Recent data indicates that, while the omnipresence of screens has not diminished interest in reading, the Valencian Community still reads less than the Spanish average. This contrasts with the fact that the region possesses the fourth largest collection of library resources in the country, with 387 libraries including university, municipal, regional, and state-owned spaces.
According to the 2025 Reading Habits and Book Purchase Barometer by the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain (FGEE), 64.4% of Valencians read books in their free time. This figure is lower than the 66.2% national average, placing the Community as the eighth autonomous region with the highest reading index, behind regions such as Madrid, the Basque Country, and Catalonia.
Lack of time due to work, study, or care responsibilities is the main barrier to not reading, cited by 42% of non-readers.
The profile of the Valencian reader shows a clear trend: women and young people are the ones who contribute most to the increase in reading. 72.3% of women report reading in their free time, compared to 59.8% of men. By age group, 76.9% of citizens between 14 and 24 years old state they read for pleasure. However, the picture reverses when considering the number of books read, with retirees, reading more than 13 books per year, leading the ranking.
Among the reasons for not reading, lack of time is the primary reason, cited by 42% of non-readers. Other factors include competition from other forms of leisure, such as social media and streaming services (32.6%), and lack of interest (20%). Women prioritize lack of time (51%), while men opt for other entertainment (38%).
Valencian libraries processed over three million loans in 2024, according to statistics from the Generalitat Valenciana. Of these, 63.2% were adult books and 36.7% were children's books. The capital registered the highest library activity with 514,512 loans, followed by l'Horta Sud (318,374), l'Alacantí (276,262), la Plana Alta (199,792), and l'Horta Nord (187,530).
