We read a lot more books in 2020 because of lockdowns.

Did we read as much in 2021?

That’s what we set about to find out in our 2021 edition of world reading habits. We’ve compiled all of our research into another infographic.

Our infographic reveals which countries are reading the most, what they’re reading, and how the ongoing pandemic continued to impact reading habits across the globe.

Some highlights of our research include:

  • People in India, Thailand, and China spend the most hours reading books per week, according to the NOP World Culture Score Index
  • The romance genre is the most popular among US readers
  • Of all the generations, Millennials read the most books
  • Finland, Poland, and Estonia have the highest concentration of readers in Europe
  • Audiobooks are growing in popularity in China
  • The pandemic led to a decrease in literacy rates in developing countries

Want the lowdown on exactly how much the world was reading in 2021, and what we were reading?

Check out the infographic below to discover more about worldwide reading habits in 2021:

world reading habits 2021 infographic

Let’s break down our infographic in more detail:

USA

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey, Americans read approximately 25% more than usual during May–December 2020 compared to 2019 — a trend that carried into the following year as pandemic habits persisted. Those aged between 20 and 34 averaged 6.6 minutes of leisure reading per day.

Although some US citizens were consuming more books, 23% of Americans had not picked up a single book in the past year. In addition, according to Pew Research, rural Americans were less likely than urban or suburban residents to have read a book in the past 12 months.

Printed books are the preference of 39% of the population, with only 5% opting for audiobooks.

Romance remains the biggest-selling genre in the USA.

Europe

Europeans are among the world’s most consistent readers, with many spending at least one hour each day reading.

Finland, Poland, and Estonia have the highest concentration of readers in Europe, with 16.8% of Finnish citizens claiming reading to be their favourite pastime.

France, Romania, Austria, and Belgium have fewer readers compared with the rest of the EU.

Digital literacy is rising rapidly, with at least 56% of the population in Europe aged between 16 and 74 having basic digital literacy.

Asia

According to the NOP World Culture Score Index — the most widely cited comparative study of reading time, conducted across 30 countries in 2004–2005 — India, China, and Thailand spend the most time reading per week.

Although they read frequently, these countries are not the most literate. Lower literacy levels are primarily attributed to limited access to libraries, newspapers, and computers.

Koreans spend significant amounts on books. 12% of Koreans made personal development a new year’s resolution and planned on using books as their preferred medium for learning.

In China, audiobooks are trending. They are popular among both youth and older generations, with numbers steadily rising. In 2019, 30% of adults and 34% of minors regularly used audiobooks.

China also has one of the highest percentages of everyday book readers.

Asian female authors are producing widely read and acclaimed books now being translated into English. Top titles include Bright by Duanwad Pimwana (translated from Thai), Heaven by Mieko Kawakami (translated from Japanese), and Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin (translated from Chinese).

Africa

Reading is considered a leisure activity in African households, with 7 out of every 10 adults claiming that they read for this purpose.

Reading is the fifth most popular leisure activity in Africa.

Although reading is a leisure activity for most Africans, more than 16 million South Africans don’t own a single book — equating to almost 58% of the population.

In South Africa, only 14% of the population read books. However, among the adult population, 25% read regularly.

While those 16 million South Africans (roughly 58%) don’t own a single book, 42% of households own one or more books, and 7% of the South African population own more than ten books.

Global literacy

Global literacy for 2021 was 86%, with women having higher illiteracy rates than men.

East Asia and the Pacific have the world’s highest literacy rate (95.7%) compared to sub-Saharan Africa, which has the lowest rate (65.47%).

Overall literacy in first-world nations continues to rise, with countries like Luxembourg, Andorra, and Norway reporting 100% literacy rates.

Guinea, Niger, Djibouti, Kiribati, and Niue are among the least literate nations.

Africa’s literacy rate remains low. One in three African adults cannot read, and 48 million people aged between 15 and 24 are illiterate.

Global literacy by generation

The youth are more literate than adults, thanks to increased access to schools and early childhood development programmes.

Although it is encouraging to see adult literacy rates increasing year on year, literacy levels in sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income countries are still well below the global average of 86%.

When looking at reading habits by generation, Millennials dominate in book reading and mainly use libraries to source reading materials.

Gen Z has made the most significant improvement in reading volume but prefers social media to discover new titles.

Boomers and the Silent Generation choose reading materials based on bestseller lists, with Gen X opting to consume reading material — mainly news — online.

Across the generational spectrum, 61% of readers prefer non-fiction over fiction.

Paper books still reign supreme

Over 1.5 million book titles were published in 2021, with printed book sales increasing by 18.5% during the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2020.

US book publishing industry revenue reached $29.3 billion in 2021, a 12.3% increase over 2020, according to the Association of American Publishers. Ebooks accounted for approximately 9% of that total. Overall, ebook sales declined marginally by 8%.

Printed books continue to lead. 66% of book readers prefer them for the reading experience they offer.

Print books outsold ebooks 4 to one.

When looking at genre sales volumes, fiction, romance, fantasy, and sci-fi topped the list.

The largest increase by far was in graphic novels, whose sales rose by 146%.

The popularity of audiobooks is rising, with North America dominating with a market share of over 46%.

The largest player in the audiobook market is Audible, which offers over 200,000 titles on its platform.

What are people reading

Romance continues to dominate and remains the most profitable fiction genre worldwide.

Crime/Mystery comes in second place, with Religious and Inspirational titles leading in most popular non-fiction.

The adaptation of books into Netflix series and blockbuster films continued to grow in 2021.

Box office releases included Sara Gay Forden’s The House of Gucci, starring Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, and Frank Herbert’s dystopian sci-fi Dune.

The bestsellers list for 2021 included several female authors, with Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising, and Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me among the top titles.

Covid-19 and lockdowns’ impact on reading habits

COVID-19 severely disrupted most industries, with education among the hardest hit.

Forced closures and disruptions led to over 100 million children across the globe falling below the minimum proficiency level in reading.

These numbers are expected to take years to reverse, with ongoing challenges around technology access, power reliability, and the cost of online schooling — particularly in lower-income nations.

Developing nations saw a measurable decrease in literacy rates in 2021, with African nations facing the most acute infrastructure gaps to address.

On the positive side, the pandemic helped many readers rediscover books. Top picks included Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and Roald Dahl’s classic Matilda.

The relevance of libraries in 2021

Libraries remain the biggest institutional buyers of books globally — and readership data suggests they are far from declining.

In the US, both young and older readers use public libraries, with statistics showing that more than half of those aged 6–17 use libraries to source books.

Conclusion

2021 was another demanding year for readers and the publishing industry alike. Despite continued disruption, print books held their ground, new voices reached global audiences, and literacy data — while mixed — pointed to meaningful progress in many regions.

Books have proven their staying power. Authors continue to tell their stories, and readers across the globe remain enthusiastic about reading.

Sources

  • https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2021/may/best-books-of-lockdown.html
  • https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/90351-publishing-industry-sales-rose-by-3-billion-in-2021.html
  • https://ourworldindata.org/literacy
  • https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-highest-literacy-rates-in-the-world.html
  • https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/literacy-rate-by-country
  • https://www.ibisworld.com/global/market-size/global-book-publishing/
  • https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/audiobooks-market
  • https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/86061-the-print-books-sales-surge-continues.html
  • https://proactivewriter.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-genre-for-your-book-what-is-the-most-popular-best-selling-book-genre
  • https://fortune.com/2021/08/21/rom-com-pandemic-book-sales-romance-bookstore-day/
  • https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/g34863788/books-being-made-into-movies-2021/
  • https://www.statista.com/statistics/299074/book-consumption-per-capita-print-ebook-usa
  • https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/dispatches/article/11-translated-books-by-asian-women-writers-to-read-this-witmonth
  • https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/reports/do-only-14-south-africans-read-books
  • https://bookriot.com/american-pandemic-reading-habits/
  • https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/09/21/who-doesnt-read-books-in-america/

Editor’s Note (June 2026): This article and its accompanying infographic were originally published in December 2021. Statistics reflect data available at that time. Some figures may have since been revised or superseded.