Survey estimates that Norwegians read fewer books than what publishers claim

Women and men still choose different subjects Jon FosseReading book. Photo pixabay.com

A report titled “Book consumption, library and reading in digital times” revealed that Norwegians on average read 8.5 books a year, 40 percent less than what publishers have claimed.


The nationwide survey on Norwegians’ book habits conducted by Norstat in November was published in Klassekampen on Thursday.
The survey, with 1,624 respondents, is the fourth sub-report from the research project “Digitization and Diversity 2015-2020”, a collaboration between BI Norwegian School of Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the National Library and the University of Copenhagen.

Reading 8.5 books a year is much less than 13.3 books a year, the number the Publishers Association and the Bookstore Association produced in 2018. They have always reported on the number of books read in Norway and said that the numbers have been stable.

“The book industry appears to be incurable optimists,” says Professor Anne-Brit Gran at BI, who led the research project.

Managing director of the Norwegian Publishing Association Kristenn Einarsson said they have no reason to doubt that their survey gives an accurate picture of the reading.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

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