This new report explores the reading enjoyment, habits, motivations and engagement of 7,739 children and young people aged 8 to 18 across 61 schools in Scotland who took part in our 2025 Annual Literacy Survey. Building on our findings from 2023, it provides a detailed picture of how young people in Scotland are reading today, and what might help re-engage those who currently feel disconnected from reading.
Key findings
Reading enjoyment
- Just 3 in 10 (30.3%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 in Scotland said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025, meaning that (69.7%) did not enjoy reading.
- Enjoyment varied by gender and age, with more girls than boys enjoying reading (36.3% vs 23.5%), and the highest levels of enjoyment among 8–11‑year‑olds (40.8%).
Daily reading in free time
- Only 1 in 6 (16.8%) young people read daily, while nearly 1 in 3 (32.5%) said they rarely or never read in their free time.
What children and young people are reading
- Overall, the most popular reading materials were song lyrics, fiction, non‑fiction and comics/ graphic novels.
- 2 in 5 (43.2%) of children and young people read fiction in print in free time, while 1 in 5 (20.4%) read fiction digitally.
- Many also reported reading screen-only materials. The most popular digital reading materials were direct messages (66.8%) and social media content (60.4%). 1 in 2 (50.1%) said they read websites.
Why young people read
Among children and young people who read at least monthly, motivations fell into three broad categories:
- Curious readers: Read to learn new things, improve vocabulary and develop focus and critical thinking. For example, more than 1 in 2 read to learn new things (54.0%) or new words (53.1%).
- Mindful readers: Read for relaxation, creativity and happiness. For example, 3 in 5 (61.4%) said reading helped them relax.
- Social readers: Read to explore issues they care about (23.8%) or to feel connected to the world (21.9%).
What might re‑engage disengaged readers?
When asked what would make them read more, among children and young people who enjoy reading only 'a bit' or 'not at all':
- Books linked to films or TV were the top motivator (37.4%)
- Books that match their hobbies and interests (33.5%) and engaging covers/titles (29.7%) were also popular
- Being able to choose what they read mattered for 1 in 4 (25.4%) disengaged readers.
Mirroring broader UK-wide trends, reading enjoyment and frequency have reached a crisis point in Scotland. This is concerning given the wide‑ranging benefits of reading for attainment, wellbeing, creativity and connection. However, findings also offer encouraging signs, in that most young people still recognise the value of reading, especially for relaxation, creativity and learning. Younger children remain the most engaged, indicating a need to focus on sustaining early positive reading experiences into adolescence.
With thanks to Scottish Book Trust for their support.