Reading is increasingly a female activity: 71% of women and 59% of men between the ages of 14 and 75 read books. This is confirmed by a survey presented on March 8, 2018, International Women’s Day, at the opening of Tempo di Libri, Milan’s International Publishing Fair. The study examined the role of women in reading, writing, and the positions they hold throughout the publishing industry. It was based on data from the Italian Publishers Association’s (AIE) Publishing Consumption Observatory and carried out in collaboration with Pepe Research.
Once again, the findings confirm that women read more than men. On average, women read eight books, e-books, or audiobooks per year, compared with 6.9 for men. They show a stronger preference for printed books (69% of responses, compared with 56% of men), while e-books are preferred by 26% of women (versus 29% of men), and audiobooks by 10% of women (compared with 12% of men). In fact, 62% of women identify printed books as their only preferred reading format.
Women read more than men across almost all age groups. Among 18–24-year-olds, 91% of women and 81% of men report reading. The gap widens to nearly 20 percentage points among people aged 45–54, where 84% of women report having read books, e-books, or audiobooks, compared with 67% of men. Among those aged 65–74, 44% of women read, compared with just 26% of men. The only age group in which males read more than females is the 15–17 age range, where 89% of boys read compared with 85% of girls.
Where Do They Buy Books?
Bookstores remain the preferred place to buy books, although women choose them slightly less often than men. Women are more likely to receive books as gifts or borrow them. Bookstores are chosen by 75% of women and 77% of men. Online stores are preferred by 28% of women and 31% of men. Women are more likely to obtain books as gifts or through borrowing (46% of women’s responses compared with 39% of men’s). Large retail chains attract 72% of women and 44% of men. Convenience appears to be an important factor: 59% of women choose supermarkets and large retailers because they can browse the book section while shopping, compared with 33% of men.
From Reading to Writing
The percentage of female authors in Italy continues to grow, although male authors still significantly outnumber women. In 2017, women accounted for 38.3% of all authors, compared with 29.7% in 2005—an increase of nearly seven percentage points that strengthens their presence within the publishing industry. Today, approximately four out of every ten authors are women, and the trend continues to rise.
Women’s representation is also increasing in senior publishing positions. More women now hold leadership roles—including CEOs, presidents, managing directors, and other executive positions—throughout the publishing sector, although this figure is influenced by the greater presence of women in small and medium-sized publishing houses, which make up an important part of Italy’s publishing industry. Women currently occupy 22.3% of executive positions, compared with 16.6% in 2010.
“The number of women holding important positions in publishing, including executive roles, is well above the national average, which stands at a modest 4%,” said Ricardo Franco Levi, President of the Italian Publishers Association. “In addition, women are found at every level of the publishing supply chain: in bookstores, libraries, as translators, graphic designers, and communications managers. Among newcomers to the profession—those attending specialized master’s programs—women also make up the majority, and this will increasingly be reflected in future organizational structures.
The same trend can be seen among authors. We have also observed it in reading since the 1980s. It was during that decade that we witnessed a historic turning point: more girls and women entered compulsory education, then higher education, and eventually the workforce. At the same time, more girls and women became readers and began visiting bookstores.
I see these figures as confirmation of the close relationship between social advancement—women’s advancement in this case—reading books and e-books, greater cultural participation, and the opportunity to make better use of social mobility. For a country where innovation is becoming essential to competing in both domestic and international markets, the fact that reading is increasingly associated with women is a source of hope. It should also give our male colleagues something to think about.”
Read Gianni Peresson’s article in Il Giornale della Libreria.
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