WASHINGTON — New federal data show a continued long-term decline in the number of U.S. children who read books for fun almost every day.
The National Center for Education Statistics released results from the 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress long-term trend assessment on June 10, indicating that 37 percent of 9-year-olds reported reading for fun almost every day, down from 53 percent in 2012. Among 13-year-olds, the figure stood at 14 percent, compared with 27 percent in 2012.
The assessment, known as the Nation's Report Card, tracks student performance and related behaviors over decades for 9- and 13-year-olds. Data on reading habits come from student questionnaires administered alongside the tests.
The decline spans more than four decades. In 1984, 53 percent of 9-year-olds and 35 percent of 13-year-olds said they read for fun almost daily. The share of students reporting they "never or hardly ever" read for fun has risen over the same period.
Overall reading scores for 9-year-olds improved between 2022 and 2025, while scores for 13-year-olds showed no significant change. However, the frequency of recreational reading continued to fall for both age groups.
Peggy G. Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, said in a statement accompanying the release, "These trends highlight important shifts in how young people spend their time outside of school." Details on the precise wording were not immediately available in all summaries of the report.
Experts and educators have pointed to increased screen time, changes in family routines and competing demands on children's attention as possible factors, though the assessment itself does not establish causation. Similar patterns appear in other surveys, including those tracking adult reading habits, which have also shown declines.
The 2025 data cover a nationally representative sample of students. Participation rates and other methodological details were published with the full report on the Nation's Report Card website.
Reading for pleasure has been linked in various studies to improved literacy outcomes, vocabulary development and academic performance, though the latest NAEP results show mixed progress in test scores. Some lower-performing students showed gains in recent years, but gaps persist.
Officials noted that while 9-year-olds posted score improvements from 2022, broader long-term trends remain a focus for educators. No new policy announcements were tied directly to the reading-habits data in the June 10 release.
The findings arrive as publishers, libraries and advocacy groups continue efforts to promote reading, including initiatives providing books to schools and encouraging family reading time. Specific impacts of those programs on national trends were not detailed in the federal assessment.
The National Center for Education Statistics plans further analysis of the 2025 data, including breakdowns by demographics. Additional reporting on related educational indicators is expected in coming months.
