Eight out of ten read books

Culture and entertainment: This is according to the reader survey, which the Booksellers Association and the Publishers Association presented on World Book Day on Tuesday.

There is a slight decrease in the proportion of the population who have read or listened to a book since the last survey three years ago. Now 81 per cent answer affirmatively, while the proportion was 83 per cent in 2021.

The most important reasons people gave for reading last year were that they had more time and that there were more books they wanted to read.

For those who answered that they had not read a book last year, the most important reasons since the last survey were that they have had less time to read, increased mobile phone use and that they spent more time on films and series.

Most people choose paper books when they want to read. A total of 75 percent of all books we read are on paper. 17 percent are in audiobook format and 8 percent are e-books.

The reader survey also shows that fewer people than before read to their children. In 2017, 93 per cent of parents with children under 10 answered that they read aloud to their children. In this year’s survey, it has fallen to 75 per cent.

– Parents’ reading is crucial for children’s vocabulary and enjoyment of reading. Now these figures are also falling, this is dramatic, says managing director Trine Skei Grande of the Publishers’ Association.

The reader survey was carried out by Norstat for the Booksellers’ Association and the Publishers’ Association. 2061 have answered the survey, which was carried out in February this year.

Half of the population (49 per cent) read at least one book per quarter. And over half a million Norwegians are “super readers”. This means that they read at least 25 books a year.

At the same time, streaming is becoming more popular, the figures show. One in three say they stream books – 33 per cent – ​​up from 27 per cent three years ago. Among these, half believe that they read/listen to more books than before.

(© NTB)