Majority of adults and teens are reading multiple times a week.
Singapore, 26 June 2025 — Overall readership among Singapore residents remains healthy according to NLB’s National Reading Habits Study (NRHS) 2024, with almost nine in ten adults, and eight in ten teens reading news, books and online articles multiple times per week. Readers are still reaching for physical books, but more readers are embracing digital formats, with seniors in particular increasingly taking to eBooks and discovering reading materials through online platforms.
Key findings
The NRHS is run by NLB every three years, and tracks the leisure reading habits among Singapore residents, to better understand the population’s reading trends.
Other key findings of the 2024 study include:
Comparisons are made to the 2018 survey, and it shows that reading habits have held steady. While we have included the 2021 NRHS for completeness, it was conducted primarily online due to Covid-19 restrictions. The difference in survey methodology is known to significantly skew the results and a direct comparison therefore cannot be made.[1]
Mr Ng Cher Pong, Chief Executive of NLB, said: “We are greatly encouraged by Singaporeans’ enduring love for reading, and that our collections of physical and digital titles are serving their reading needs well. Over the past 30 years, NLB has been constantly finding ways to better meet our patrons’ needs and to promote the joy of reading. This included bringing books closer to communities through mobile libraries, to boosting our digital collections when the pandemic struck. As we mark NLB30 this year, we will strive to bring even more new reading and learning experiences to everyone.”
The full NRHS 2024 results is available on the NLB website, and the infographic for the key findings in Annex A. More details on how the study was conducted can be found in Annex B.
Study Informs NLB’s Reading and Learning Strategies
(A) Boost Habitual Reading and Reading for Pleasure
While overall habitual reading remains healthy, there is still room for growth, particularly in encouraging reading as a regular activity and reigniting the joy of reading. NLB will explore ways to make reading more interesting and engaging by leveraging social interaction and experiences, and will expand its range of offerings, both digital and physical, to appeal to a wider range of reader motivations.
(B) Offer more eBooks and other e-Learning resources
The study showed a growing acceptance of digital formats among adults. NLB will continue to enhance its digital collections and initiatives, as part of its omni-channel service offerings under LAB25. NLB will also expand the network of Nodes to provide patrons with digital access to its resources in everyday spaces across Singapore.
(C) Enrich Physical Library Experience
Physical libraries remain important touchpoints, particularly as physical books are still preferred by most readers. Libraries also play a crucial role in the discovery of new and unexpected reads through browsing. NLB will continue to explore transforming its library spaces to enrich patrons’ browsing and reading experiences, creating tailored experiences to cater to groups with differing interests.
Bookworms can continue to look forward to celebrating our libraries and archives together with NLB later this year. As part of our 30th anniversary, NLB will be organising READ30 in July, the biggest edition yet of NLB’s beloved Read! Fest, dedicated to inspiring a passion for reading. There will be an immersive marquee experience where books come to life through the five senses, a Presidential Pop-up Library, featuring books recommended by Singapore’s Presidents, as well as pop-up Nodes stretching from Orchard Road to the National Library Building.
The annual Love Our Libraries and Archives event will also take place in September, with community activities throughout the month. This includes initiatives and events like contributing love letters to our libraries and archives, and the popular Big Book Giveaway, where patrons can pick up pre-loved books from NLB’s collections. More details about these events will be announced when ready.
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[1]The unprecedentedly high levels of reading seen in the 2021 NRHS were also likely bolstered by lifestyle changes during the pandemic.
About NLB
NLB nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through its network of 28 libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore. NLB also forges strategic partnerships that encourage awareness, appreciation and greater discovery of Singapore's history through its rich collections in Singapore and the region.
NLB achieves excellence through innovation, focusing on citizen engagement and co-creation, resource and digital innovation. This creates learning opportunities, greater access to library resources, services, and archival collections, as well as a continual development of innovative library spaces. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is under the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).
For more information, please visit the NLB website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube channels.
For media queries, please contact:
Zoey Tan
Weber Shandwick
+65 9073 6422
ztan@webershandwick.com
Quah Jia Ling
Weber Shandwick
+65 9699 0830
JQuah@webershandwick.com