How many books do French people actually read? In 2026, the most recent reference is the barometer "Les Français et la lecture" ("The French and Reading"), conducted by Ipsos for the Centre national du livre (CNL) and published on April 8, 2025. Carried out among 1,001 people representative of the population aged 15 and over, this biennial survey paints a precise, and worrying, picture of the French relationship with books. Here are the essential figures, with their sources.
18 books a year: the average is falling sharply
French people report having read an average of 18 books over the last twelve months, across all formats (print, digital, audio). That is a steep drop from the 22 books measured in 2023. Print is declining the most, at an average of 13 books per year, 4 fewer than in the previous barometer.
This average hides wide disparities: 63% of French people read at least 5 books during the year (down 6 points from 2023), while heavy readers keep pulling the average up. In other words, reading is concentrating around a core of enthusiasts while occasional readership erodes.
31 minutes a day: reading time is eroding
Time spent on leisure reading has fallen to an average of 31 minutes a day, 10 minutes less than in 2023. Over a week, that amounts to about 3 hours 40 minutes of reading, down more than an hour (1 hour 07 minutes) in two years.
The barometer also notes that daily reading has reached its lowest level in ten years: only 45% of French people read every day or almost every day, and the share of regular readers (56%) has lost 5 points. Even more striking: 39% of French people say they read less and less, an all-time record for the barometer, up 4 points from 2023.
What French people read (and how)
The novel remains the king of genres: 70% of readers read novels, driven in particular by the spectacular rise of romance fiction (28%, up 16 points, thanks to the BookTok and romantasy effect). Next come practical books (52%), history (46%) and comics (43%).
As for formats, digital appeals mainly to younger generations, and the audiobook is confirming its breakthrough: about a third of French people have already tried it, with listening growing especially among heavy readers. Reading is not just declining: it is transforming.
The key figures in one table
| Indicator | 2025 | Change vs 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Books read per year (all formats) | 18 | -4 |
| Print books read per year | 13 | -4 |
| Daily reading time | 31 min | -10 min |
| Weekly reading time | 3h40 | -1h07 |
| French people who read at least 5 books | 63% | -6 pts |
| Daily readers | 45% | lowest in 10 years |
| French people reading less and less | 39% | +4 pts (record) |
Source: CNL/Ipsos barometer "Les Français et la lecture", April 2025: https://centrenationaldulivre.fr/donnees-cles/les-francais-et-la-lecture-en-2025
Why the decline? Time, always time
When French people are asked why they do not read more, the answer is overwhelming: 68% cite a lack of time, and an equivalent proportion admits that other activities, screens first among them, eat into the moments that could have been devoted to books. French people now spend 23 hours 27 minutes a week in front of screens for leisure, versus 3 hours 40 minutes reading: the match is one-sided.
There is nonetheless some good news in this barometer: the desire to read is not disappearing, it simply runs up against the reality of overloaded days. And another figure deserves attention: 85% of readers say a summary influences their choice of a book, just behind recommendations from friends and family (87%).
Reading more in 2026: start small
That is precisely Cobalt's bet: if lack of time is the main obstacle, then the entry cost of reading has to come down. A structured summary of 5 to 20 minutes lets you grasp the key ideas of a non-fiction book, decide whether it deserves a full read, and turn a metro ride into a learning moment. Our 41 summaries are freely available at https://www.cobaltapp.io/fr/resumes, and the app also offers them in audio and offline versions.
A summary does not replace a book. But between zero reading for lack of time and 18 books a year, there is a third way: start reading again, a few minutes a day, and let those 31 daily minutes climb back up.