Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Adults Reading Literature1
Updated August 5, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff
(12-month period ending Aug. 2002)
| Demographic characteristics | Percent reading literature | Number reading literature (in millions) |
|---|---|---|
| Overall population | 46.7% | 96 |
| Gender | ||
| Female | 55.1 | 59 |
| Male | 37.6 | 37 |
| Ethnicity and race | ||
| Hispanic | 26.5 | 6 |
| White | 51.4 | 77 |
| African American | 37.1 | 9 |
| Other | 43.7 | 4 |
| Age | ||
| 18 to 24 | 42.8 | 11 |
| 25 to 34 | 47.7 | 18 |
| 35 to 44 | 46.6 | 21 |
| 45 to 54 | 51.6 | 20 |
| 55 to 64 | 48.9 | 13 |
| 65 to 74 | 45.3 | 8 |
| 75 or older | 36.7 | 6 |
| Education | ||
| Grade school | 14.0% | 2 |
| Some high school | 23.4 | 5 |
| High school graduate | 37.7 | 24 |
| Some college | 52.9 | 30 |
| College graduate | 63.1 | 23 |
| Graduate school | 74.3 | 13 |
| Family income | ||
| $9,999 or less | 32.1 | 5 |
| $10,000 to $19,999 | 37.5 | 8 |
| $20,000 to $29,999 | 37.5 | 9 |
| $30,000 to $39,999 | 44.1 | 11 |
| $40,000 to $49,999 | 47.9 | 8 |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 52.3 | 18 |
| $75,000 or more | 60.8 | 28 |
| Income not reported | 39.8 | 9 |
1. “Literature” includes novels, short stories, plays, and poetry but not works of nonfiction.
Source: National Endowment for the Arts, Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, June 2004.
| Family Reading, 1993–2001 | Trends in Reading and Publishing | U.S. Adult Participation in Literary Activities |
Trending
Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about.
