Reading in Poland: the latest research

Readership in Poland has returned to pre-pandemic levels. This means that the downward trend has been permanently stopped.

38% of respondents replied to the question of reading at least one book in the 12 months preceding the study. This result is not surprising if you consider the reference year 2019 – the last one before extraordinary circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Noted in 2020, a small increase in reading was not the beginning of the growth trend. Pandemic limitations, including school education of children at home and remote work, brought a slightly greater interest in reading in the first year of the pandemic, and in the second year - noticeable fatigue.

Shopping is the most common source of books read, with online sales increasing in importance during the pandemic.

The closure of libraries as a result of national regulations or due to the local increase in infections between 2020 and 21 limited access to books for less frequent purchasers and could have affected lower reading levels – the decline in reading is similar to reducing loans from 18% to 13%, which demonstrates how important public libraries play a role in maintaining the level of reading.

Sources of books read in 2019–2022

Preliminary report on the state of reading.

State of Reading in Poland (BN research) implemented as part of the National Programme for the Development of Reading 2.0 Evaluation and Monitoring Plan for the period 2021-2025.

It was funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the implementation of the National Literacy Development Programme 2.0 for 2021-2025.

Source: https://www.bn.org.pl/updates/4597-state-reading-ksiazek-in-polska.-newest-research.html