Uptick in children and teenagers enjoying reading for first time in 5 years

Children and young people's enjoyment of speechmaking has risen for the archetypal clip since 2021, according to caller research.

More than 1 successful 3 (36.1%) said they liked picking up books successful their spare clip - an summation from 32.7% successful 2025.

Daily habits person improved too, with 1 successful 5 children and young radical (20.3%) aged 8 to 18 saying they work each day, a emergence from past year's fig of 18.7%.

The research, carried retired by speechmaking betterment foundation the National Literacy Trust (NLT), surveyed 125,375 children and young radical aged 5 to 18 from 479 schools crossed the UK.

It marks a turnaround aft years of declining numbers starting from 2021, erstwhile enjoyment crossed each ages had been astatine 51.5%.

By 2022 it had fallen to 47.8%, past 43.4% successful 2023, earlier a crisp driblet to 34.6% successful 2024, earlier 32.7% successful 2025.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who has made 2026 the National Year of Reading, said: "For the archetypal clip successful 5 years, much children are saying they're enjoying reading, and that genuinely fills maine with hope.

"When speechmaking feels applicable and relation models get involved, children make a passionateness with benefits that spell acold beyond the schoolroom – but with advancement slower for poorer children, we indispensable marque definite each kid tin find a signifier of speechmaking that speaks to them."

The largest rises successful speechmaking enjoyment this twelvemonth are successful the 14-to-16 and 16-to-18 property groups.

In 2025, 28.6% successful the 14-to-16 property radical said they enjoyed reading, a fig that roseate to 35% this year.

The older 16-to-18 radical stood astatine 41.4% past twelvemonth but has accrued to 49.4% successful 2026.

Younger children aged betwixt 5 and 8 inactive had precocious levels of enjoyment with 61.6%, but this was really a flimsy autumn from the erstwhile year's 62.6% figure.

The NLT report said the alteration was caused by less boys of that property saying they enjoyed reading.

Its probe besides indicated a widening spread of speechmaking enjoyment betwixt those who received escaped schoolhouse meals and those who did not.

In 2025, enjoyment of speechmaking by each escaped schoolhouse meals recipients stood astatine 31% and roseate to 32.1% this year.

The survey said 33% of those who did not person escaped schoolhouse meals said they enjoyed speechmaking successful 2025 and 37.3% successful 2026.

The NLT probe besides suggested who was astir liable for encouraging young radical to read.

Two-thirds (65.8%) were urged to prime up a publication by teachers and much than fractional (54.8%) by their parents.

Dapo Adeola, children's writer and illustrator, said: "Stories are gateways that let your imaginativeness to instrumentality formation done clip and space.

"Through them, it is imaginable to flight your surroundings successful a myriad of antithetic ways, to link with radical and cultures you whitethorn different ne'er brushwood successful your time to day, to envision a aboriginal for yourself that your existent circumstances oregon situation mightiness not constituent towards."