
Advocacy
Reading transforms lives.
Regular reading for pleasure has lifelong benefits for mental and physical health, education, employment, and civic life.
Despite these benefits, numbers of non-readers and infrequent readers are rising in Australia – with particularly concerning rates amongst young people.
That’s why Australia Reads is urgently advocating for action to support reading participation in Australia.
As the joint coalition of the major books industry associations, Australia Reads brings a wealth of experience and expertise in advising on policy change and solutions to increase reading engagement.
Join our mission to get more Australians reading, and build a stronger national reading culture.
Regular reading for pleasure….
- Improves our physical and mental health
Regular reading for pleasure is proven to reduce stress by up to 20%, and lowers the risk of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. It slows our heart rate, helps us get a better night’s sleep – and readers even live longer! - Makes us more tolerant and empathetic
Reading helps us understand ourselves and the world around us, with readers being 57% more likely to have a greater awareness of other cultures, and two-thirds of readers reporting strong empathy. - Reduces loneliness and builds connection
Research shows that adults who read regularly are less likely to feel lonely, and shared reading can provide an important bonding experience for parents, children and caregivers. - Improves our long term educational and economic prospects
People who read for pleasure are more likely to have higher literacy levels, which has important flow-on effects for education, employment and wellbeing. - Strengthens our democracy
Proficient reading skills empowers people to actively participate in their communities and political processes. High reading rates are seen globally as a sign of a healthy, democratic society.
Australia has a reading problem.
While most Australians believe that reading is important, the number who read regularly is declining.
- 44% of Australians have low or very low literacy 1
- 1 in 3 Australian children can’t read proficiently 2
- 29% of secondary school students don’t read for pleasure 3
The mix of low literacy levels and falling reading rates leads to poor social, educational, health and economic outcomes – for all ages.
Recommendations for change
- A national strategy for reading:
Australia needs a well thought-through and expertly implemented reading engagement policy, in line with REVIVE, Australia’s whole-of-government cultural policy. This strategy must include national targets and evaluation frameworks; a regular program of reader research; and capability-building for the sector to effectively increase reading engagement. - Investment in national reading programs and campaigns:
All Australians should be able to participate in an inclusive reading culture. Scaling best-practice programs and providing centralised support will increase the accessibility of reading to Australians. Investment in national public reading campaigns is also needed to increase awareness of the benefits of reading for individuals, communities and Australian society. - Support for national reading infrastructure:
A reading nation needs to be supported by a healthy network of public libraries, school libraries, bookshops and literary festivals in order to thrive. These important ‘book-ish spaces’, staffed by knowledgeable and experienced professionals, provide an invaluable access point to books and reading for individuals and communities around Australia.
- ABS, (2013) Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Australia,
↩︎ - Hunter, J., Stobart, A., and Haywood, A. (2023). The Reading Guarantee: How to give every child the best chance of success. Grattan Institute. ↩︎
- L. Rutherford, A. Singleton, B. Reddan, K. Johanson, M. Dezuanni (2024) Discovering a Good Read: Exploring Book Discovery and Reading for Pleasure Among Australian Teens. Geelong: Deakin University. ↩︎