UK Youth Reading Enjoyment Rises to 36.1% in 2026, First Gain Since 2021
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 10
UK Youth Reading Enjoyment Rises to 36.1% in 2026, First Gain Since 2021
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 10
Summary
36.1% of UK children and young people said they enjoyed reading in their spare time in 2026, up from 32.7% in 2025 and marking the first annual increase in five years.
20.3% of 8- to 18-year-olds said they read daily, versus 18.7% last year, in the National Literacy Trust survey of 125,375 pupils across 479 schools.
Older teenagers drove much of the rebound: reading enjoyment among 14- to 16-year-olds rose to 35% from 28.6%, while the 16- to 18 group climbed to 49.4% from 41.4%.
61.6% of children aged 5 to 8 still enjoyed reading, but that slipped from 62.6%; the trust said fewer boys in that age group reported liking reading.
32.1% of pupils receiving free school meals enjoyed reading, against 37.3% of those not receiving them, widening a gap that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said must be addressed.