Uptick in children and teenagers enjoying reading for first time in 5 years
Summary
More children and teenagers in the UK are enjoying reading again after several years of decline. A survey found that 36.1% of young people now like reading in their free time, and more say they read every day compared to last year.Key Facts
- The rise in enjoyment of reading is the first increase since 2021.
- 36.1% of children and teenagers said they liked reading in 2026, up from 32.7% in 2025.
- Daily reading by young people aged 8 to 18 grew from 18.7% in 2025 to 20.3% in 2026.
- The survey covered 125,375 young people aged 5 to 18 from 479 UK schools.
- Reading enjoyment increased most among 14-to-16 and 16-to-18 age groups.
- Boys aged 5 to 8 showed a slight drop in enjoyment of reading.
- Children receiving free school meals showed smaller gains in reading enjoyment than those who did not.
- Most children were motivated to read by teachers (65.8%) and parents (54.8%).
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