But what about those average people? Not just what are average people reading, but how many books does the average person read?
Reading habits also vary widely from country to country. Literacy is directly tied to poverty, so indigent countries have lower averages. Cultural differences also contribute to reading rates, causing differences between countries that are relatively equally affluent. So let’s look at the numbers, shall we?
I know, that number struck me as fairly low, but not entirely unexpected. However, that number doesn’t really tell the whole story. Remember that if 72% of people were reading at least one book a year in 2016, then 28% weren’t reading even one. And some people read hundreds. To really answer the question “how many books does the average person read?”, we need to look at the median instead of the average.
Statistically, averages are useful, but are heavily skewed by outliers. The median is the mathematical breaking point for a statistical group, with roughly half of all numbers sitting above or below it. The median for the 2016 study and the better indicator of the average reader in America is four. The average American reader reads four books each year. Feeling better about your TBR pile now, aren’t you?
Pew’s research also delves into what formats and genres people are reading, as well as how race, gender, education levels, and professions affect reading habits. Women tend to read more than men. White, non-Hispanic people read more than Black, non-Hispanic or Hispanic people. Higher education levels correlate to more reading. And CEOs read a lot, though I doubt they’re reading a lot of fiction. Print is still leading the way as the chosen method of reading, with ebook and audio trailing behind.
The lowest numbers in their findings came from Argentina (1.6 books per year), Mexico (1.7 books per year), and Colombia (1.9 books per year). Commanding the lead is a tie between France and Canada, both with their people reading an average of 17 books per year. While medians are not provided in this dataset, which would better answer how many books does the average person read, the average generally has some correlation to the mean.
And don’t feel bad about your TBR. Keep reading and collecting. You’re doing fine.
