Infographic: the reading habits of millennials

Editor’s note: This article was reviewed and updated in July 2026 to meet Expert Editor’s editorial standards. Some statistics may have been updated since original publication.

When teens and young adults are immersed in their smartphones, what do you think they’re doing? Scrolling their Instagram feed? Chatting to friends on Facebook? Watching a video on YouTube?

Quite often, they’re actually reading a book.

Forget the stereotypes we often associate with Millennials. They’re voracious readers – it’s just that their reading habits are different to previous generations.

In this infographic, we explore the reading preferences of Millennials and the results may surprise you.

Pew research data from 2016 suggests that Millennials read more than their parents. In fact, Millennials read more than any other age group. 80% of young adults have read a book in any format over the last year, including 72% having read a print copy.

Other surprising facts about the reading habits of Millennials include:

• According to Pew Research Center data, the median American adult reads around four books per year — and Millennials are among the most active reading cohorts.
• Millennials are more likely than any other age group to visit public libraries.
• Contrary to popular belief, they prefer print books to digital ones. In fact, 92% of college students prefer reading in print rather than on a screen.

What does this mean? Besides upending a few misconceptions about Millennials, the book industry is also probably in a healthier state than we give it credit for. Demand for new books is actually being driven by younger readers.

Book publishing statistics back this up. Although book sales in traditional bricks and mortar stores have been declining for years, the overall industry trend is positive. The worldwide publishing industry generates hundreds of billions of dollars annually and has been growing about 1% annually for the last 5 years.

Check out our infographic below for more fun and surprising facts about the reading habits of Millennials.

Millennials attract more than their fair share of generalisations: that they’re lazy, entitled, job-hoppers, tech addicts, and careless with money. These are broad stereotypes that lack substantial evidence.

Similarly, popular perception states that being tech addicts, these young adults reject the idea of reading and even if they consider it, their preference towards print books is negligible – yet again, another generalisation that is not true.

People belonging to the 1981–1996 birth group, i.e., millennials, have a strong inclination towards reading print books as opposed to digital versions – they are avid readers who read, on average, several books a year.

This may sound surprising to many, but it is supported by well-documented facts, figures and observations.

Millennials read more than their parents and other generations

Millennials read more than their parents — and, according to Pew Research, more than any other generation. One reason is the range of formats now available: printed books, digital books and audiobooks all count, and 80% of Millennials have read in at least one of these formats in the past year.

Their preference still leans heavily toward print, with 72% choosing that medium over digital alternatives.

Additionally, while you might believe that this age group only uses their phone as a source of entertainment, at least 35% of them read e-books — 15% read on tablets, 22% use a phone, 16% use a laptop and 5% use Kindle or other digital readers.

The younger generation also gravitates toward digital books when there are promotional benefits — free print copies, free devices, or the option to pay per chapter rather than for the entire book.

Millennials trump other generations in using public libraries

Despite their modern ways, many millennials choose the conventional method of sourcing books — visiting a public library or a local bookstore.

Demand for new books by younger readers has grown steadily: for the last five years, the global publishing industry has been growing by around one percent per annum.

Compared to past generations, 53% of Millennials claim to have visited a bookmobile or library in the past year, whereas 45% of Gen Xers, 43% of Baby Boomers and only 36% of people belonging to the ‘silent generation’ have done the same.

It is also worth noting that 56% of people in the 18 to 34 age group choose to purchase books rather than borrow them — and 40% of Millennials are willing to pay more to support their local community.

They keep themselves well-informed by reading rather than listening

Millennials are highly engaged learners, consistently seeking ways to broaden their horizons and acquire new knowledge.

As such, it’s only natural that a large majority — 93% — prefer reading for research purposes, compared with 66% of prior generations.

Millennials also read for pleasure: 93% read poems, short stories, or novels outside their course curriculum.

Positive reviews influence millennials to purchase a book

Authors like John Grisham, Charles Dickens, J. K. Rowling and Mark Twain are globally renowned, and books bearing their names have historically been strong sellers.

Today, things are slightly different: the purchase decision is focused more on price and cover design than on author reputation alone. Influencers, reference groups and reviews now play a significant role in helping readers decide what to buy.

For example, a blogger targeting a niche such as factory safety would have a strong follower base of people who maintain and manage factory operations. Publishing a book titled “Ensuring Health and Safety Standards in a Manufacturing Facility” and reaching out to that blogger could put the title directly in front of a highly relevant audience.

One in three Millennials reads blogs to research business products and narrow down their purchasing choices, making targeted bloggers a valuable promotional channel.

YouTube is also an influential medium: 60% of young adults have purchased a product after seeing it featured there.

Reviews carry significant weight too — eight out of ten Millennials look up book reviews online before placing an order. Beyond that, 54% rely on word of mouth, 20% consult social media reviews, and 18% turn to online communities.

Bestsellers do not top the charts for more than four weeks

In a crowded market driven by millennial buying behaviour, relatively few books sustain a place in the bestseller lists for more than four weeks. Titles that maintain that position for 20 weeks or more — as Fifty Shades of Grey, The Da Vinci Code, and The Bridges of Madison County have done — represent rare exceptions rather than the rule.

With so many books being downloaded on e-book readers and physically purchased, reaching the top of the charts and staying there is genuinely challenging.

All in all

The publishing industry is growing, and Millennials are a driving force behind that growth. Reaching this demographic through channels they trust — influencer marketing, online reviews, and community recommendations — remains one of the most effective strategies for authors and publishers alike.