National Reading Survey

How are we reading in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Since 2016, our regular reading research (now called the National Reading Survey) has asked that question. We commissioned Horizon Research to compile research reports from a representative group of New Zealanders.

The latest survey was conducted in late 2021. It found that since 2018, the number of adults who read or started to read at least one book in the past 12 months dropped slightly, from 86% to 85%. Meanwhile, 94% of 10–17-year-olds read at least one book, down from 97% in 2018. 

The numbers of Kiwi women reading had remained the same since 2018 but men’s reading rates continued to drop, with 79% picking up a book in the past year, compared to 81% in 2018 and 84% in 2017.

While maintaining the questions asked in previous surveys, the 2021 research had a wider scope, asking questions about languages read, how recent Covid-19 lockdowns and the ongoing pandemic have affected reading habits, and its importance to personal wellbeing.

This research into the reading habits of New Zealanders surveyed in October 2021 confirms that we remain a nation of readers, and one that loves to read to our children.