The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST) conducted the “2025 National Reading Survey” and released its results. The survey targeted 5,000 adults aged 19 and older (through in-home face-to-face interviews) and 2,400 elementary (4th grade and above), middle, and high school students (through in-school questionnaire surveys). This biennial survey was conducted nationwide from September 1 to November 5, 2025.

Reading Rate for People in Their 20s Increases; E-book and Audiobook Reading Expands

According to the survey results, the annual reading rate[1] for people in their 20s (aged 19–29) over the past year (September 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025) was 75.3%, a 0.8%p increase from 2023. Recent trends such as book fair visits, outdoor reading, hand-copying, and book exchanges also reflect growing interest in reading among young people.

Overall, among adults, the annual reading rate was 38.5%, with an average of 2.4 books read per year. Compared to the 2023 survey, the reading rate decreased by 4.5%p, and the number of books read declined by 1.5. The reading rate for students was 94.6%, a decrease of 1.2%p from the 2023 survey, although it remains at a high level.

By medium, the e-book reading rate for people in their 20s (59.4%) significantly surpassed the print book reading rate (45.1%), demonstrating that the shift to digital reading is accelerating, particularly among young adults. In addition, audiobook reading rates increased across all age groups under 60, confirming that audiobooks are emerging as a new reading medium.

Shift in Reading Purposes: Adults Cite “Enjoyment of Reading” as Top Reason;

“Lack of Time” and “Use of Other Media and Content” Remain Key Barriers

Adults cited “enjoyment of reading (20.3%)” as the primary reason for reading, followed by “self-improvement (18.5%).” Compared to the 2019 and 2021 surveys, where “acquiring knowledge and information” ranked first, and the 2023 survey, where “emotional growth (comfort)” was the top response, this shift indicates a growing recognition of the intrinsic pleasure of reading. Meanwhile, students cited “necessity for schoolwork (30.0%)” as the top reason, followed by “enjoyment of reading (28.3%).”

Both adults and students identified “lack of time due to work (or studies)” as the greatest barrier to reading. Additionally, 24.3% of adults and 19.1% of students cited “use of other media and content” as a major obstacle. Furthermore, 10.9% of adults cited “engagement in other leisure or hobby activities” as a reason for difficulty in reading.

Reading Rate Gaps between Older Adults and Young People, and between Low- and High-Income Groups, Remain Significant

The gap in reading rates between older adults and young people, and between low- and high-income groups, remains significant. The reading rate for people aged 60 and over was 14.4%, a stark contrast to the 75.3% rate for people in their 20s. Similarly, the reading rate among low-income groups with an average monthly income of KRW 2 million or less was 13.4%, compared to 56.1% among high-income groups with an average monthly income of KRW 5 million or more.

In an Era of Diversifying Reading Media, Support for Everyday Reading Culture and Various Types of Publishing Content

The survey results show that declines in key reading indicators—including the reading rate, reading volume, and reading time—remain a policy challenge. However, the increase in the reading rate for people in their 20s and the expansion of e-book and audiobook usage demonstrate the potential to attract new readers through diversified reading formats and to expand the reading population in the future.

The full “2025 National Reading Survey” report is available on the MCST website (www.mcst.go.kr).