Figure

V-05a: Percentage of Americans Age18 and Older Who Read Literature in the Previous 12 Months

Data Source and Other Information

* Novels, short stories, poetry, and plays, other than for work or school.
** This percentage includes those who read (regardless of the format) or who listened to recordings, broadcasts, or web streams of novels, short stories, or poetry (SPPA did not ask about listening to plays). 

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).

Related Indicators

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

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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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