75%
of U.S. adults read all or part of at least one book in the previous 12 months.
Source: Pew Research Center, October 2025 ↗
Reader reference
Reading statistics in the U.S.
A clear, source-led snapshot of how American adults read, listen, and gather around books.
Last updated October 6, 2026
The numbers, with context
How readers are meeting stories now.
Reading does not have one doorway. A paperback by the bedside, an e-book on a train, and an audiobook on a long drive all belong to the same wider reading life. This page gathers the latest nationally representative figures available from Pew Research Center and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Each figure below links directly to its source, so writers, librarians, journalists, and curious readers can follow the trail.
At a glance
Nine citable reading facts.
64%
read a print book in the previous 12 months, making print the only format used by a majority of adults.
Source: Pew Research Center, October 2025 ↗31%
read an e-book in the previous 12 months.
Source: Pew Research Center, October 2025 ↗26%
listened to an audiobook in the previous 12 months.
Source: Pew Research Center, October 2025 ↗38%
read between one and five books in the previous 12 months.
Source: Pew Research Center, October 2025 ↗14%
read more than 20 books in the previous 12 months.
Source: Pew Research Center, October 2025 ↗7%
took part in a book club in the previous 12 months.
Source: Pew Research Center, October 2025 ↗37.6%
of U.S. adults read a novel or short story in 2022, the most recent federal survey measure for this category.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 2022 survey ↗43.2%
read novels or short stories, listened to them through media, or did both in 2022.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, 2022 survey ↗A note on the measures
Different surveys answer different questions.
Pew Research Center asked U.S. adults about books in any format during October 2025. Its results are the newest broad picture of print, e-books, audiobooks, book counts, and book-club participation.
The National Endowment for the Arts measures literary reading in its Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, administered with the U.S. Census Bureau. Its 2022 figures offer a distinct view of novels and short stories, including reading and listening through media.
Those methods are not interchangeable, which is why this reference keeps the figures separate and names the survey behind every number.
Sources and citation
Made to be useful, and easy to trace.
This reference was compiled on October 6, 2026. It uses primary research publications, not estimates or industry commentary.
- Pew Research Center, “Americans still opt for print books over digital or audio versions; few are in book clubs”, published April 9, 2026. Survey conducted October 6 to 16, 2025.
- National Endowment for the Arts, “New Data Reveal How Adults Participated in the Arts During COVID-19”, published September 27, 2023. Findings from the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts.
Suggested citation
The Story Garden. “Reading Statistics in the U.S.: 2026 Facts.” Updated October 6, 2026.