Printed books more popular than audio and e-books in Ireland – survey

Printed books are significantly more popular than audio and e-books in Ireland, according to a new survey.

Despite a surge in the availability of mediums people can use to flick through a book, paperbacks and hardbacks remain the most popular way to read, the research found.

The study also reported that 46% of respondents said smartphones and tablets have reduced the amount of time they spend reading books.

In the 18 to 34-year-old age group, the figure rises to 56%.

Family and school commitments were also given as reasons why adults struggled to read as much as they would like.

The data was compiled by Red C Research and commissioned by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) for Ireland Reads Day.

Almost 2,000 adults across all 31 local authorities were surveyed ahead of the Libraries Ireland initiative, which looks to encourage people to read more during February ahead of Ireland Reads Day on February 28.

The research found printed books were preferred by about two-thirds of adults (65%), four times that of e-books on 16% and audiobooks on 11%.

Stuart Hamilton, head of libraries development at the LGMA, said: “This shows that physical books continue to anchor reading habits, even in a highly digital world.

“Overall, the data shows that reading remains deeply embedded in daily life, with the vast majority of adults engaging in some form of reading every day.

“It reflects what libraries hear from readers every day, that it offers comfort, calm and a break from a fast-paced world.

“While print remains hugely important, it’s encouraging to see digital and audio options helping more people, including younger readers, to engage with books.”

Asked about their reading habits, 53% of respondents said they read online news, followed by 14% saying print books, 13% saying national newspapers, 7% saying e-books and 5% saying audiobooks.

Crime and thriller novels were the most popular genre across all demographics, but especially for women aged over 55, at 58%.

Both men and women showed an interest in biographies and true stories while women (40%) were nearly seven times more likely than men (6%) to pick up a romance novel.

Four out of ten people said they read between one to five books every year, with a further 20% reading six to ten and almost a tenth (8%) reading 41 or more books a year.

Almost one in three people (29%) get their books from libraries, while a further 13% use library apps, reflecting the growing role of digital borrowing.

The Ireland Reads research was carried out using Red C’s Red Line online omnibus, which accesses a national panel of over 45,000 adults across Ireland.

The study surveyed 1,000 nationally representative adults aged 18+ and with an additional 957 people interviewed between December 4 2025 and January 6 2026.

Quotas were applied for age, gender, region, and social class, and the final data was weighted to align with population projections by the Central Statistics Office.