Americans still opt for print books over digital or audio versions, Pew finds

The headline findings

Three-quarters of U.S. adults (75%) say they read all or part of at least one book in the past 12 months, and print remains king. About two‑thirds of adults report reading a physical book in the past year, while e‑books (31%) and audiobooks (26%) lag behind — though both digital formats have roughly doubled their reach since 2011. The data come from a Pew Research Center survey conducted Oct. 6–16, 2025, and the shift from page to pixel, while real, is slower than some expected.

Who’s reading what

Reading habits still map strongly to education, age and race. Roughly nine‑in‑ten adults with a bachelor’s degree (88%) say they read a book in the past year, versus 78% of those with some college and 60% of people with a high school diploma or less. Younger adults are the early adopters of e‑books and audiobooks — 41% of adults under 30 report reading an e‑book — and Asian Americans stand out for e‑book use (42%). Women also report higher book engagement overall than men. Meanwhile, participation in book clubs remains relatively rare.

Why it matters

So what’s the emotional chord here? People still like the tactile: the smell of pages, the crease of a spine, the joy of lending a paperback. Call it the vinyl effect — nostalgia plus practicality keeps print resilient even as convenient listening and reading apps expand. The pace of change has slowed since 2021, suggesting the market may be settling into a more mixed ecosystem; publishers, libraries and apps will keep nudging formats, but for now many readers aren’t ready to give up turning the page.

Sources: pewresearch.org, Hacker News