The decline in reading for pleasure over 20 years of the American Time Use Survey
August 20th, 2025
A new study analyzing two decades of American Time Use Survey data (2003–2023) reveals steep declines in daily reading for pleasure across the U.S., with engagement dropping about 3% per year. The findings highlight widening disparities by race, education, and income, underscoring the urgent need for targeted strategies to expand access to and opportunities for reading.
iScience
Posted bySamuel Garrett
Pending staff verification
Notify
Abstract/Description
Reading has a wide range of benefits for literacy, employment, and health as well as promoting cultural understanding. However, previous monitoring of reading in the US has been inconsistent, with some studies demonstrating large declines over time, and others suggesting engagement has not changed. We measure reading for pleasure and reading with children from 2003 to 2023, using a nationally representative sample from the American Time Use Survey (n = 236,270). We found marked declines in the proportion of individuals reading for pleasure daily in the US, with decreases of 3% per year (prevalence ratio = 0.97, 95% confidence interval = 0.97, 0.98, p
