New Findings From The Harris Poll: “Americans Who Read More Electronically Read More”

From the Findings/Summary:

With the additional options of reading on your computer or your phone, these days it seems as though just about the only thing standing between Americans and a good read is setting aside the time. Americans seem to be embracing their broader options, as the majority (54%) currently read e-books, including two-thirds of Millennials (66%).
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,234 adults surveyed online between March 12 and 17, 2014.

The Number of Books We Read

When asked to consider any format – not just hardcovers and paperbacks, but electronic formats as well – a strong majority of Americans (84%) say they read at least one book in an average year, with over a third (36%) saying they read more than ten.
On average, Americans report reading roughly 17 books per year. Looking at demographics, Baby Boomers and Matures (whose readerships average roughly 19 and 25 books per year, respectively) both read more in a typical year than Millennials (13). Women, meanwhile, (23) read twice as many books as men (11).
Two-thirds of Americans (65%) purchased at least one book in the past year, with one in ten (9%) purchasing over 20 and an average of over 8 books purchased. Women also purchased more books in the last year, on average, than men (10 vs. 7, respectively).

Format and the Number of Books Read

Those who read either more or exclusively in the e-book format are more likely to read over 20 books in an average year (30%) than either those who read more/only in hard copy (18%) or those who read in both formats equally (21%). They also report a higher average readership per year than either hard copy hardliners or equal-opportunity readers (22.5 books vs. 16 and 15, respectively).
Looking at the number of books purchased in the past year, with a reported average of 14 books, those favoring e-books purchased roughly twice as many as those preferring hard copies, who purchased an average of less than seven.

Print: The Most Popular Format (By Far)

However, in terms of overall users, the hard copy format is still king. Nearly half of Americans (46%) say they only read hard copy books, with an additional 16% saying they read more hard copy books than e-books. Seventeen percent (17%) read about the same number of hard copy and e-format books, while 15% read more and 6% read exclusively in the electronic format.
About half of Americans (51%) say they read the same amount in the past six months as they did before, while nearly a quarter (23%) read less in the past six months and fewer than two in ten (17%) read more. Younger Americans often get blamed for declining readership nationally, but Millennials (21%) were more likely than their elders (14% Gen Xers; 15% Baby Boomers and Matures) to have read more in the past six months.
Further reinforcing the interplay between reading format and overall readership, those who read either more or exclusively e-books are more likely to indicate reading more over the past six months (29%) than those preferring hard copies (13%) or those who reading both formats equally (16%).

The full text report summary is accessible here (4 pages; PDF). It includes methodology and four tables:
1. Books Read In A Year (Any Format): By Generation, Gender & Preferred Format
2. Books Purchased In The Past Year: By Generation, Gender & Preferred Format
3. Readership – Hard Copy Vs. Electronically: By Generation, Gender & Children in Household
4. Reading More/less In Past 6 Months: By Generation, Gender & Preferred Format

Similar Research

See Also: Pew Internet Releases New Report: “E-Reading Rises as Device Ownership Jumps” (January 16, 2014)

The percentage of adults who read an e-book in the past year has risen to 28%, up from 23% at the end of 2012.
At the same time, about seven in ten Americans reported reading a book in print, up four percentage points after a slight dip in 2012, and 14% of adults listened to an audiobook.
[Our emphasis]  Though e-books are rising in popularity, print remains the foundation of Americans’ reading habits.
Most people who read e-books also read print books, and just 4% of readers are “e-book only.

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