Reading declines in Sweden

Nearly half of the men in Sweden have not read a book in the past year, according to new statistics from Statistics Sweden (SCB). At the same time, the statistics show that older people read more often than younger ones.

40 percent of the population aged 16 and over have not read books in the past twelve months. Of the 60 percent who have read books, about one in four people report that they read every week.

Compared to 2008, when 40 percent reported that they read books every week, this number has decreased to 31 percent in 2021.

– Last year we conducted the survey with a new method, so not all results can be compared back in time. But in 2022, 25 percent responded that they read books in their leisure time every week in the past year, says Göran Nordström, investigator at SCB.

Less educated read less

However, men read to a lesser extent than women since 46 percent last year reported that they had not read in the past twelve months. Among women, the figure was 33 percent.

– 29 percent of the women said they had read books every week while the corresponding proportion among men was 21 percent, says Nordström.

It was more common for individuals over 65 years old to read every week compared with those between 16 and 29 years old. In addition, those with higher educational levels tend to read more often.

– More than every second person with a pre-gymnasial education had not read any books in their leisure time in the past year. Among individuals with post-secondary education of at least three years, every fifth person responded that they had not read books, says Nordström.