The National Book Center (CNL) has made public the results of the fifth edition of its study “Young French people and reading”produced by Ipsos bva. The 2026 study reveals a worrying weakening of reading among 7-19 year olds. Although a majority of young people still say they read, the daily time allocated to books is falling in favor of screens, on which they now spend more than three hours a day. Between dropping out of adolescence and decline in parental transmission, the CNL calls for collective mobilization to preserve the ability to concentrate and the pleasure of reading for new generations. Press release.
Implemented since 2016 by the National Book Center (CNL) and entrusted to Ipsos bva, this study concerns a sample of 1,500 young people aged 7 to 19, representative of the French population and interviewed online. Its objectives are to measure the current perceptions and practices of young French people in terms of reading, to understand what encourages them or, on the contrary, hinders them from reading books and to identify the levers which lead or would lead them to reading. Compared to previous waves of CNL studies on young people’s reading, certain questions have been added or refined, in order to better understand certain trends.
The main conclusions to remember from this study on the reading of young people aged 7 to 19:
Despite a generally stable number of young readers, the dropout rate during adolescence remains high and the quality of reading is weakened.
If young people’s reading is generally stable compared to 2024 (84% read for school, studies or work; 81% read for leisure), it is still much less important among 16-19 year olds, many of whom still do not read at all (more than 1/3 of them). For leisure, reading decreases with age, particularly among boys: 76% of them read at 13-15 years old (difference of 15 pts compared to boys aged 7-12); 56% at 16-19 years old (difference of 35 pts compared to boys aged 7-12 years). Furthermore, young people’s reading remains fragmented, at different levels depending on age: 21% do something else while they read at 7-9 years old; 45% at 13-15 years old; 67% at 16-19 years old. And when it comes to the latest books read for school, studies or work, there are far fewer teenagers than younger ones who understand, like or read them easily.
For leisure, young people still spend 10 times more time on screens than reading books
Young people devote 18 minutes per day to leisure reading (-1 min. vs. 2024, -8 min. vs. 2016), with a reduction in reading time in unusual categories (7-12 year olds, girls and CSP+) and a drop in regular reading among all, when they spend 3 hours 01 minutes on screens daily (excluding reading digital books or listening to audio books) and up to more than 5 hours at 16-19 years. On screen, they read little (16% read books) and mainly watch short videos (56%). They also spend time on social networks (56% of 7-9 year olds; 72% of 10-12 year olds; 99% of 16-19 year olds) and, for some, spend at least 1 hour per day there (notably on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat).
When they read for leisure, they primarily turn to comics, manga and novels. Despite a slight decline, comics (bringing together comic books, mangas and comics) remain the first choice of young people for leisure reading, followed by novels, on the rise (+4 pts). Among the novels they read, adventure novels, SF books and romance are their preference, particularly dark romance among girls aged 16-19 (57%, +7 pts).
If the advice of loved ones (especially their mother), the cover, the hero or the summary remain the first triggers for reading, an adaptation on screen (28%), online publications (28%; 32% among 13-15 year olds; 51% among 16-19 year olds) and ease of reading (22%) also weigh. And for their book purchases, they are increasingly turning to second-hand items (+5 pts vs 2024), whatever their age, but in particular 7-12 year olds (+7 pts).
They still greatly enjoy shared reading times, however this parental transmission is decreasing.
A large proportion of young people have benefited from a story read by their parents, particularly their mother (89%), and this shared reading is judged very positively by all. However, in 10 years, this regular shared reading has decreased and, now, even young people aged 7-9, who are the primary recipients, benefit from it less frequently (-8 pts vs 2024). Moreover, the example of parents in terms of reading has also declined in 10 years: 18% of young people say that their parents do not read books themselves (especially their father), when only 7% said this in 2016.
They read above all to relax, have fun and keep themselves busy, but they often prefer to do something else… on a screen.
For the first time, relaxation comes at the top of the reading motivations, ahead of pleasure and the fact of seeking to occupy oneself, in strong progression (+8 pts vs 2024 and 2022). The preference for other activities is the first obstacle to reading, accompanied among non-readers by a lack of interest.
When they prefer to do something else, even if sport, walks and friends occupy an important place, young people turn less towards sporting or social activities (74%) than towards activities on screen (84%), in particular playing video games at 10-15 years old (especially boys) or spending time on social networks at 16-19 years old.
To find out more:
• Young French people and reading in 2026, National Book Center (CNL) study with Ipsos bva, April 2026.
