There are moments when the book world collectively holds its breath. Can we take another battering? Can we cope with yet another decline in the reading habits of chidren? In spite of all of the wonderful things that are happening to combat the decline.

Yesterday was one of those days. Partners of the National Literacy Trust were invited to a preview of their latest literacy survey. For the past few years, their annual research has given us plenty to worry about, charting a steady decline in children's reading enjoyment and daily reading habits. Last June they reported the lowest levels since records began. A 20-year low in children's reading engagement.

This year, however, there is a glimmer of hope.

The National Literacy Trust's Survey - Children and Young People’s Reading in 2026, which gathered responses from more than 125,000 children and young people aged 5-18 across the UK, reveals the first increase in reading enjoyment for four years. The report states: “Reading shapes how children and young people learn, feel and engage with the world. Yet across the UK and internationally, it is becoming less central to everyday life,” pointing to “a broader shift in how reading is prioritised and experienced.”

36.1% of children and young people aged 8-18 now say they enjoy reading in their free time, up from 32.7% last year.

Daily reading has also increased, with 20.3% reading every day compared with 18.7% in 2025.

In the context of recent years, that's genuinely encouraging news. And you could hear the sighs of relief on that meeting.

Green Shoots of Recovery

The National Literacy Trust describes these findings as a "small but important increase", and that's exactly the right note of cautious optimism.

Reading enjoyment remains dramatically below the levels seen a decade ago, but for the first time since 2021 the trend line is moving in the right direction. Teenagers, often seen as the hardest audience to engage, showed some of the strongest improvements, particularly among 14-16 and 16-18 year olds. Which is a huge deal.

The findings also reinforce something many parents and teachers instinctively know: reading matters far beyond academic achievement.

Children who enjoy reading and read regularly were most likely to say that reading helps them learn new things, perform better at school, understand other people, understand themselves, relax and manage feelings of stress or anxiety.

In an age when young people's wellbeing is increasingly in the spotlight, those benefits feel more important than ever.

But There Is Still Cause for Concern

We can't get too excited though as the picture is not universally positive. Not by a long way.

Children aged five to eight were the only group to report a year-on-year decline in their reading enjoyment (from 62.6% to 61.6% ), driven by a simultaneous fall in boys’ enjoyment of reading (from 58.8% to 56.3%) and rise for girls (from 66.4% to 67.1%).The reading enjoyment gender gap for this age group widened (from 7.6% to 10.8%), as did the daily reading gap (from 7.3% to 9.4%).

The research also highlights widening inequalities. Children receiving free school meals continue to report lower levels of reading enjoyment than their peers, and the gap has widened over the past year. Reading enjoyment rose only slightly among children eligible for free school meals compared with much larger gains among those who were not.

According to the findings, the disadvantage gap in reading enjoyment more than doubled in the past year (from two percentage points to 5.2 percentage points), with enjoyment levels for those not in receipt of free school meals increasing more (from 33% to 37.3%) than their peers in receipt of free school meals (31% to 32.1%). The daily reading gap also widened over this time, from 3.6% to 5.1%. 

These findings serve as an important reminder that access to books, reading role models and reading opportunities is still far from equal.

Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the NLT, said of the findings: “After years of decline in children and young people’s relationship with reading, we’re starting to see some green shoots of recovery. But we can’t take this early progress for granted – reading is fundamental to children’s life chances, yet too many are still being left behind. The National Year of Reading has been a galvanising force, bringing together schools, libraries, charities, businesses and government behind a single mission – to reinvigorate the nation’s relationship with reading.

“If we are to maintain and build on this momentum beyond 2026, we must continue to invest in what we know works – championing reading for enjoyment in our homes, schools and communities, and supporting more young people to see reading as a relevant, meaningful and fun part of everyday life.” 

The report found that when children and young people enjoy reading, they read more often: 10 times as many children and young people who enjoy reading said they read regularly in their free time, compared to those who said they did not enjoy reading (49.8% vs 4.5%).

Why Relevance Matters

One of the most interesting insights from the research is that reading enjoyment isn't the whole story. 

Many children who say they don't enjoy reading still read regularly and recognise its value. More than three in five children who do not enjoy reading still read at least once a month.

The greatest benefits of reading for young people included learning new words or things (85.2%), helping them to relax (64.4%) and understanding others’ views (63.5%).

The survey found that children are more engaged when reading feels relevant to their lives and interests. Nearly half said reading helped them explore their interests, while encouragement from parents and teachers remains hugely influential.

That feels particularly significant in this the National Year of Reading, whose "Go All In" message encourages children to discover reading through the things they already love - whether that's football, gaming, fashion, music, baking, nature or science. The LoveReading4Kids editorial programme has been going all in on reading through passion for 2026 too. Our series of “Best Books for Kids Who Love…” collections help engage readers who may not think of themselves as readers. Yet. With a new hobby and interest showcased each and every week, we are meeting children and young people where they already are - and enticing them in.

Our Role at LoveReading4Kids

At LoveReading4Kids, these findings resonate deeply with our mission. As a bookstore with social purpose, we know that helping children become readers is about more than simply recommending books. It's about championing access, celebrating choice, supporting families, schools and libraries, and ensuring that every child can see themselves - and their interests - reflected in the stories available to them.

The encouraging signs in this year's research should give us hope. But they should also strengthen our resolve. Because if reading enjoyment is beginning to recover, now is the moment to build on that momentum. To put books into more hands. To help more children discover stories they love. And to ensure that reading becomes not just something children can do, but something they choose to do.

The green shoots are there. Now we need to help them grow. 

The full Children and Young People’s Reading in 2026 report can be read here.

Source: National Literacy Trust Annual Literacy Survey 2026, based on responses from 125,375 children and young people aged 5-18 across the UK. The research was undertaken between January-March 2026