ENJOYMENT
The first rise since 2021
In 2026, 36.1% of 8 to 18 year olds said they enjoyed reading in their free time, up from 32.7% in 2025, the lowest level in 20 years of asking.
See the numbers
WHAT THE SURVEY SAYS
The story
isn't over.
Fewer children read for fun than 20 years ago. 2026 brought a small rise.
The National Literacy Trust asks more than 100,000 children and young people across the UK about reading every year. Its 2026 findings show fiction still widely read, and enjoyment ticking up after years of decline.
65% READ FICTION ages 8 to 18, 2026
See what they read- Follow their interests
- Let them choose
- Every format counts
- Lessons from the survey
THE SHORT ANSWER
Fiction holds on,
enjoyment edges up.
Reading has fallen over 20 years,
but 2026 brought the first rise in enjoyment since 2021.
WHAT THEY READ
Lyrics first, fiction second
Song lyrics were the most widely read material (70.4%), followed by fiction (65.0%). Among boys, fiction came first.
See what they read
PRINT AND SCREEN
Fiction is still mostly paper
Almost half (48.9%) read fiction in print at least monthly, against 27.3% digitally. Print fiction reading has fallen since 2017/18 while digital rose.
Help them read
FOUR THINGS THAT MOTIVATE
Start where
they already are.
In the Trust's 2025 survey, 8 to 18 year olds said these things would make them want to read.
Link books to screens
38.1% were motivated by reading linked to a favourite film or TV series.
Match their hobbies
37.1% wanted reading that matched their interests or hobbies.
Judge by the cover
30.9% were drawn in by an interesting book cover or title.
Let them choose
26.6% valued having the freedom to choose what they read.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
A small rise,
a long way to go.
From 125,375 children and young people
in 479 UK schools, 2026.
36.1%
Enjoy reading in their free time (ages 8 to 18)
Up from 32.7% in 2025. In 2025 the Trust reported enjoyment 36% lower than when it first asked in 2005.
ENJOYMENT · NLT 2026
20.3%
Read something daily in their free time
Up from 18.7% in 2025, the first increase since 2023. Among those who enjoyed reading, 49.8% read daily, against 4.5% of those who did not.
DAILY READING · NLT 2026
The Trust found socio-economic gaps widened in 2026: enjoyment and daily reading rose more among children not receiving free school meals.
A QUICK READING CHECK
What do young people
actually read?
Pick a type of reading to see how many 8 to 18 year olds read it in 2026. The bar shows the share.
From the National Literacy Trust's Annual Literacy Survey 2026, Many ways to read. Figures are the share of 8 to 18 year olds reading each material.
READING AND WELLBEING
Confident readers,
happier children?
In 2026, 84.9% of daily readers had high wellbeing, compared with 71.1% of those who rarely or never read. The biggest gap was by confidence: 84.3% of confident readers had high wellbeing, against 58.2% of those who lacked confidence.
The Trust is careful: its survey cannot tell whether reading supports wellbeing, wellbeing supports reading, or other factors shape both. It shows only that the two consistently go together.
Questions
Questions people ask
Are children reading less than they used to?
Over the long term, yes. In 2025 the National Literacy Trust reported reading enjoyment at its lowest in 20 years. In 2026 it rose to 36.1%, the first increase since 2021, but remains below earlier levels.
Do young people still read fiction?
Yes. In 2026, 65.0% of 8 to 18 year olds read fiction, second only to song lyrics. Among boys, fiction was the most widely read material.
Do comics and fan fiction count as reading?
The Trust counts them, and both are growing: comics or graphic novels rose from 38.2% to 45.7% between 2025 and 2026, and fan fiction from 26.5% to 33.0%.
Are children switching from books to screens?
Not simply. Print fiction reading fell from 59.5% in 2017/18 to 48.9% in 2026, while digital fiction rose from 19.9% to 27.3%, so the digital rise did not match the print fall.
What gets reluctant readers reading?
In 2025, young people pointed to reading linked to films or TV, matching their hobbies, an interesting cover or title, and freedom to choose. Even many who do not enjoy reading still read lyrics and fiction.
Sources
- National Literacy Trust: Children and young people's reading in 2026
- National Literacy Trust: Many ways to read, what children and young people read (2026)
- National Literacy Trust: Children and young people's reading in 2025
- National Literacy Trust: Wellbeing and reading in 2026
Updated