EU Read

Research by Stiftung Lesen

Reading behaviour in Germany 2008

It is the largest assessment of reading habits in Germany for years: ‘Lesen in Deutschland 2008’ (Reading in Germany 2008), by Stiftung Lesen, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

A quarter of all people in Germany have never read a book, finds the study ‘Lesen in Deutschland 2008’ carried out by Stiftung Lesen proves, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

More than 2,500 youths and adults were interviewed in this largest representative assessment of reading habits since 2000. The study focuses on individuals with a migrant background in particular revealing the remarkable finding that 36 of them read once or several times a week, and 11% of them even read on a daily basis. Hence, immigrant persons take books into their hands at least as frequently as the average population, with 36% reading weekly and 8% of reading daily. Thus, German speaking migrants form a new ‘reading middle class’: its members are important multipliers for reaching out to less educated classes. They show that teaching language competence is the key to successful reading promotion.

The study documents the disappearance of the ‘classical occasional reader’ reading between one and four books a month. A comparison with the precursor studies conducted by Stiftung Lesen in 1992 and 2000 shows that the core of reading enthusiasts, consuming more than 50 books a year, remains consistent at approximately 3 percent. The group of occasional readers has diminished by 31% in the past eight years, to 25%. The study moreover reveals that a very important reading impetus is lacking: 45% of the 14-19 year old youths state that they were never given a book as a present when they were children

According to the study, the concern that reading screen-based texts destroys reading culture is not justified: reading on-screen has entered daily life – but the majority still does not want to go without printed books. What do readers like about the printed material? Printed material is still regarded as particularly reliable. It probably offers more assistance in orientation: 20% of the readers complain of losing track when reading on-screen.

‘Lesen in Deutschland 2008’ allows for identifying 6 ‘reading types’ in Germany:

> 25% refrain from reading – they regard reading as arduous
> 24% regard themselves as friends of reading, with a high emotional enjoyment of reading
> 20% are information-oriented readers
> 12% seem to be open to computers and also to ‘nicely designed books’
> 11% are users of electronic media, preferring computers against books
> 8% refrain from media use, regarding all kinds of media as ballast.

Stiftung Lesen has published a documentation of the main findings of the study (in German).