Survey finds reading increasingly popular for young Chinese

People in China under 18 years of age read an average of nine books last year, according to a recent survey on national reading habits released by the China Academy of Press and Publication. 

A high school student read books at a bookstore in Linan in east China's Zhejiang Province, on Saturday, March 2, 2013. [Photo: IC]

The survey found that 85 percent of young people read at least one book last year. The number of young people who are reading has been rising in recent years, especially for people 14 to 17 years old, who read an average of 11.5 books. Audio books also have a higher than average appeal for the teenage market, with 30 percent of 14 to 17 year-olds listening to at least one audio book compared to 20 percent of under 18s overall.

The survey also found that most Chinese parents are helping their children to cultivate a reading habit. More than 70 percent of Chinese parents with children aged 0 to 8 years spend at least 20 minutes a day reading to their children, and visit bookstores with them an average of three times a year.