Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers was 63.7% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2002–2016
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 63.7% for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in 2016.
The figure is down 15.1% on the previous year and up 119.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 75.0% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 20.3%, in 2002.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 27th out of 60 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 20.3% | — |
| 2003 | 31.6% | +55.7% |
| 2004 | 29.6% | -6.3% |
| 2005 | 31.6% | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 29.0% | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 30.8% | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 61.6% | +100.0% |
| 2009 | 43.0% | -30.2% |
| 2010 | 56.0% | +30.2% |
| 2011 | 50.4% | -10.0% |
| 2012 | 56.3% | +11.7% |
| 2013 | 72.9% | +29.5% |
| 2014 | 67.4% | -7.5% |
| 2015 | 75.0% | +11.3% |
| 2016 | 63.7% | -15.1% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 63.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 64.8%, 98% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 63.7% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 64.3%, 99% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.7% | 20.3% | 61.6% | 8 |
| 2010s | 63.1% | 50.4% | 75.0% | 7 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 63.7% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 75.0% in 2015.
- What is the lowest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.3% in 2002.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 27th out of 60 countries with data for 2016.
- Is proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 119.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers, magazines or electronic books in digital format, 15-24 years old, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release