WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) — A Pew Research Center report found that 65 percent of Americans read a print book in the last year, more than double the number who read e-books or listened to audio books.
The report, released Thursday, found that 73 percent of Americans read a book in the past 12 months. Of those, 65 percent read a print book, 28 percent read an e-book and 14 percent listened to an audio book. About 40 percent of Americans read print books exclusively, compared to 6 percent who read digitally.
Pew found that, though print remains king, people who consume e-book content have slightly turned away from dedicated e-readers and more to smartphones and tablet computers.
“The share of e-book readers on tablets has more than tripled since 2011 and the number of readers on phones has more than doubled over that time, while the share reading on e-book reading devices has not changed,” Pew wrote in the report.
Americans read an average of 12 books per year, though the average American reads four books. About 77 percent of women read books compared to 68 percent of men. Women are more likely to read print books but men and women are both equally likely to read e-books and listen to audio books.
The survey was conducted from March 7 until April 4 and used a national sample of 1,520 adults.
