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Russians prefer reading books to digital media, news — poll

One-third (34%) of respondents said they read professional, scientific, or educational literature in the past week

MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. More than a third (40%) of respondents in a survey conducted by the All-Russian Center for Public Opinion Research (VTsIOM) reported that they read fiction books on a regular basis.

The survey results were published on the center’s website.

"Reading remains a popular way for Russians to learn and gain knowledge — 87% of respondents reported having read something in the past week (compared to 86% in 2018 and 85% in 2020). Fiction is now the most-consumed medium, with 40% saying they read it, a 5% increase from 2020 and 7% more than 2018. For the first time, fiction surpassed news and social media content (37%) in terms of popularity," the report says.

One-third (34%) of respondents said they read professional, scientific, or educational literature in the past week. Meanwhile, 29% consumed some form of news, and blogs and popular internet articles were read by 22%.

On average, respondents reported reading six books over the past three months. The most popular genres among readers this year were historical books (27%), followed by scientific and professional literature (24%), and both domestic and foreign classics (22%). Science fiction and fantasy were also popular, each attracting 21% of readers.

Russians most frequently read for self-improvement and to learn something new (57%), followed by reading for pleasure and entertainment (40%). A quarter of respondents (23%) said they read for work or academic purposes.

The survey was conducted on November 8 with 1,600 Russian adults aged 18 and older participating.

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