Internet users still read books every day or most days, says global study

Almost a third (30%) of internet users still read books ‘every day or most days’ according to a new 17-country study by global market analysts GfK (The Financial, 27 March 2017).

Chinese internet users led the book reading ‘every day or most days’ response with 36% of them indicating that they still read books, followed by Spain (32%) and the United Kingdom (32%).

Daily readers and those who read a book ‘at least once a week’ comprised 59% of  all respondents, with China leading at 70%, followed by Russia (59%) and Spain (57%).

Over a third (35%) of people in high income households said that they read books ‘every day or most days’ compared to 24% of those in low income households.

Women internet users are more likely to be readers than men. Overall 32% of women reported reading books ‘every day or most days’ compared to 27% of men. The gender gap for daily book readers is widest in the Netherlands with 30% of women and 14% of men – a gap of 16% points. Spain had the second widest gender gap of daily readers with 40% of women and 25% of men – a gap of 15% points. Canada had the third widest gender gap of daily readers with 36% of women and 23% of men – a gap of 13% points. Germany had the fourth widest gender gap of daily readers with 31% of women and 19% of men – a gap of 12% points.

About 10% of people in low income households claim that they ‘never’ read books, compared to 3% in high income households. The Netherlands and South Korea have the highest percentage of their online/internet population who report ‘never’ reading books, with 16% each. In South Korea this is evenly divided between women and men, but in the Netherlands 23% of men and 9% of women say that they ‘never’ read books. Other countries in which residents report that they ‘never’ read books are: Belgium (14%), and Canada, France, and Japan (all 11%).

Book stores are interested in this self-reported analysis, which they compare with actual in-store and online sales.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).