In data: writing more, reading less

Bookish Britain?

Unread tomes are piling up

The land of Shakespeare is proud of its literary heritage, and Britain still leads the way with 2,875 new titles per million people published each year—putting it top of the world table. But we lag behind when it comes to reading, just over five hours a week (bad, but not as bad as Germany). India leads the way with over 10 hours per week, a total that popular printed newspapers may flatter.

But back in the UK, are books becoming something to own rather than use? The e-book revolution is slowing, with sales of printed books making a comeback. But how many are really being read? Not many if library attendance is any guide. Cuts and closures won’t have helped, but the proportion of adults attending a library has crashed by a third over a decade.

The comeback codex

E-book growth has slowed, while the printed book is back

Printed and digital sales 2012-16

Borrowing crisis

Fewer and fewer adults are using libraries

Percentage of adults who have used a public library in the last year