Kiwis love to read to their children, new report finds

Posted: Monday Mar 07, 2022

82% of parents of young children read with them at least once a week and usually at bedtime, according to a new study released today.

Around a third reported their children under 10 years of age had a particular book they liked to be read repeatedly, while 55% said they wished they had more time to read to their kids.

These are some of the findings from Read NZ Te Pou Muramura’s National Reading Survey. Conducted by Horizon Research Limited in late 2021, this survey is the first of its kind since 2018.

Since then, 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 New Zealand women reading have 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.

42% of respondents who had read none or just a few books in the past year said their barrier to reading was lack of time, mostly due to work and whānau responsibilities, with 9% indicating that they found other media, such as television and podcasts more enjoyable.

However, respondents who did pick up a book said that reading brought pleasure and enjoyment and helped them to relax after a busy day.

While maintaining the questions asked in previous surveys, this year’s 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.

An expanded section on reading with children revealed that 39% of respondents who had children under 10 in their household made time for reading with them every day, while 82% read with their children at least once a week.

New Zealanders also continue to enjoy their own stories. 44% of all adult respondents said they had read or started to read at least one book by a New Zealand author or poet in the past year.

Readers of local poetry were nearly twice as likely to be male than female, but the incidence of poetry reading declined with age. Public libraries remain the most popular place to find any type of book, closely followed by independent and second-hand bookshops.

Read NZ’s kaupapa is to grow a nation of readers. The organisation will use the insights from this research to continue to advocate for reading in Aotearoa through its programmes and share the findings with the wider book sector.

CEO Juliet Blyth says many of the survey’s findings are positive.

“It’s wonderful that New Zealanders love to read and especially share books with their tamariki. But it’s concerning to see that men’s reading rates have dropped again since our 2018 survey.

“We note that a lack of time remains a major barrier to reading for pleasure, especially for those aged 25 to 50. Many parents know the benefits of reading with their children, but there are 8% who don’t make time to do so,” says Blyth.

“This research is the latest snapshot of the reading landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand. We will continue to work to ensure we all keep reading because we believe it makes life better.”

1,956 New Zealanders took part in the survey in 2021. Read NZ thanks the Stout Trust and Creative NZ for supporting the research project.

The full 2021 National Survey of Reading report is available for download HERE.