuff happening in the world) and you’ll fill your mind with impractical information you can’t use in your daily life or to better yourself.
I, for instance, loved reading the news and loved the feel of physical newspapers in my hands. But I stopped buying those 7 years ago as I realized they aren’t helping me grow.
It’s was one of the best decisions of my life.
Are There Any Disadvantage to Reading?
Yes, there are disadvantages to reading but they are far outweighed by the pros of the practice.
Some of these disadvantages are:
- Physical discomfort: Carrying heavy books or finding the perfect reading position can cause aches and pains in your back.
- Eye strain and fatigue: Reading too much can lead to eye strain and fatigue.
- Headaches and decreased concentration: Prolonged reading can cause headaches and decreased concentration.
- Information overload: reading can cause information overload which can hinder higher processing levels, leading to inefficiencies in daily life.
- Psychological dangers: Reading can lead to guilt over unfinished tasks, neglected relationships, and more.
- Loss of time: reading takes time and if that time is better spent on some urgent and important task, then reading in that case becomes detrimental.
Benefits of Reading Statistics, Facts and Trends for 2024 (Conclusion)
My updated guide for 2024 lists the best and latest statistics, facts and trends about the general benefits of reading+ advantages of reading books to children and pleasure reading.
I hope you enjoyed it because the guide is now over.
References:
- 8 Astonishing Reading Statistics That Proves Benefits of reading- https://kidsreaddaily.com/8-astonishing-reading-statistics-that-proves-benefits-of-reading/
- Teen Reading Statistics: Benefits of Reading Parents Should Know- https://www.familyeducation.com/school-learning/subject/reading/teen-reading-statistics-benefits-of-reading-parents-should-know
- The Fascinating World of Reading Statistics and Facts- https://www.abtaba.com/blog/59-reading-statistics
- Reading Facts- https://readingagency.org.uk/our-work/our-research/reading-facts/
- A Chapter a Day – Association of Book Reading with Longevity- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5105607/
- 90+ Reading Statistics, Facts and Demographics- https://www.apexaba.com/blog/reading-statistics
- 39 Reading Statistics and Facts You Should Know- https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/research/reading-statistics
- The Benefits of Reading Aloud to Your Students- https://www.waldenu.edu/online-bachelors-programs/bs-in-elementary-education/resource/the-benefits-of-reading-aloud-to-your-students
- Language development and communication benefits of reading out loud- https://speechify.com/blog/benefits-of-reading-out-loud/
- 4 Reasons Why Reading Out Loud Is Actually Good For You- https://www.literaturelust.com/post/4-reasons-why-reading-out-loud-is-actually-good-for-you
- 19 Surprising Stats on Reading- https://www.becomingyourbest.com/project/19-surprising-stats-on-reading/
- https://www.becomingyourbest.com/project/19-surprising-stats-on-reading/- https://australiareads.org.au/research-review/
- Is reading really a good habit?- https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/14h8ova/is_reading_really_a_good_habit/
- 49 Reading Statistics & Facts You Should Know- https://www.goldenstepsaba.com/resources/reading-statistics
- Statistics highlight the importance of “If You Give a Child a Book…” campaign- https://www.krtv.com/donate/give-a-book/literacy-statistics-highlight-importance-of-if-you-give-a-child-a-book-campaign
- 9 Benefits of Reading Print Books, According to Science- https://www.realsimple.com/health/preventative-health/benefits-of-reading-real-books
- Why is reading important? The lifelong benefits of reading- https://www.95percentgroup.com/insights/reading-importance/
- Benefits of Reading Every Day- https://wordsrated.com/benefits-of-reading-every-day/
- Benefits of Reading Books: How It Can Positively Affect Your Life- https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books
- The Surprising Power of Reading Fiction: 9 Ways it Make Us Happier and More Creative- https://buffer.com/resources/reading-fiction/
- The Case for Reading Fiction- https://hbr.org/2020/03/the-case-for-reading-fiction
- 10 Surprising Benefits of Reading Fiction for Working Professionals- https://www.smitaswritepen.com/post/10-brilliant-benefits-of-reading-fiction-for-working-professionals
- New Data from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™ Finds Kids are Reading Less as They Age- https://mediaroom.scholastic.com/index.php?q=press-release/new-data-scholastic-kids-family-reading-report-finds-kids-are-reading-less-they-age
- 30 Key Child Literacy Stats Parents Need To Be Aware Of- https://literacyproj.org/2019/02/14/30-key-child-literacy-stats-parents-need-to-be-aware-of/
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.