Men in Europe reading fewer and fewer books

The latest report on the state of readership in Poland shows that in the 12 months preceding the survey, 42 percent of the respondents read at least part of one book (3 percent more y/y). However, the authors of the report point out a very important thing: reading books is the domain of women.

Women read more than men (51 percent and 33 percent respectively). Among the ladies, the group of people who read the most intensively is also more numerous. During the year, at least seven books were read by 15 percent of them. And the men? In their case, it is only 7 percent.

"When analyzing the annual reports of the National Library, it is clear that the gap between reading men and women is deepening," Maria Deskur, head of the publishing house Słowne (formerly Burda Books), noted.

Poland is no exception. The report, commissioned by the Association of French Publishers by the Odox Institute, shows that even before the coronavirus pandemic, the average person in France had read 8.4 books a year. However, the French woman has read 10, and the French man only 6.6. A similar trend emerges from a report commissioned by the Federation of Spanish Publishers Guilds.

"In the light of various studies conducted over the years around the role of reading in human development individually and in societies as a whole, the widening gap between the reading of men and women is really worrying. Reading increases our competencies in various areas. It makes us understand other people better, we judge the meaning and truthfulness of the narratives that are served to us more accurately. These are the skills absolutely necessary for proper functioning in the modern world. Programs are already being implemented around the world to encourage boys to read – for the sake of sustainable social development," Maria Deskur commented.

(WBJ)