UK among nations with the biggest reading public according to new global EIBF study

A new study of current trends and consumer attitudes to buying and reading books has found the UK to be among the nations with the biggest reading public. 

The European International Booksellers Federation’s (EIBF) Study on Consumer Behaviour (book-buying trends, reading habits and customer needs) was commissioned through its three-year EU co-funded project RISE Bookselling. According to the study, 92% of UK respondents were heavy readers. Overall, 92% of UK respondents reported having read a book in the past 12 months, compared to 94% in Italy, 91% in Ireland, 81% in the US, 88% in France and 87% in Germany. 

Throughout spring 2024, Belgian consultancy Listen conducted an online quantitative survey in 19 countries across the globe, where EIBF’s members are based. A representative sample of 500 respondents was collected per country, and 9,500 people were surveyed in total. 

The countries included in the study were Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. 

Countries where a high proportion of people surveyed had read a book in the past 12 months also included Spain (91%), the Netherlands (86%), New Zealand (81%) and Norway (84%). On the lower end were Latvia (76%) and Slovakia (76%), with the average standing at 85%. 

In the UK, 78% of people had purchased a book in the past 12 months, slightly above the study average of 72%, and 42% reported that reading was a hobby in their adult life—above the recorded average of 34% across the surveyed countries. While British respondents said they purchased mainly paper books, 41% said they bought e-books. This was above the 28 % average for e-books. Other above average e-book reading countries according to the study were the USA (40%), Spain (34%), New Zealand (36%) and Italy (35%). 

Like the other countries, the UK book market was found to be mainly dominated by fiction, followed by biographies and memoirs. Nearly 80% of the British respondents (79%) said they buy their books both online and in physical shops, 10% said they bought in physical bookshops only, less than the 14% average, and 11% only bought online, above the 9% average.

Audiobooks were the least purchased format in the UK, with 19% saying they had purchased one in the past 12 months, just above the 16% average across the countries. The US was above average in this category, with 26% of respondents having bought an audiobook in the past 12 months, as was Sweden at 29%. 

EIBF co-President, Fabian Paagman, said of the study: "In a rapidly evolving world marked by digital transformation, changing consumer preferences, and the enduring impact of globalisation, booksellers face unprecedented challenges—but also remarkable opportunities. To navigate this dynamic landscape, booksellers need not only passion and dedication but also solid data and a deep understanding of their customers’ habits, preferences, and needs."

The study is presented in 19 one-page reports, each highlighting the results for a specific country and comparing them with the overall average results of those surveyed. All are available on the RISE website under the publications section.