Which Country Reads The Most?

Reading remains a cornerstone of cultural and intellectual life worldwide, but engagement varies significantly by nation.

Measuring “which countries read the most” can focus on metrics like average books consumed annually per capita, weekly reading hours, or library usage rates. Drawing from recent data by World Population Review, Americans are (somewhat surprisingly) the world’s most voracious readers.

Americans spend almost 7 hours reading per week, on average. This equals 357 hours per year.

Source: Voronoiapp.com

In contrast, India, ranking second (only about 5 minutes per week behind that of Americans) reads the most in sheer numbers—over 90 million books sold yearly—but per capita lags at 1.5 due to population scale.

China mirrors this, with 500 million readers, though urban youth drive digital consumption.

The United Kingdom comes in third, reading about 6.5 hours a week or 343 hours per year, followed by France with the average person reading for about 5 hours and 50 minutes each week.

Italians are the fifth most voracious readers globally, reading for 5 hours and 20 minutes per week or 278 hours per year.

These trends highlight policy’s role: subsidies, accessibility, and cultural promotion elevate reading.

As digital formats rise, expect Asia’s per capita figures to climb, narrowing the gap with Europe.

Globally, reading correlates with higher empathy and innovation – lessons for under-engaged nations like Afghanistan, Brunei, and Pakistan.