April 23rd is celebrated as "World Book and Copyright Day," a global event aimed at raising awareness about the importance of books and encouraging reading habits. This day was established by UNESCO in 1995 to honor the lives of two monumental figures in literature: William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, who both passed away on this date. It serves as a reminder of the power of books to bridge the past with the present and connect people across time and space.
The purpose of World Book and Copyright Day is not only to promote access to books but also to celebrate authors, encourage literacy and foster a love for reading. On this day, readers and writers gather worldwide to participate in activities designed to inspire and promote reading habits.
World Book Capital
Since 2001, UNESCO has designated a new "World Book Capital" each year, highlighting cities that have made significant efforts to promote reading. In 2024, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was named the World Book Capital, in recognition of its cultural initiatives to inspire reading and celebrate books.
Leading book-reading countries
According to recent statistics compiled by World Population Review and CEO World Magazine, the United States ranked as the top country in terms of book reading in 2023. The average American reads approximately 357 hours annually, equivalent to about 17 books per year. This places the U.S. at the top of the global list, closely followed by India, where the average person reads around 352 hours per year, equating to approximately 16 books annually.
Following these two countries, the United Kingdom ranks third with an average of 343 hours of reading per year. Other countries that read extensively include France and Italy. The list of the top book-reading nations is rounded out by Canada, Russia, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
At the other end of the spectrum, Afghanistan holds the unfortunate distinction of reading the least, with individuals reading only about three books annually.
Print over digital
Despite the growing popularity of digital media, driven by smartphones, tablets and digital reading platforms, the U.S. continues to favor printed books. While digital books, including e-books and audiobooks, have gained significant traction in recent years, printed books remain the dominant format. In 2024, over 780 million books were sold in the U.S., highlighting the continued appeal of physical books.
The digital book market, while growing, has not had a detrimental effect on the publishing industry. According to the Association of American Publishers (AAP), e-book sales in the first quarter of 2024 experienced a slight decline compared to 2023, yet still generated around $250 million in revenue. In contrast, sales of printed books reached nearly $3 billion in 2023, continuing to outpace digital formats in terms of revenue.
Most read books in history
The Quran and the Bible are among the most widely read books of all time. Additionally, contemporary classics such as J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series and J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" are frequently cited as some of the most-read books in the world.
Other notable works in world literature include "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes, "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo and "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
A politically significant text, "Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung" (commonly known as the "Little Red Book"), compiled from the sayings of China’s founding leader Mao Zedong, is also one of the most widely read books globally.