This report presents the latest findings from our Annual Literacy Survey on children and young people’s reading enjoyment, frequency and experiences in 2026. It draws on responses from 125,375 children and young people aged 5 to 18 from 479 schools across the UK.
After several years of decline, the findings show a small increase in both reading enjoyment and daily reading. However, increases were not experienced equally, with ongoing differences by age, gender and socio‑economic background, and should be considered within the context of a longer-term downward trend.
Importantly, the research shows that many children and young people still engage with reading even when enjoyment is low, acknowledging its benefits for learning, wellbeing and understanding oneself and others.
Key findings
Reading enjoyment rose in 2026 after four years of decline
- More than 1 in 3 (36.1%) children and young people said they enjoyed reading in their free time, up from 32.7% in 2025.
- This is the first increase in reading enjoyment since 2021.
- Enjoyment increased for both boys and girls and across all age groups, with the largest rises in those aged 14 to 16 and 16 to 18.
- Among children aged 5 to 8, enjoyment remained high overall, but fell slightly from 62.6% in 2025 to 61.6% in 2026, driven by a decrease in boys’ enjoyment levels.
- Socio‑economic inequalities widened, with enjoyment rising more among those not receiving free school meals (FSMs) than among those who did.
Daily reading also increased slightly in 2026
- In 2026, 1 in 5 (20.3%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 said they read daily in their free time, up from 18.7% in 2025.
- This marks the first increase in daily reading since 2023, although levels remain below earlier years.
- Daily reading increased across all age groups, particularly among those aged 14 to 16 and 16 to 18.
- Among children aged 5 to 8, daily reading rose slightly to 45.5%, driven by increased daily reading in girls.
- As with reading enjoyment, socio-economic gaps in daily reading widened in 2026, with daily reading increasing more among those not receiving FSMs than those who did.
Reading still matters even when enjoyment is low
- More children and young people who enjoyed reading read daily than those who did not enjoy reading (49.8% vs 4.5%). The relationship became stronger with age, with reading enjoyment and frequency more closely aligned among older age groups.
- Children and young people who enjoyed reading and read daily were most likely to say that reading supported their learning, relaxation and wellbeing, as well as helping them to understanding themselves and others.
- However, many of those who did not enjoy reading were still reading regularly, with more than 3 in 5 reading at least once a month (62.3%) and feeling that reading supported their learning and understanding in particular.
As the National Year of Reading continues, these findings offer both encouragement and a clear reminder that progress cannot be taken for granted. The small rise in reading enjoyment and daily reading is welcome, but inequalities remain, and many children and young people are still at risk of disengaging from reading. Findings also emphasise not only the importance of enjoyment, but of exploring the wider reasons why reading may matter in children and young people’s lives.