Have Americans lost their love of reading? Pleasure reading has fallen by 40% in 20 years.

In the United States, people are reading less and less for the pleasure of reading. A new study from the University of Florida and University College London has found that daily reading for pleasure in the United States has declined by more than 40% over the past 20 years , raising urgent questions about the cultural, educational, and health consequences of a nation that reads less.

Published today in the journal iScience , the study analyzed data from more than 236,000 Americans who participated in the American Time Use Survey between 2003 and 2023. The findings suggest a fundamental cultural shift: fewer people are setting aside time in their day to read for pleasure.

"This is not just a simple decline, but a sustained and constant decline of approximately 3% annually."

“This isn't just a drop, but a sustained and steady decline of approximately 3% per year,” says Dr. Jill Sonke, director of research initiatives at the UF Center for Arts in Medicine and co-director of the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts research lab at UF in collaboration with University College London. “It's significant and deeply concerning,” she adds.

It falls more among the black and poor population

The decline was not evenly distributed across the population. Researchers found steeper declines among Black Americans than white Americans, people with lower incomes or education levels, and those living in rural (compared to metropolitan) areas, highlighting the growing disparity in reading access and habits .

“While more educated people and women remain more likely to read , even among these groups, we are seeing changes,” said Dr. Jessica Bone, a senior research fellow in statistics and epidemiology at University College London. “And among those who do read, time spent reading has increased slightly, which could indicate a polarization: some people are reading more, while many have stopped reading altogether.”

Researchers also noted more promising findings, such as the fact that reading with children hasn't changed over the past 20 years. However, reading with children is much less common than reading for pleasure, which is concerning given that this activity is linked to early literacy development, academic success , and family bonding, Bone said.

Why it is important

Reading for pleasure has long been recognized not only as an educational tool, but also as a means to foster mental health, empathy, creativity, and lifelong learning. The EpiArts Lab, which uses large data sets to examine the links between the arts and health , has previously identified clear associations between creative engagement and well-being. “Historically, reading has been a simple and impactful way to engage creatively and improve quality of life,” Sonke said. “When we lose one of the simplest tools in our public health arsenal, it’s a grave loss.”

“We work with incredibly detailed data about how people spend their days,” Bone said. “And because this is a representative sample of American residents in private households, we can observe not only the national trend, but also how it's reflected in different communities.”

Causes of the decline

Although the causes were not part of the study , researchers point to multiple potential factors, including the rise of digital media, increasing economic pressures, shrinking free time, and unequal access to books and libraries.

“Our digital culture is certainly part of the story,” Sonke said. “But there are also structural problems: limited access to reading materials, economic insecurity, and a national decline in free time. If you have multiple jobs or face transportation barriers in a rural area, going to the library may simply be impossible.”

Causes: rise of digital media, increasing economic pressures, shrinking free time, and unequal access to books and libraries

The study's authors say interventions could help slow or reverse the trend, but they must be strategic. “Reading with children is one of the most promising avenues,” said Dr. Daisy Fancourt, professor of psychology and epidemiology at University College London and co-director of the EpiAtrts Lab. “It not only promotes language and literacy, but also empathy, social bonding, emotional development, and school readiness.”

Bone added that creating more community-centered reading opportunities could also help: "Ideally, we would make local libraries more accessible and engaging , encourage reading groups, and make reading a more social and supported activity, not just something you do in isolation."

The study underscores the importance of valuing and protecting access to the arts, not only as a matter of culture, but also as a matter of public health. “Reading has always been one of the most accessible ways to foster well-being,” Fancourt said. “Seeing this kind of decline is worrying, as the research is clear: reading is a vital health behavior for all groups in society, with lifelong benefits.”