Reading rose in popularity last year

People on average read more in 2022 compared with the previous year, according to a national reading report released at the Second National Conference on Reading in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sunday, which marked the 28th World Book and Copyright Day.

The survey, conducted by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication in Beijing for the 20th consecutive year, polled 1.48 million respondents in 165 cities in 30 provincial regions. Grownups accounted for 74.6 percent of all respondents. One in four were from rural areas.

In general, Chinese grown-ups read more in 2022 compared to 2021. About 81.8 percent of those surveyed read via a variety of media, 0.2 percentage points higher than in 2021. The growth in reading digital books was slightly higher than for paper books.