Audiobooks rise in popularity among Russians, with surveys highlighting listening habits
Russians are increasingly turning to audiobooks as a preferred way to consume literature, a trend reported by HiFi Streaming Sound’s press service through socialbites.ca based on its own survey. The study shows that a clear majority prefer listening to a work over reading it, and many cite practical reasons for choosing audio content over text on the page or screen.
About 68 percent of respondents indicated a preference for listening to books rather than reading them. Among the reasons given, 31 percent said listening saves time because it allows multitasking, while 28 percent noted that audiobooks provide a break from prolonged computer work. Additionally 26 percent prefer audio because it competes less with music and podcasts they already enjoy listening to. These figures point to a broad shift in how audiences engage with literary material, especially when daily routines include screens and busy schedules.
The survey also sheds light on genre preferences. Fiction and nonfiction tied for popularity at 25 percent, while popular science titles focusing on psychology and motivation attracted 21 percent of listeners. Detective stories remained a favorite for 18 percent, indicating a strong appetite for suspense and mystery within the audio format. This distribution suggests that listeners in Russia are embracing a wide spectrum of topics, from storytelling to self improvement, through auditory channels.
In another vein, the survey was conducted for Book Donation Day, a campaign observed on February 14. The data reveal social attitudes toward books as gifts and the practice of sharing reading with others. A notable 54 percent of respondents enjoy receiving books as gifts, while 29 percent are most satisfied when the gift reflects the recipient’s personal taste. This points to a desire for thoughtful, customized book selections rather than generic offerings. At the same time, 31 percent admit they rarely donate books they receive, 17 percent donate more often due to differing interests, and 11 percent donate almost every time they receive a book. These numbers illuminate the varying levels of engagement in the habit of passing along reading material to others.
According to the press service, a third of Russians, about 34 percent, give books to their loved ones. Gift recipients are most often children, cited by 38 percent of respondents, followed by colleagues at 30 percent and parents at 20 percent. In addition, 14 percent of people enjoy giving books for no specific occasion. The results highlight how books function as meaningful tokens within personal and professional networks, reinforcing a culture of reading and sharing in daily life.
Earlier surveys also explored how Russians relate to popular film characters, reflecting a broader interest in media and storytelling beyond the printed page. The evolving relationship with books and multimedia narratives demonstrates a cultural landscape where listening, reading, and gifting intersect in modern life.