Using behavioural science to get more Australians reading

The seemingly simple act of reading or listening to a book offers a significant array of benefits, with studies finding the activity helps to reduce stress, enhance memory, improve concentration and beyond.

And yet recreational reading rates are in decline: studies of the wider population show that at least a quarter of Australians haven’t read or listened to a single book in the past year.

Australia Reads wanted to understand the reasons and roadblocks behind this decline, learn what could be done to help reverse it, and, ultimately, change this story.

What did we find?

Our research offers a wealth of detail on how, why, where and when Australians do (or don’t) pick up a book — whether it’s paper, digital or audio. Below are just a few of the report’s key findings:

Australians want to read more: 54.9% of those who have read a book in the past year, and 49.8% of those who haven’t told us they read less than they intend to.
Most respondents felt engaged within 30 minutes or less of reading, but around 15% needed up to an hour to feel engaged with a book, and about 5% needed even longer.
Among those who do read, the main reasons given are relaxation (49.2%); pleasure and enjoyment (46.3%), and to keep their brain active (34.7%).
A significant barrier to reading is competing priorities when it comes to other leisure activities.
Common difficulties include getting distracted, finding a book that inspires the desire to read, and emotional blocks like a lack of motivation or not feeling in the ‘right’ mood.

Understanding Australian readers: Behavioural insights into recreational reading (Full Report)

What’s next?

There is no one approach that suits everyone, so our report identifies targeted approaches for each subgroup, but overall there were some common barriers and opportunities:

For the biggest impact on national reading rates, focus on infrequent readers. Our research identified a segment called “Aspirational Readers”, who currently read infrequently but want to read more. Targeting this group should be a primary focus of intervention efforts.
Recreational reading competes with other leisure opportunities. Making books easy to access and highly visible in everyday life will help move them to the top of the pile, whether that’s at school, work or home.
Early exposure shapes future readers. Respondents who couldn’t recall any positive reading experiences in the past were far more likely to be non-readers. Early educators, parents, teachers and school librarians have an essential role to play here.
Industry messaging should highlight that reading habits change over time, and that it’s normal to go through phases of reading more or less frequently. Exploring new genres or formats, or suggesting new ‘reader identities’ that fit someone’s current lifestyle, may help maintain reading engagement.

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