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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Ella Creamer

Report finds ‘shocking and dispiriting’ fall in children reading for pleasure

Girl reads a book with a boy.
‘The futures of a generation are being put at risk.’ Photograph: Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

Children’s reading enjoyment has fallen to its lowest level in almost two decades, with just one in three young people saying that they enjoy reading in their free time, according to a new survey.

Only 34.6% of eight- to 18-year-olds surveyed by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) said that they enjoy reading in their spare time. This is the lowest level recorded by the charity since it began surveying children about their reading habits 19 years ago, representing an 8.8 percentage point drop since last year.

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