New analysis from Creative Australia investigates the gender gap in reading for pleasure, and the influence of age, social, class and education.
The findings draw on Creative Australia’s Widening the Lens: Social inequality and arts participation report (2023), and reveal a persistent gender gap in our reading habits. Women are consistently more likely to read for pleasure compared to men. However, these figures also show significant variations in the size of the gender gap depending on age, social class, and education.
Gender and age
- While there is a significant gender gap in all age groups 30 years and above, there was almost no gender gap in reading habits in the youngest age group (18–29 years).
- This may reflect a generational change – e.g. the impact of technology, or the impact of educational strategies aimed at developing reader identities in young boys.
- Or it may be age-related – e.g. “men may be more likely to lose interest or prioritise other leisure activities as they reach a certain age. Social factors, such as the prevalence of female-dominated book clubs, may also play a role.”
Gender and class
- The gender gap is more pronounced at the low and high ends of the self-identified class spectrum.
- The lower/working class group had the lowest overall rates of reading for pleasure, with 72% of women and only 50% of men reading for pleasure. The report suggests potential contributing factors may include “lower literacy levels and more limited access to reading materials and resources.”
- In the upper middle/upper class group, almost all women read for pleasure (97%), compared to 72% of men. This may be due to historical social norms, greater discretionary resources, and other competing forms of cultural and arts participation.
Gender and education
- The gender gap in reading is wider among Australians who have not completed a post-school qualification.
- These results suggest that while higher education increases the likelihood of reading for pleasure for both genders, it has a stronger impact on men.
Reference
Creative Australia (2024) Social Factors in Cultural Participation: Reading for Pleasure, Creative Australia, Australian Government, accessed 3 July 2024. https://creative.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/widening-the-lens-social-inequality-and-arts-participation/