The average daily time spent reading by individuals in the United States in 2023 amounted to 0.26 hours, or 15.6 minutes. According to the study, adults over the age of 75 were the most avid readers, spending over 45 minutes reading each day. Meanwhile, those aged between 15 and 19 years read for less than nine minutes per day on average.
A 2020 survey on preferred book formats found that 70 percent of U.S. adults favored print books over e-books or audiobooks. However, engagement with digital books is growing. Figures from an annual study on book consumption revealed that the share of adults who reported reading an audiobook in the last year almost doubled between 2011 and 2019, and e-book readership also grew overall during that period.
Average daily time spent reading per capita in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group
(in hours)
Adjust the presentation of the statistic and data points.
Share the statistic on social media channels or embed the statistic in your
website using "Embed Code", where available.
Cite this statistic and select one of the following formats: APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA & Bluebook.
Print the statistic including description and metadata.
Chart type
Average daily time spent reading per capita in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group
Share this statistic
You have no right to use this feature.
Make sure to contact us if you are interested in scientific citation.
You can upgrade your account to enable this functionality for all statistics.
This feature is not available with your current account.Request access
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (June 27, 2024). Average daily time spent reading per capita in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group (in hours) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 05, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/412454/average-daily-time-reading-us-by-age/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Average daily time spent reading per capita in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group (in hours)." Chart. June 27, 2024. Statista. Accessed January 05, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/412454/average-daily-time-reading-us-by-age/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Average daily time spent reading per capita in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group (in hours). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 05, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/412454/average-daily-time-reading-us-by-age/
Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Average Daily Time Spent Reading per Capita in The United States from 2018 to 2023, by Age Group (in Hours)." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Jun 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/412454/average-daily-time-reading-us-by-age/
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average daily time spent reading per capita in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group (in hours) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/412454/average-daily-time-reading-us-by-age/ (last visited January 05, 2025)
Average daily time spent reading per capita in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group (in hours) [Graph], Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 27, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/412454/average-daily-time-reading-us-by-age/
Profit from additional features with an Employee Account
Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites.
Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.