Third of adults name books their top form of escapism, PA survey finds

Books are the top form of escapism for a third (33%) of adults, according to a new poll conducted by the Publishers Association (PA), following on the heels of watching TV (54%).

On behalf of the PA, the polling company Savanta interviewed a nationally representative sample of 2,271 adults aged 18 and over across the UK over the period 26th to 28th May 2023. After reading, the best forms of escapism were: watching a programme on a streaming service such as Netflix or Apple TV (32%), looking at social media (27%), listening to the radio (24%), going to the pub (21%), going to the cinema (16%) and listening to a podcast (14%).

In addition to this, it was found that members of the public are likely to retain, reuse or recycle their books: 41% of respondents stated they keep the book for themselves, followed by 34% who pass it on to a friend or family member; 33% give their used books to charity shops, 12% sell them online, and only 7% throw them out.

Dan Conway, c.e.o. of the PA, said: “The polling released today not only shows the importance of books to peoples’ mental health and well-being, but is a testament to their longevity and value. Books are a great way for us all to escape from our everyday routines, and if we are able to share that with our friends, families, and more widely, we could be making a huge difference to people’s lives without even realising it.”

“The UK’s publishing industry is booming and continues to show the vital role it plays among the wider creative industries. We look forward to seeing how this grows and progresses this year”. 

The polling was released as the PA launches its second annual Insights Dashboard, following the Year in Publishing summary that was launched in April. This once again showed growth for the sector, with total sales for the UK’s publishing industry reaching £6.9 billion – up 4% from 2021 – while 669 million physical books were sold last year, the highest overall level ever recorded. 

The export market has played a huge role in the industry’s success in 2022 with an 8% increase, which takes its total to £4.1 billion, according to the PA.