U.S. Adult Participation in Literary Activities
Updated August 5, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff
(12-month period ending Aug. 2002)
| Percent of population | Millions of people | |
|---|---|---|
| Read any book | 56.6% | 117 |
| Read literature1 | 46.7 | 96 |
| Read a novel or short story | 45.1 | 93 |
| Read poetry | 12.1 | 25 |
| Read a play | 3.6 | 7 |
| Listened to live or recorded readings of novels or books | 9.3 | 19 |
| Read or listened to poetry | 14.3 | 30 |
| Read poetry | 12.1 | 25 |
| Listened to live or recorded readings of poetry | 5.9 | 12 |
| Did personal creative writing | 7.0% | 14 |
| Published | 1.0 | 2 |
| Unpublished | 6.1 | 13 |
| Took creative writing classes or lessons | ||
| In past year | 1.0 | 2 |
| Ever | 13.3 | 27 |
| Used Internet to learn about, read, or discuss topics related to literature | 9.2 | 19 |
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.
| Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Adults Reading Literature | Trends in Reading and Publishing | Use of Individual Media By All 8 to 18 Year Olds |
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