In 2024, a record number of Swedes read or listened to books, a new survey shows. This is the highest level measured so far in the 21st century.
More than half, 51 percent, of Swedes between the ages of nine and 87 read or listened to a book on a typical day, according to the 2024 Media Barometer from Nordicom at the University of Gothenburg. A full 66 percent read weekly.
– This is the highest figure we have seen in the Media Barometer since the measurements started in the late 1970s, says Jonas Ohlsson, media researcher and director at Nordicom in a press release.
The printed book is still the most common format, with 38% using it daily. In comparison, audiobooks reach 15 percent and e-books only seven percent.
In terms of books sold last year, print books also remained at the top of the list, although sales declined. Audio books are also becoming more common to buy and listen to.
Older, highly educated women read the most
The Swedes who read the most, especially printed books, are highly educated women over 65. At the same time, reading is weakest among men without a university education. As a rule, women read more than men, but the gaps are not as great when it comes to listening to audio books.
– These patterns are not the same for audiobooks, however. The possibility to listen to books seems to lower the threshold to literature, which means that the audiobook reduces the socio-economic gaps that we see in traditional book reading, says Ohlsson.
The survey was conducted on 6000 randomly selected people aged nine to 85.