<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Exclusive:</span></strong><span> Australia's reading rate is dropping, especially among young men, but hope is not lost according to a nine.com.au reader poll.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Of 480 respondents*, more than 60 per cent said they had already read at least one book in 2026.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Close to a third had read four or more books in the first seven weeks of the year, but nearly 40 per cent said they'd not finished a single book.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-live-updates-latest-news-headlines/9fe3f636-cf46-4094-97aa-04f98f733ac2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than one in three respondents also said they read every day for leisure, while 14 per cent said they did it weekly.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some people said audiobooks and e-books had made it easier for them to make time to read in their busy lives.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I no longer read physical books, I prefer to use audio books," one said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australia-reading-rate-poll-are-aussies-reading-more/c1567f14-1c95-4435-aea8-236e0edd72cc" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's nothing better than lying in bed in winter snuggled up listening to a good book and earphones mean you can enjoy a good 'read' almost anywhere."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you got a story? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter Maddison Leach at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:mleach@nine.com.au" target="_blank" title="mleach@nine.com.au"><strong><em><span>mleach@nine.com.au</span></em></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Others said they relied on their local library to access free books, which could help ease financial pressures in the cost of living crisis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About 40 per cent of respondents said they rarely or never read for leisure.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>And the majority said they read the same amount or more when on holiday, suggesting Aussies are keeping up their reading habits even while travelling.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-how-secret-operation-happened/f28c1124-d4b6-49ab-95b7-2520ab3d8750" target="_blank"><strong><span>Inside the secret operation to arrest former prince Andrew</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's a good sign for the nation's reading rate, which has plummeted among the younger generations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Interwar generation (aged 75 years and over) had the highest rate of reading participation – nearly 50 per cent – according to </span><a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/how-australian-generations-spent-their-time-recreation-and-leisure#reading" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data."><span>Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They were followed in descending order by Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, with a rate of just 11 per cent.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Women read more than men across all generations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Though Gen Z had the lowest rate of reading participation, those who do read actually do somore than their older counterparts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Gen Z readers logged an average of 2 hours and 6 minutes spent reading on any given day according to the ABS data.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Every other generation spent significantly less time per day reading, from 1 hour and 17 minutes for Gen X to 1 hour and 35 minutes for the Interwar generation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This may be linked to the recent rise in popularity of online reading communities like BookTok, Bookstagram and BookTube, and the increased output of novels in genres that appeal to young female readers, such as romance and fantasy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Digital platforms are responding to the surge by making reading more accessible with e-book and audiobook formats.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-donald-trump-reaction/53cace65-7e54-4dad-af47-5afc553a2eec" target="_blank"><strong><span>US President Donald Trump says ex-prince Andrew's arrest 'very, very sad to me'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="player__video-container"><img alt="" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/3q8Vf8MdAlErcXMVqAS__tltSGU=/750x0/https%3A%2F%2Fvms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F2025%2F09%2F723064%2Fbooks.png"/></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kindles and Kobos have become personal accessories as well as reading devices, with many Gen Z and Millennial readers kitting their e-readers out in custom covers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Platforms like Audible pioneered the audiobook space and now music streaming services like Spotify are joining in, adding audio versions of popular novels to their libraries.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>The nine.com.au poll, which runs once a fortnight, canvases the views of the Nine audience on 9Nation, which is an online community of our readers and viewers.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google 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