A Generation at Risk? Reading for Pleasure Hits 20-Year Low, New Report Warns

Children in the South West mirror UK-wide drop in reading enjoyment

New research from the National Literacy Trust has revealed that children’s enjoyment of reading has reached its lowest point in two decades, sparking renewed concern over the long-term impact on learning, wellbeing and the economy.

The charity’s latest report, published today (Wednesday 11th June 2025), shows that just one in three (32.7%) children and young people aged 8 to 18 said they enjoy reading “very much” or “quite a lot” – the lowest level recorded since the Trust began tracking reading enjoyment 20 years ago. This marks a 36% decline since 2005.

In the South West, the picture is just as concerning, with only 32.3% of children and young people saying they enjoy reading in their free time.

Primary-aged children and boys see biggest drop

The fall in reading for pleasure has been especially sharp among primary-aged children and boys, with boys aged 11 to 16 showing the steepest decline. Children eligible for free school meals (FSMs) also reported lower enjoyment levels (31.0%) compared to their peers (33.0%).

When it comes to reading regularly, just 18.7% of 8- to 18-year-olds said they read something daily in their free time. That figure is now half what it was 20 years ago. Even among the youngest children aged 5 to 8, daily reading fell by 3.4 percentage points this year to 44.5%.

Girls continue to read more often than boys, with the gender gap widening to 6.2 percentage points – the largest seen since 2023. More children not receiving FSMs read daily (19.4%) than those who do (15.8%).

A crisis with consequences

Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said:
“This year’s data is once again stark. We are witnessing the lowest levels of reading enjoyment and daily reading in a generation – a critical challenge for literacy, wellbeing, and life chances. Children’s futures are being put at risk and joining forces across sectors to address the reading for pleasure crisis is essential.”

Despite these low levels of engagement, nearly half of the children with the least enjoyment still acknowledged that reading helps them learn new words or new things. However, reading for wellbeing or to connect with causes is far less common among this group.

Reading enjoyment has been linked to better reading skills, empathy, confidence and higher chances of academic success. Children who read for pleasure are more than twice as likely to have above-average reading skills (34.2% vs 15.7%).

There’s also an economic argument. Previous research has shown that if all school-aged children in the UK read daily for pleasure, the number achieving five good GCSEs by age 16 could rise by 1.1 million within 30 years. That uplift could boost lifetime earning potential by £57,500 per child and add £4.6 billion to the UK’s GDP each year.

What motivates children to read?

The report suggests that aligning reading materials with children’s interests and media habits could help re-engage those who are least enthusiastic. Two in five children (38.1%) said they were more motivated to read when the content related to a favourite film or TV series. A similar proportion (37.1%) were drawn to books that reflected their hobbies or interests.

Other factors that sparked interest included an eye-catching cover or title (30.9%), the freedom to choose what to read (26.6%), and recommendations from friends, family or teachers (22.0%).

Even among those who don’t enjoy reading, many still choose to read in their spare time. Popular choices include song lyrics, news articles, fiction, comics and fan fiction.

In print, nearly half (49.3%) of children still read fiction or short stories each month, with two in five (40.1%) reading non-fiction. Comics and graphic novels (29.2%) and magazines (21.3%) also remain popular. Digital formats lead the way for song lyrics (60.7%) and news articles (28.2%).

Local efforts to turn the page in Cornwall

The National Literacy Trust has been active in Cornwall since 2022, working with community organisations, nurseries, schools and local businesses to encourage reading from an early age.

Their focus includes supporting families with children aged 0 to 5 through community events, resources for parents and training for early years professionals.

The charity is also committed to reaching 1.5 million more children from disadvantaged communities over three years. This includes efforts like the Libraries for Primaries campaign, which aims to ensure every primary school has a dedicated library or reading space by 2028, and Early Words Matter, which highlights the role of stories, songs and shared books in a child’s early development.

Jonathan added:
“Young people are still motivated to read when it connects to their interests, when they have choice, and when it feels relevant to their lives. We must meet young readers where they are – emotionally, culturally and digitally – if we are to reignite a love of reading across the UK.”

The charity is also calling for England’s ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review to embed a culture of reading for pleasure into every level of education.

Free resources are available to help families, teachers and businesses encourage reading at literacytrust.org.uk/reading-for-pleasure.