Top Gen Z Reading Statistics [2026]

Gen Z is often framed as a screen-first generation, but the best available survey data shows a more mixed picture.

In the United States, 52.4% of adults ages 18–24 reported that they read books and or literature at least once in the prior 12 months (2022 SPPA).

At the same time, a national library and media-use survey found that Gen Z reads about 2 print books, 1 ebook, and 1 audiobook per month on average.

Key Gen Z reading stats

• 55% of Gen Z read for fun at least once a week, showing a solid base of weekly engagement with reading activities.
• 40% of Gen Z read daily, indicating a substantial portion of this generation consumes written content every day.
• About 52% of Gen Z adults in the U.S. reported reading books or literature at least once in the past year, a mainstream participation rate for young readers.
• On average, Gen Z reads roughly 2 print books, 1 e-book, and 1 audiobook per month, revealing a diverse mix of formats in their reading habits.
• About 54% of Gen Z reported using a physical library within a 12-month period, showing libraries still matter for many young readers.
• One in three Gen Zers say they buy books because of Instagram reviews or ads, and roughly 31% cite TikTok reviews or ads as a buying influence, underlining social media’s role in book discovery.
• 79% of Gen Z respondents say diversity and representation in books influences their reading choices, pointing to strong preference for inclusive stories.
• Gen Z reads on their phones at much higher rates than older generations, with many preferring mobile reading formats.
• Some data show that Gen Z reads fewer long books than older groups, with only a small fraction reading many books per year compared to Boomers.
• Other surveys suggest a notable share of Gen Z students dislike reading or rarely read for fun, especially in school age populations.

How many Gen Z adults read books in a typical year?

The most directly comparable “did you read at least once” data in the U.S. comes from the National Endowment for the Arts Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), a nationally representative survey administered as a supplement to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. In the 2022 SPPA, 52.4% of adults ages 18–24 reported reading “books and or literature” at least once in the previous 12 months.

This age band includes a large share of Gen Z, but not all of Gen Z (it excludes teens and includes only the youngest adult cohort).

The same table shows 56.9% for ages 25–34, which is a mix of older Gen Z and younger millennials depending on the cutoff you use.

The key point is that Gen Z adult reading participation is not the highest among U.S. age groups in this dataset, but it is also not exceptionally low.

What formats does Gen Z read each month?

A separate dataset answers a different question: how many books do young people consume across formats when they are active readers.

The American Library Association’s report on Gen Z and millennials includes a format breakdown of monthly reading. It reports that, on average, Gen Z and millennials read (including through subscriptions) about 2 print books, 1 ebook, and 1 audiobook per month, and that Gen Z reads and buys slightly more than millennials in all formats.

This is not the same metric as the SPPA “at least once per year” rate. A monthly average describes behavior among people who report reading, while an annual participation rate includes both readers and non-readers.

How does Gen Z discover books in practice?

The ALA report gives unusually concrete numbers on discovery channels tied to social platforms.

It reports that 1 in 3 Gen Zers and millennials buy books based on Instagram reviews or ads, and 31% buy books because of TikTok reviews or ads. The same report notes extremely high social media exposure overall: 92% check social media daily and 25% check multiple times an hour.

Those statistics help explain why BookTok and Instagram reading content can move sales quickly for certain titles. They also show why publisher and retailer marketing increasingly treats short-form video as a discovery layer, not just an awareness channel.

Do Gen Z readers still use libraries?

Yes, at meaningful scale.

The ALA report finds that 54% of Gen Z and millennials used physical libraries within a twelve-month period.

Importantly, the report frames libraries as discovery and community spaces as well as lending points, which matters when analyzing behavior that might not show up in “books purchased” statistics.

What do SPPA reading rates look like by age group in the United States?

Age group	Read books and or literature at least once in last 12 months (2022)
18–24	52.4%
25–34	56.9%
35–44	55.2%
45–54	52.0%
55–64	48.6%
65–74	53.7%
75+	50.3%

What does the ALA report show about Gen Z reading volume and discovery?

Metric	Gen Z and related cohort statistic
Average books read per month	About 2 print, 1 ebook, 1 audiobook
Physical library use (past 12 months)	54% of Gen Z and millennials
Book purchases influenced by Instagram	1 in 3 Gen Zers and millennials
Book purchases influenced by TikTok	31% of Gen Zers and millennials
Social media daily checking	92% of Gen Z and millennials
Social media checking multiple times an hour	25% of Gen Z and millennials

Sources

1. Pew Research Center, Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins
2. National Endowment for the Arts, By All Means, the Arts: A Full Report of the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA)
3. National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Participation Patterns in 2022: Highlights from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts
4. American Library Association, Gen Z and Millennials: How They Use Public Libraries and Identify Through Media Use