In 2013, over 24 million people aged 6 and over report they had read at least one book during the 12 months prior to the interview, for reasons not related to work or school. Compared to 2012, the share of book readers decreases from 46% to 43%.
Women read more than men in 2012: 49.6% of women read at least one book, compared to 36,4% of men. Gender difference in reading behaviours becomes evident as early as the age of 11.
The highest percentage of readers is found among the 11-14 age group (57.2%).
Propensity to read depends on school, but also on family: among young people aged between 6 and 14, those with both parents who read are very frequently (75%) book readers too, vs 35.4% of those with parents who do not read.
Sharp geographical differences remain in Italy: in the northern regions, over half (50.1%) of the population aged 6 years and over read books, while in the South and in the Islands the percentage of readers falls to 30.7%.
For information:
Statistics on social structure
Fabrizio Arosio
ph. +39 06 4673.7210
email arosio@istat.it