Although women’s reading rates have dipped slightly, Hispanic reading rates have remained steady. Those who read books in their spare time rose from 64.8% to 64.1% last year, and a notable portion of people who have never done it continue, more than a third of the population.
These figures come from the Barometer of Reading Habits and Book Purchasing in Spain 2023, presented this week at the National Library of Spain and introduced by the president of the Federation of Spanish Publishers’ Associations (FGEE). The data highlight that reading for pleasure has climbed five points over the past eleven years, from 59.1% to 64.1%, which is encouraging though described as a secondary victory for reading culture.
One striking takeaway is that more than a third of Spaniards never pick up a book. The same group rarely visits libraries or museums, a situation that Fernandez notes as a driver of reading inequality and, by extension, social inequality. He also pointed out that in secondary education there appears to be a battle already lost with the rise of smartphones eroding reading habits among students.
Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun described the country as a place where reading is on the rise. He stressed the aim to push this momentum further and ensure access to reading across all areas, bridging rural and urban divides and supporting independent bookstores so there are no barriers to enjoying books anywhere.
To back these efforts, Urtasun announced continued funding as part of the 2021-2024 Reading Plan, allocating 1.4 million euros to local organizations dedicated to reading promotion activities. He emphasized that the survey offers a tangible snapshot of the nation’s cultural health and the right to read, illustrating equality in daily life as reflected in reading habits.
The barometer also shows persistent gaps by autonomous community, gender, and age. Yet there is a positive trend since 2012: readers aged 65 and older now show a notable increase of more than 15 percentage points, reaching 53.7%, and this age group also displays the smallest gender gap.
Madrid is ahead
Across all autonomous communities, reading rates have risen over the past eleven years, yet only six jurisdictions exceed the national average of 64.1%. The leading communities are Madrid at 73.5%, Catalonia at 68.2%, Navarra at 68.1%, the Basque Country at 67.8%, La Rioja at 66.6%, and Aragon at 64%. Between the average and 60% lie Valencia, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Castilla y León, and Galicia.
Lower than 60% are Murcia at 59.5%, Andalusia at 59.0%, Castilla-La Mancha at 58.9%, the Canary Islands at 58.3%, and Extremadura at 54.4%.
Across age groups, women read more in their leisure time than men, with a notable gap of 17.5 points in the 25-34 bracket, where female reading rates reach 73.4%. For Spaniards who do not read, lack of free time is cited as the main reason by four in ten people. This figure climbs to 54.4% among those aged 55-64. About 31.1% say they prefer other entertainment, 29.7% report a lack of interest, and 1.6% do not read due to vision or health issues.