Amy Watson
Research expert covering news and publishing
Book reading habits in Scandinavia - statistics & facts
Even in a rapidly changing media landscape in which online entertainment is quickly overtaking engagement with traditional media, books remain popular in Scandinavia, and data suggests that this will continue to be the case in years to come.
Figures for Norway tell a similar story: most Norwegians read one or more books each year. However, like in Sweden, time spent reading is lower among younger generations. Although book reading may wane as children approach their teens, Norwegian parents actively read to their children, suggesting that engagement with books begins at a young age. In fact, a survey revealed that a third of Norwegians read aloud to their children every day.
The future of digital book consumption in Scandinavia could lie in streaming subscriptions. Stockholm-based reading subscription service Storytel increased its revenue consistently between 2019 and 2021, the majority of which is generated in the Nordic market.
The continued popularity of books
Reading habits are similar across the region. Book readership in Sweden is high– around 80 percent of adults profess to read at least one book each year. While Swedes in their late teens and early to mid-20s spend less time with books than they used to, the latest data shows that around a quarter of young Swedish adults still read books every week.Figures for Norway tell a similar story: most Norwegians read one or more books each year. However, like in Sweden, time spent reading is lower among younger generations. Although book reading may wane as children approach their teens, Norwegian parents actively read to their children, suggesting that engagement with books begins at a young age. In fact, a survey revealed that a third of Norwegians read aloud to their children every day.
E-books are yet to take off
Whilst information about book readership in Denmark is scarce, the most recent data available on e-book readership showed that most Danes never read e-books, and the same is true of neighboring Sweden and Norway. While reading is still a popular form of entertainment, the engagement with e-books in Sweden is low with less than 15 percent of those aged eight years and older having read an e-book online in the last year. Meanwhile, a survey on e-book readership in Norway also demonstrated the ample room for growth in this area with only a fraction of respondents aged from nine to 79 years old saying that they read an e-book on an average day. By contrast, printed books were significantly more popular.The future of digital book consumption in Scandinavia could lie in streaming subscriptions. Stockholm-based reading subscription service Storytel increased its revenue consistently between 2019 and 2021, the majority of which is generated in the Nordic market.
