Though Americans increasingly listen to audiobooks, print books remain the most popular format for reading.
When asked whether one prefers to read, watch or listen to their news, younger adults are far more likely than older adults to opt for text – and most of that reading is occurring on the web.
A growing share of Americans are reading e-books on tablets and smartphones rather than dedicated e-readers, but print books remain much more popular than books in digital formats
On cellphones, longer news stories get about twice the engaged time from readers as shorter pieces do. They also get roughly the same number of visitors.
The number of book readers has dipped a bit from the previous year and the number of e-book readers has remained flat.
As librarians around the country gather in Las Vegas for the American Library Association’s annual conference, here are findings that stand out from our research.
The typical U.S. adult read five books in the past 12 months.
The proportion of Americans who read e-books is growing, but few have completely replaced print books for electronic versions.
The number of Americans ages 16 and older who own tablet computers has grown to 35%, and the share who have e-reading devices like Kindles and Nooks has grown to 24%. Overall, the number of people who have a tablet or an e-book reader among those 16 and older now stands at 43%.
Explore the changes in Americans' reading habits, from decreases in printed books to rises in e-books, over time in this interactive.
