Reading

Our research into reading explores reading enjoyment, reading habits and reading motivation. It highlights how these have changed over time and how they are impacted by sociodemographic background, access to books and the home environment. Our Annual Literacy Survey has been tracking changes in enjoyment, attitudes to and behaviours in reading since 2005 and is the biggest study of its kind in the world.
We also explore book ownership, library provision and other issues around access to reading. Find out more.
Key statistics in reading
- 1 in 2 (51.5%) children and young people said in 2021 that they enjoyed reading. Find out more.
- 3 in 10 (30.1%) children and young people said in 2021 that they read something daily in their free time. Find out more.
- 2 in 5 (44.6%) children and young people agreed in 2021 that reading made them feel better. Find out more.
Reading and COVID-19
During the first spring lockdown, children and young people's enjoyment of reading increased from 47.8% pre-lockdown to 55.9% post-lockdown, having reached a 15-year low before lockdown. However, data from 2021 shows that these gains weren't sustained, with reading enjoyment levels dropping between the spring lockdown in 2020 and early 2021. This was true particularly for boys and those who receive free school meals. Find out more.
Latest research on reading
Research View detailsThis report outlines children and young people's feelings about reading in early 2021, a period that coincided with the third national lockdown in the UK.Research
Multilingual young people’s reading in 2021
Celebrating the diverse linguistic backgrounds and skills of young people by focusing on multilingual learner reading enjoyment, behaviours and linguistic identity.Research View detailsDiversity and children and young people’s reading in 2020
Our new research into diversity in children’s literature shows that a third of children don’t see themselves in books they read
What else we know about reading
- Not reading at the expected level puts children at an increased risk of experiencing unemployment and poor health as adults. Find out more.
- Technology can provide a route into reading for traditionally reluctant less engaged readers. Find out more.
- Strong reading skills have been shown to improve children’s academic attainment across a range of subjects, including English, maths and science. Find out more.

Our work on reading
Young Readers Programme
Reading for enjoyment is key to improving literacy skills. The Young Readers Programme runs fun events where children can choose books to take home and keep.Competitions and Reading Champions Challenges
Each term we run exciting challenges and competitions available to all UK schools to encourage reading for pleasure, develop reading stamina and increase reading diversity.Reading for Pleasure CPD
Engage with research and develop sustainable strategies to embed a culture of reading in your school and classroom.