Survey results for reading habits of city's residents released

Shanghai residents have shown a growing preference for reading paper books rather than digital content, according to a new survey on the city's reading habits.

In the past five years, most of the survey respondents picked reading paper books, as compared to other sources, as their top choice, said Wu Donghai, a spokesman with the Municipal Administration of Press and Publication.

According to the survey which interviewed around 5,000 people, the number of readers who prefer reading on paper to digital platforms grew by 3.17 percent this year after decreasing for two years. The survey also noted that women prefer reading books more than men.

More than 58 percent of those surveyed said that reading books "has better effects" than reading digital publications. More women than men believe that reading is important to personal development.

Wu said the results of the survey proves that "the municipality's continuous efforts to promote reading and support brick-and-mortar bookstores are paying off".

Readers in Shanghai have named books on literature, history, everyday life, psychology and economy as their favored reading materials. However, most of the digital content they read are centered on current affairs, lifestyle, entertainment, editorials and essays.

The survey found that reading habits are most influenced by family members (25.38 percent), followed by friends and colleagues (21 percent), teachers (20 percent) and schoolmates (15 percent).

The administration has been conducting annual surveys on public reading behavior since 2012. This year, the survey result was published ahead of the opening of the 14th Shanghai Book Fair, which will take place at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from Aug 16 to 22.

The upcoming book fair will showcase more than 150,000 books. Visitors can expect to find more than 900 events, such as readings, book launches and authors' lectures, at the main venue and across hundreds of other locations in the city.

zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn