As reported by the BBC, children’s enjoyment of reading has increased for the first time in five years, according to new research that points to a potential reversal in long-term declines in reading for pleasure
The findings, published by the National Literacy Trust, are based on responses from more than 125,000 children and young people aged between five and 18 across 479 schools in the UK.
Just over a third of respondents said they enjoyed reading in their free time this year, up from 32.7% in 2025. Daily reading habits also improved, with 20.3% of eight- to 18-year-olds reporting that they read every day, compared with 18.7% a year earlier.
The figures mark a notable shift after several years of falling engagement. Reading enjoyment stood at more than half of young people in 2021 before declining steadily over the following four years.
Much of the improvement was driven by older pupils. Among 14- to 16-year-olds, the proportion who said they enjoyed reading rose from 28.6% to 35%, while enjoyment among 16- to 18-year-olds climbed from 41.4% to 49.4%.
Younger children continued to report the highest levels of reading enjoyment overall, although there was a slight decline among five- to eight-year-olds compared with last year.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson welcomed the findings, which come during the government’s designated National Year of Reading, saying it was encouraging to see more children rediscovering a love of books after years of decline.
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