Increase in Reading Enjoyment Among Children and Young People
Children and young people's enjoyment of reading has increased for the first time since 2021, according to new research.
More than one in three (36.1%) reported liking to read books in their spare time, up from 32.7% in 2025.
Daily reading habits have also improved, with one in five children and young people (20.3%) aged eight to 18 stating they read every day, compared to 18.7% last year.
The research was conducted by the National Literacy Trust (NLT), a reading improvement charity, surveying 125,375 children and young people aged 5 to 18 from 479 schools across the UK.
Volunteers Boost Children's Enjoyment of Reading
This marks a reversal after several years of decline beginning in 2021, when enjoyment across all ages was at 51.5%.
By 2022, it dropped to 47.8%, then to 43.4% in 2023, followed by a sharp decline to 34.6% in 2024, and further down to 32.7% in 2025.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who has designated 2026 as the National Year of Reading, commented:
"For the first time in five years, more children are saying they're enjoying reading, and that genuinely fills me with hope.
When reading feels relevant and role models get involved, children develop a passion with benefits that go far beyond the classroom – but with progress slower for poorer children, we must make sure every child can find a form of reading that speaks to them."
Age Groups Showing Largest Increases
The most significant increases in reading enjoyment this year were among the 14-to-16 and 16-to-18 age groups.
In 2025, 28.6% of those aged 14 to 16 said they enjoyed reading, rising to 35% in 2026.
For the 16-to-18 age group, enjoyment increased from 41.4% last year to 49.4% this year.
Children aged five to eight maintained high levels of enjoyment at 61.6%, though this was a slight decrease from 62.6% the previous year.
The NLT report attributed this decrease to fewer boys in that age group expressing enjoyment of reading.
Reading Enjoyment Gap and Influences
The research also highlighted a widening gap in reading enjoyment between children receiving free school meals and those who do not.
Among free school meal recipients, enjoyment rose from 31% in 2025 to 32.1% in 2026.
For those not receiving free school meals, enjoyment increased from 33% in 2025 to 37.3% in 2026.
The NLT study also identified key influences encouraging young people to read.
Two-thirds (65.8%) were motivated to read by teachers, while more than half (54.8%) were encouraged by their parents.
Children's author and illustrator Dapo Adeola remarked on the importance of stories:
"Stories are gateways that allow your imagination to take flight through time and space.
Through them, it is possible to escape your surroundings in a myriad of different ways, to connect with people and cultures you may otherwise never encounter in your day to day, to envision a future for yourself that your current circumstances or environment might not point towards."
Related Stories
- Reading is 'best thing' for children, author says
- 'I left school struggling to read and write'
- Sharp drop in children who enjoy reading - charity
