Figure

V-04c: Percentage of Americans 18 Years or Older Participating in a Book Club or Reading Group, by Gender

Data Source and Other Information

Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. Data analyzed and presented by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Humanities Indicators (www.humanitiesindicators.org). Data for 2012 sourced from A Decade of Arts Engagement: Findings from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, 2002–2012, NEA Research Report #58 (National Endowment for the Arts, 2015), https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2012-sppa-feb2015.pdf (accessed 4/14/2025).

Related Indicators

For additional information on adult Americans’ reading ability and practices, see “Adult Literacy,” “Book Reading: Topics,” and “Reading to Young Children by Family Members.”

For indicators on reading competency among children and young adults, see “Trends in Basic Reading Skills among School-Age Children,” “Student Proficiency in Math, Reading, and Science,” and “Reading Competency: An International Perspective.”

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The Humanities Indicators and Departmental Survey have been made possible in part by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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