We may be watching more Netflix than ever, but global reading remained strong through 2018.
Global English Editing has compiled this mega infographic on world reading habits in 2018, following on from our 2017 edition. We show who reads the most, what we read, as well as lots of other fascinating insights into the reading landscape.
As you’ll see, India, Thailand, and China ranked first, second and third, respectively, for weekly reading time throughout the year.
America and Europe were no laggards either. 74% of Americans read a book in the past 12 months, according to a 2018 Pew Research survey, and the average European spent approximately €200 (~$240 USD) on books, newspapers and stationery, according to Eurostat’s 2018 World Book Day report.
Politics dominated the bestseller lists in 2018. The most popular print book of the year was Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, although several European markets saw stronger sales for Becoming by Michelle Obama.
And did you know that 6 of the 8 most borrowed titles in the young adult section of Australian libraries were from the Harry Potter series?
Check out the infographic below for all the insights into world reading habits in 2018.
India leads the world in reading time, Harry Potter’s magic continues to reign in Australian libraries, and women are outpacing men when it comes to reading fiction.
The World Reading Habits in 2018 infographic above captures the global reading landscape as compiled by the team at Global English Editing, an online proofreading and editing service.
Here are some of the most interesting facts from the infographic.
East Leads the West in Weekly Reading Time
People on the eastern side of the globe allocate significantly more time for reading each week than their Western counterparts.
It sounds surprising, but the data backs it up — as this Telegraph report on China’s reading habits illustrates.
According to the NOP World Culture Score survey, countries like India, China, Thailand, and the Philippines average more than 7 hours of reading per week — with India topping the list at over 10 hours per week.
Western countries, by contrast, fall below the global average. The US, Canada, and Germany each average fewer than 6 hours of reading per week.
European Spending on Books Outpaces Holiday Budgets
Europeans value reading — and they put their money where their books are.
According to Eurostat data released for World Book Day 2018, European households spent an average of around €200 per citizen on books, newspapers and stationery — more than double what they spent on package holidays.
Daily reading time varies sharply across the continent. The same Eurostat survey found that France had the lowest daily book-reading average at just 2 minutes per day, while Estonia led with 13 minutes.
Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming — released in November 2018 — was an immediate bestseller in several European markets, including Greece, Finland, Spain, and France.
Africans Prefer Mobile Screens
The global expansion of internet access has opened up reading to far wider audiences across Africa.
Reading time on mobile reportedly jumped by 32% in Africa in 2018, with total annual mobile reading hours reaching an estimated 4 million — a figure that reflects how much more accessible literature has become through smartphones.
Women, who account for approximately 35% of readers in Africa, spend more time reading daily than the average reader in Hungary or Greece.
At 11.5 minutes per day, the reading time of African women is close to that of Poland and Finland — European nations that rank among the strongest readers on the continent.
African men are more likely to read than their female counterparts, but tend to spend less time doing so — averaging 6.5 minutes per day, comparable to some of the lower-reading European countries.
Harry Potter Dominates Australian Library Lists
Australia’s most striking library statistic from 2018 was the ongoing dominance of J.K. Rowling’s series. According to the 2018 Civica Libraries Index, which covers regional and metropolitan libraries across Australia, 6 of the 8 most borrowed titles in the young adult section were from the Harry Potter series.
New Zealand also showed strong reading numbers in 2018, with 86% of adults reporting they had read or started a new book in the past year. All generations of Kiwis were represented among active readers.
New Zealanders also showed a notable appetite for poetry: 30% of readers in the country read poetry regularly, and of those, 57% were reading work by indigenous writers.
Estonia Doesn’t Just Love Reading, It Loves Books
Estonians are setting a benchmark for the world when it comes to valuing the written word.
In addition to leading Europe in average daily reading time, according to Eurostat, Estonians also own the highest number of books per person.
Norway and Denmark are the other Nordic countries that share Estonia’s passion for books, with 212 and 204 books owned per household, respectively.
The Most-Read Books of 2018: Politics Dominated the Charts
The US President wasn’t just making global headlines — he was driving book sales too.
The top-selling print book of 2018 was Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff.
Other strong performers included Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines at #2, and A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss entering the top 10 at #6.
Frankenstein’s 200th Birthday
2018 marked the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein — a novel that has had a lasting influence on fiction, film, and popular culture, from the Bride of Frankenstein to modern bioethics debates.
Wrapping Things Up
From India’s remarkable reading stamina to Harry Potter’s staying power in Australian libraries, the 2018 reading landscape showed that books — in print and on screen — remain a significant part of daily life around the world.
This infographic is Global English Editing’s annual effort to document and celebrate reading culture worldwide.
