Iranians read books for 10 minutes daily and spend 70 minutes on social networks / The main obstacle to reading in Iran is not disinterest, but financial pressure and livelihood concerns.

The Thought Group: One of the foundations of a country’s development is surveys in various sectors, which can strengthen progress. Recently, the “Survey Report on ‘Reading Culture in Iran'” for Aban 1404 (October-November 2025) was published. This report was prepared by the Public Opinion Research Group of the National Projects Office at the Research Institute of Culture, Art, and Communication. This telephone survey, conducted by the Research Institute of Culture, Art, and Communication in Aban 1404, aimed to monitor the reading status and understand public attitudes, revealing: Firstly, what is the extent of reading motivation in Iran? Secondly, what role do infrastructures play in citizens’ reading habits?

In the first section, the official reading rate is considered low. Only 41.1% of respondents read books, while 58.9% do not. Regarding the per capita reading of non-academic books, the average for readers is 26.6 minutes per day, but considering the entire statistical population, this figure drops to 10.9 minutes per day. The amount of time spent reading scientific texts and watching documentaries on social networks and various media is an average of 70 minutes per day, indicating a shift in reading patterns from books to digital content. Novels and stories (21.2%), historical books (15.4%), and psychology/educational books (14.7%) are the most popular genres. The main motivations for readers are acquiring knowledge (33%) and personal growth (31.4%).

In the second section, on infrastructures and obstacles in book purchasing, individuals on average buy 11 books (print, electronic, and audio) annually, and 22.1% spend more than two million Tomans per year on books. Among the surveyed sample, only 23.8% of readers are library members. Nearly half of the people (49.7%) consider lack of time as the biggest obstacle to reading. The vast majority (81.4%) agree with the notion that “our people read less.” The most important factors influencing the increase in reading culture are not having financial and livelihood concerns (35.3%) and easy and affordable access to books (21.8%).

In a general conclusion, despite the low per capita book reading (10.9 minutes) and the majority (81.4%) of people confirming this situation, the consumption of content (scientific texts, podcasts, documentaries) on social networks (70 minutes) is high, indicating a shift in cultural consumption patterns from print books to digital content amidst life’s preoccupations (lack of time) and livelihood concerns. The full survey report follows below:

Introduction

Monitoring the current and future state of culture and its various dimensions is of vital importance for the policymaking system. For this reason, we always need a realistic picture of the cultural situation to make pragmatic decisions; this picture may relate to the entire society, a cultural field, or an ongoing cultural program, and cultural monitoring or surveillance means describing and analyzing these situations for appropriate cultural policymaking and action.

In other words, cultural policymaking, planning, and management aimed at the growth and excellence of the country’s culture require identifying the existing cultural situation and its trends and developments. The daily issues and needs of society have always been a concern for cultural, social, and economic officials and planners at various levels, and addressing them as a necessity is done for two main reasons: 1- Awareness of people’s attitudes regarding the concrete and objective situations of Iranian society. 2- Foresight and optimal planning for improving people’s issues and problems.

For this reason, continuous measurement of current societal issues and topics gains importance. The National Projects Center of the Research Institute of Culture, Art, and Communication, in this research, has examined the culture of study and reading using a survey method, and the present article is a report of the results of this survey. The data for this survey was collected using a questionnaire and by telephone in Aban (October-November) 1404. The statistical population consisted of citizens aged 18 and above, and 1234 people were selected using a multi-stage sampling method, first quota-based and then simple random, and interviewed.

Reading

Respondents were asked, “Do you read books?”; 41.1% of respondents read books, and 58.9% do not.

Respondents who read books were asked, “Do you read academic or non-academic books?”; 11.4% read academic, 64.5% read non-academic, and 24.1% read both academic and non-academic books.

Reading Per Capita

Respondents who read books were asked, “On average, how many minutes do you read non-academic books per week?”

On average, they read non-academic books for 186 minutes per week, or 26.6 minutes per day. Including individuals who do not read books (58.9% of the surveyed sample), this average is 10.9 minutes per day.

At the same time, when asked more precisely whether reading means reading books, texts, content, podcasts, etc., in print or file format; different answers are received. For example, they were asked, “Within 24 hours, on average, how many hours do you read scientific texts (including articles, analyses, etc.) or watch scientific documentaries on social networks and various media?”: On average, 70 minutes per day is spent reading scientific texts (including articles, analyses, etc.) or watching scientific documentaries on social networks and various media. Topics and books read: Respondents who read books were asked, “What types of books (topics) do you mostly read?”; Novels and stories accounted for the highest rate with 21.2%, followed by historical books with 15.4%, psychology and educational books with 14.7%, and specialized books with 14.5%.

Also, individuals buy an average of 11 books (paper, electronic, and audio) annually.

Types of Books Read

Respondents who read books were asked, “What types of books do you mostly read?”

52.4% of individuals read print and paper books, 18.5% electronic, 11.7% audio, and 17.5% read all three types of books.

Motivation for Reading

Respondents who read books were asked, “What is your main motivation for reading?”; Acquiring knowledge (33%), personal growth (31.4%), entertainment (19.2%), and occupational and academic requirements (16.4%) are the main motivations for individuals to read.

Cost of Book Purchases

Respondents who read books were asked, “On average, how much of your income do you spend on buying books in a year?”; 22.1% of individuals spend more than two million Tomans per year on buying books.

Library Membership

Respondents who read books were asked, “Are you a member of a library?”; Only 23.8% are library members.

Book Lending

Reading respondents who are library members were asked, “How many books do you borrow per year?”; On average, they borrow about 12 books. Subsequently, these individuals were asked what types of books they borrow: Specialized books (17.7%), novels and stories (15%), historical (15%), and psychology and educational (8.8%) accounted for the highest rates, respectively.

Time Since Last Completed Book

Respondents who read books were asked, “How long has it been since you last completely read a book?”; 41.7% of individuals had completely read a book within the past week.

Prevalence of Reading Among Family and Acquaintances

All respondents were asked, “To what extent is reading prevalent in your family and among your acquaintances?”; 15% of respondents believe reading is very or extensively prevalent in their family and among their acquaintances, and 52.1% stated it is less or very little prevalent.

Perception: “Iranians Read Less”

All respondents were asked to what extent they agree or disagree with this statement: “Our people read less”; 81.4% of people agree with the notion that “our people read less.”

Biggest Obstacle to Reading

All respondents were asked, “What is the biggest obstacle to reading for you?”: 49.7% of individuals consider lack of time as their main obstacle to reading.

Ways to Increase Reading Culture

All respondents were asked, “What factors can lead to an increase in reading culture?”; 35.3% of people believe that not having financial and livelihood concerns can increase reading culture, and 21.8% also cited easy and affordable access to books as a solution to increase reading culture.

Summary and Conclusion

• 41.1% of respondents read books.
• On average, they read non-academic books for 186 minutes per week, or 26.6 minutes per day. Including individuals who do not read books (58.9% of the surveyed sample), this average is 10.9 minutes per day.
• At the same time, when asked more precisely whether reading means reading books, texts, content, podcasts, etc., in print or file format; different answers are received. For example, they were asked, “Within 24 hours, on average, how many hours do you read scientific texts (including articles, analyses, etc.) or watch scientific documentaries on social networks and various media?” On average, 70 minutes per day is spent reading scientific texts (including articles, analyses, etc.) or watching scientific documentaries on social networks and various media.
• Novels and stories with 21.2%, historical books with 15.4%, psychology and educational books with 14.7%, and specialized books with 14.5% are the most important topics people read.
• Individuals buy an average of 11 books (paper, electronic, and audio) annually.
• Only 23.8% are library members and borrow an average of about 12 books.
• 41.7% of individuals had completely read a book within the past week.
• 15% of respondents believe reading is very or extensively prevalent in their family and among their acquaintances, and 52.1% stated it is less or very little prevalent.
• 81.4% of people agree with the notion that “our people read less.”
• 49.7% of individuals consider lack of time as their main obstacle to reading.
• 35.3% of people believe that not having financial and livelihood concerns can increase reading culture, and 21.8% also cited easy and affordable access to books as a solution to increase reading culture.