New National Literacy Trust report finds rise in some children’s reading for pleasure

New findings from the National Literacy Trust reveal that children’s enjoyment of reading and daily reading habits have risen, albeit ‘modestly’, for the first time in five years, after hitting a record 20 year low in 2025. However, despite these ‘green shoots of recovery’ the research shows the gender gap for younger children and the disadvantage gap for older children is widening.

Based on a survey of 125,375 children and young people aged 5 to 18 from across the UK between January to March 2026, more than a third (36.1%) of those aged 8 to 18 say they enjoy reading in their free time (vs 32.7% in 2025) while a fifth (20.3%) read daily in their free time (vs 18.7% in 2025).

Despite this rise, reading enjoyment (58.6% in 2016) and daily reading (32.0% in 2016) levels still lag significantly behind those of a decade ago, with the gender gap for younger children (aged 5-8) and the disadvantage gap for older children (aged 8-18) both widening.

The disadvantage gap in reading enjoyment more than doubled in the past year (from 2pp to 5.2pp), with enjoyment levels for those not in receipt of free school meals increasing more (from 33.0% to 37.3%) than their peers in receipt of free school meals (31.0% to 32.1%). The daily reading gap also widened over this time (from 3.6pp to 5.1pp) [2, 3].

Based on a survey of 125,375 children and young people aged five to 18 from across the UK between January to March 2026 – the first three months of the National Year of Reading – more than a third (36.1%) of those aged eight to 18 said they enjoy reading in their free time (compared to 32.7% in 2025) while a fifth (20.3%) read daily in their free time (18.7% in 2025).

However, despite this “small but important increase” reading enjoyment (8.6% in 2016) and daily reading (32 % in 2016) still lag significantly behind figures of a decade ago, with the gender gap for younger children (aged five to eight) and the disadvantage gap for older children (aged eight to 18) both widening.

According to the findings, the disadvantage gap in reading enjoyment more than doubled in the past year (from two percentage points to 5.2 percentage points), with enjoyment levels for those not in receipt of free school meals increasing more (from 33% to 37.3%) than their peers in receipt of free school meals (31% to 32.1%). The daily reading gap also widened over this time, from 3.6% to 5.1%.

Meanwhile, children aged 5-8 were the only group to report a year-on-year decline in their reading enjoyment (from 62.6% to 61.6%). This was driven by a simultaneous fall in boys’ enjoyment of reading (from 58.8% to 56.3%) and rise for girls (from 66.4% to 67.1%). The reading enjoyment gender gap for this age group widened (from 7.6pp to 10.8pp), as did the daily reading gap (from 7.3pp to 9.4pp).

Building on extensive research demonstrating the positive relationship between reading and children’s life chances, the report found that when children and young people enjoy reading, they read more often, with benefits for learning, wellbeing and empathy.

Indeed, 10 times as many children and young people who enjoy reading say they read regularly in their free time compared to those who don’t enjoy reading (49.8% vs 4.5%); while the greatest benefits of reading for young people included learning new words or things (85.2%), helping them to relax (64.4%) and understanding others’ views (63.5%).

While the relationship between reading enjoyment and daily reading is important, it is not absolute. The report highlights that, for reading to become more strongly embedded in children and young people’s daily lives, it must also be relevant, meaningful and supported by people around them.

Nearly half (48.7%) of children and young people said that reading helps them explore their interests – with relevance particularly important for groups who are the least engaged with reading [6] – while two-thirds (65.8%) are encouraged to read by their teachers and more than half (54.8%) by their parents.

The National Literacy Trust targets its work in the nation’s most deprived wards, where low literacy and poverty are having the greatest impact on people’s lives and in these high priority areas, where the charity works most intensively with schools and community partners, it points out that children and young people’s reading skills and engagement have significantly improved.

Between 2023 to 2025, the reading skills of 11-year-olds in primary schools in high priority areas rose three times faster than those of their peers across England, from 66% to 73% (7pp) compared with 73% to 75% (2pp) – substantially narrowing the attainment gap. These children were also 15% more likely to enjoy reading in their free time (41.6% vs 36.2%).

Meanwhile, in schools that participated in the charity’s evidence-based reading programmes over the last academic year, children and young people who were the least engaged with reading at the start saw their reading confidence (84%), enjoyment (77%) and frequency (66%) increase significantly.

As the National Literacy Trust’s Department for Education-backed National Year of Reading campaign reaches its half-way point, and against a backdrop of multiple government commitments to support children and young people’s reading, the NLT is calling for national leadership, sustained cross-sector partnerships and long-term investment to maintain this year’s upturn so every child can thrive.

Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: ‘After years of decline in children and young people’s relationship with reading, we’re starting to see some green shoots of recovery. But we can’t take this early progress for granted – reading is fundamental to children’s life chances, yet too many are still being left behind.

“The National Year of Reading has been a galvanising force, bringing together schools, libraries, charities, businesses and government behind a single mission – to reinvigorate the nation’s relationship with reading. If we are to maintain and build on this momentum beyond 2026, we must continue to invest in what we know works – championing reading for enjoyment in our homes, schools and communities, and supporting more young people to see reading as a relevant, meaningful and fun part of everyday life.’

The Education Select Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry into reading for pleasure to better understand its benefits, why fewer children and young people are enjoying reading than two decades ago and what can be done to reverse this trend. The National Literacy Trust and other literacy bodies and organisations have provided written and oral evidence to the inquiry.

Helen Hayes MP, Chair of the Education Committee, said, ‘I’m encouraged by today’s research from the National Literacy Trust, which shows some cause for optimism. But we still need to do much more to encourage children to read for enjoyment, particularly younger children, boys of all ages, teenagers and disadvantaged children.

‘While my Committee considers what action the government should take to tackle this dangerous trend, research like this helps to make the case for a concerted effort to put reading for pleasure at the top of the agenda.’

Read the National Literacy Report in full.