In a troubling development for educators and parents alike, a new survey by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) has uncovered a dramatic decline in children’s reading habits, signaling what experts describe as a potential crisis. The latest figures show that the percentage of young people who enjoy reading has fallen to its lowest point in almost twenty years.
The NLT’s Annual Literacy Survey, which gathered responses from 76,131 children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 in early 2024, highlights a stark decrease in both the enjoyment and frequency of reading. Notably, the decline is most pronounced among boys, raising questions about gender-specific engagement strategies.
Key statistics from the survey include:
- Only 34.6% of children and young people aged 8 to 18 reported enjoying reading during their leisure time in 2024, marking an 8.8 percentage point drop over the past year.
- A mere 20.5% of individuals aged 8 to 18 indicated that they read something daily in their free time, the lowest daily reading rate recorded since the survey began in 2005. This represents a 7.5 percentage point decrease within the last year alone.
Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the NLT, expressed his concerns to The Guardian: “With children and young people’s enjoyment of reading at an all-time low and many leaving school without essential reading skills, the future prospects of an entire generation are at stake.”
The report delves into various factors affecting reading habits, including age, gender, socio-economic status, and regional differences. It underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to rekindle children’s interest in reading and to ensure they develop the literacy skills necessary for their academic and personal growth.
“The findings are deeply disheartening,” Douglas added. “A report intended to explore reading enjoyment has revealed a situation that is anything but enjoyable. The significant drop in both reading pleasure and frequency is alarming and demands immediate attention.”
