Eighteen percent of Americans have listened to an audiobook in the past 12 months. Another 26 percent have read an e-book. But readers remain most likely to consume a traditional print book. Two-thirds of all American adults have done so within the past 12 months.[1]
Most who use the digital formats also read print books. Only 7 percent of Americans read books only in digital formats. A much larger number — 39 percent — read only print books.
American adults read an average of 12 books per year. But this number is driven partly by avid readers who work through a much higher total. The typical American (median response) reads four books per year.
However, 26 percent of American adults have not read any books at all in the past 12 months.
Footnotes:
- Pew Research Center, "Nearly one-in-five Americans now listen to audiobooks," March 8, 2018
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.
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