In a publishing market that continued to grow in 2024, with a 9% increase to 204 million euros, compared to 187 million euros previously, 76% of Portuguese people said they read at least one book last year, a slight increase compared to 2023 (73%), but the number of books read per person fell to an average of 5.3, down from 5.6 the previous year.

Among readers, the average number of books read also decreased, dropping from 7.9 in 2023 to 7.2 in 2024, according to the study developed by Gfk for APEL.

"These results confirm that, despite the sustained growth of the book market in Portugal demonstrating a stable reader base, and despite the advances made over the last five decades in access to education and access to books, buying books and reading are still not a regular practice or a deeply rooted daily habit in most Portuguese families," said Miguel Pauseiro, president of APEL, as quoted in the study's presentation dossier.

"The role of schools, families, and society in general is crucial for ensuring that books are definitively seen as an essential tool for citizenship and the development of human potential, and for reading to become a sustainable, lifelong habit," emphasized the representative of publishers and booksellers.

According to the study, leisure reading is practiced by approximately 60% of Portuguese people aged 15 and over, who prefer paper books to digital editions.

Women and people between 35 and 54 are among the most loyal to books, with the 25-34 age group showing the highest reading rates. The greatest growth in reading adoption is among those aged 15 to 24.