Children's reading enjoyment at its lowest in 20 years, survey finds
National Literacy Trust research finds only 32.7% of 8 to 18-year-olds enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025, the lowest level in 20 years.
The National Literacy Trust published Children and young people's reading in 2025 on 3 June 2025. The report draws on 114,970 responses to its Annual Literacy Survey from children and young people aged 5 to 18 in early 2025.
It found that 32.7% of those aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time, the lowest figure since the Trust began asking in 2005 and a fall of 36% over that period. Only 18.7% of 8 to 18-year-olds said they read daily in their free time. Among 5 to 8-year-olds, 44.5% read daily.
The fall in enjoyment over the past year was especially steep among primary-aged children and among boys aged 11 to 16. Children not receiving free school meals were more likely to read daily than those who did.
Why it matters: today's young readers are tomorrow's book buyers, and the figures suggest a long-term challenge for the whole trade. For children's and young adult publishers, formats and subjects that reach reluctant readers may deserve particular attention.
Source: National Literacy Trust: Children and young people's reading in 2025.