Do Italians read? Not much, but the numbers tell us more

Italians don’t read. The printed book is dead. The practice of reading is in free fall. These and other opinions are commonly heard in conversations about the state of reading in schools and the world surrounding it. Question: What do the numbers say about this?

A few weeks ago, the ISTAT report “Books and Libraries: Reading and Library-Use Habits—Years 2024 and 2025” revealed some interesting data, providing a snapshot of Italians’ relationship with books.

All Evangelical Focus news and opinion, on your WhatsApp

Among children up to five years old, 51.9% read, color, or flip through books and picture books every day outside of school hours

According to the survey, “57.1% of people aged six and older report having read at least one book in the past 12 months (in their free time, for professional and/or school-related reasons, or for other reasons), a figure that has decreased slightly compared to 2015 (59.4%).” More than one in two Italians has read a book.

In 2025, 14.9% of people aged six and older visited a library at least once, a figure that has remained stable compared to 10 years ago (15.1%). One in seven has set foot in a library.

Reading books and visiting libraries are positive habits. It is true that in recent years, reading habits have undergone profound changes, influenced in part by the spread of the Internet and digital technologies. That said, a significant percentage of people still use print books, visit libraries, and spend time reading.

For the youngest children, the numbers are even more encouraging. Among children up to five years old, “51.9% read, color, or flip through books and picture books every day outside of school hours.” We’re talking about about 1.5 million children. This is a positive finding. Another positive aspect is that “39.3% of children engage in reading-related activities daily with their mother, while 25.4% do so with their father.”

Only 6.3% read religious books, the Bible is likely included in this small percentage

The trends are positive, even if the increases are slight. The most popular literary genres are novels, short stories, poetry, and plays; mystery novels, social science books, and science fiction. These categories are found across all age groups (children, adolescents, adults), among both women and men, and among people from various cultural backgrounds.

The report shows that only 6.3% read religious books, and I imagine that the Bible is likely included in this small percentage. This figure says something about the religion of Italians. Historically, it has been influenced more by visual elements (statues, paintings, liturgies) and participation in religious events than by reading. Religious Italy is biblically illiterate.

What would happen if the Bible were the book that brought parents and children together and nourished family life? What would happen if the Bible were people’s daily reading? What would happen if the Bible were read not merely as a book of “information” but as a means of seeking and discovering God? After all, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

How much emphasis is placed at youth camps on the discipline of reading? How many evangelical books are published each year? How many are sold?

Admittedly, the report is limited, but it shows a general trend. Italians don’t read much, but they do read something. Can the same be said of evangelicals? For example, how many books does the average evangelical read per year? How many books per year are promoted through regular church activities?

How many books are purchased to be made available to members and attendees, encouraging them to read? To what extent is Christian discipleship also built on the practice of reading? How much emphasis is placed at youth camps on the discipline of reading and on academic practices such as participating in debates and conferences? How many evangelical books are published each year? How many are sold? What is the current state of the evangelical book infrastructure?

These are all questions that ISTAT is not interested in and that are not reflected in the statistics provided. Yet the depth of the evangelical witness is also conveyed through familiarity with books.

Liberato Vitale, administrator and head of the projects department at the Institute of Evangelical Culture and Documentation in Rome. This article was first published by Italian magazine Loci Communes, translated and re-published with permission.