Britain's Book Reading Habits 1945

Here's a 1945 article from FUTURE BOOKS (Industry - Government - Science - Arts) Volume I : Overture, reprinted verbatim:

BRITAIN'S BOOK READING HABITS

“FUTURE” asked : B.I.P.O. answered : Who reads books ? More than half the public—53%.  Young people more than old.  Women more than men.  Middle class more than upper or lower. What are they reading ? Two-thirds of all readers say “FICTION.” Politics are four times more popular than poetry or religion. What will they read next ? Two-thirds don't know.  Most of them who do will go for the same type of book again. War books are declining, politics and social science are gaining in interest. How do people get their books ? Three-quarters are borrowed. Only one reader in five buys his book. “FUTURE” commissioned the British Institute of Public Opinion to survey the country's reading habits.  Two thousand people, selected in correct proportion as to location within the British Isles, income group, age, sex, occupation, so as to be representative of the public at large, were asked : “ What book are you reading at the moment ? ” “ How did you come across it ? ” “ What are you going to read next ? ” Their answers are tabulated in the next column.  The survey did not cover members of the Forces, in whose ranks is an important section of the reading public. Over half the people were able to name the book they were reading !  We cannot be sure about the other half.  They may in fact not be reading books at all—or only just not at the moment—or again they may have resented the whole business of being “surveyed.” Fifty-three per cent provided clear answers to all our questions, and from them it appeared that 35% of all readers preferred fiction.  This proportion is maintained among those who told us what they wished to read next.  Interest in subjects other than fiction covers a wide range : biography, war books, travel, technical books, politics and social science, religion, poetry, etc.  We were interested to find four times as many people voting for politics as for either religion or poetry. (B.I.P.O. classified the answers from the titles which people wrote down on the questionnaire.  There were no leading questions, but they draw attention to one unknown factor concerning the most prominent category “ Fiction ” : it was not possible to break down fiction, as would be desirable, into full-length novels as distinct from threepenny novelettes.) Most people who were reading a book at the moment knew what they wanted to read next.  The overwhelming majority committed themselves to a book of the same type.  The “ fictioners ” were most loyal. Interest in politics and social science seems to be on the increase, while war books appear to be losing favour.  (Presumably they will have a boom again in ten years' time, as happened after the last war.) Oh yes !  Three-quarters of all readers had borrowed their book—half of them from a library ; only one in five had bought his copy.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT ?

AGE INCOME TOTAL Men Women 21-29 30-49 50 & over Higher Middle Lower % % % % % % % % % DON'T READ DON'T KNOW NO REPLY 47     49 45 35 43 56     37 34 53 FICTION 35 32 43 49 40 32 36 46 35 BIOGRAPHY MEMOIRS 3 2 3 3 3 2 4 5 1 WAR BOOKS 3 2 1 — 2 — 2 1 1 TRAVEL 2 1 1 — 1 1 2 2 1 TECHNICAL  ENCYCLOPÆDIA 3 3 1 3 2 1 5 2 6 POLITICAL SOCIAL SCEINCE 4 8 4 8 6 5 12 8 5 RELIGION 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 — 1 POETRY 1 — — — — — — — — MISCELLANEOUS 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 2

HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS IT ?

PURCHASE 20% LIBRARY 49% LOANED 25% OTHER 6%

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO READ NEXT ?

AGE     INCOME TOTAL Men Women 21-29 30-49 50 & over Higher Middle Lower % % % % % % % % % DON'T READ DON'T KNOW NO REPLY 66 69 64 58 67 70 54 61 72 FICTION 23 18 28 31 22 21 30 28 19 BIOGRAPHY MEMOIRS 2 2 2 1 1 2 4 3 1 WAR BOOKS 1 1 1 1 1 — 1 — — TRAVEL 1 1 — — 1 1 — — 1 TECHNICAL ENCYCLOPÆDIA 1 1 — 1 1 1 2 — 1 POLITICAL  SOCIAL SCEINCE 4 6 3 4 5 3 4 5 4 RELIGION 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 POETRY — — — 1 — — 1 — — MISCELLANEOUS 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1