E-Reader Usage Doubles from 2010

September 19, 2011

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Analytics, Automated & MarTech | Data-driven | Media & Entertainment | Mobile Phone | Retail & E-Commerce | Technology | Telecom

harris-ereader-likely-to-get-sep-2011.JPGThe percentage of US adults who use an e-reader device such as a Kindle, iPad or Nook has almost doubled since 2010, according to Harris Poll results released in September 2011. Fifteen percent of adults say they use an e-reader, about 88% more than the 8% who used an e-reader in 2010.

Regionally, residents of the West are most likely to use an e-reader (20%, one-third more than the national average), closely followed by Easterners (19%). Conversely, only 9% of Midwesterners use an e-reader, 40% below the national average. With 14% e-reader usage, Southern adults are about 7% less likely than average to use an electronic reading device.

Likelihood to Get E-reader Grows 25%

In further good news for makers and promoters of e-readers, the percentage of adults who do not currently use an e-reader but plan to get one has risen 25%, from 12% to 15%, in the past year. There is no regional variation in this percentage, and most (11%) are somewhat likely, with only 4% very likely.

E-reader Use Promotes Reading

harris-books-read-sep-2011.JPGE-reader users are more likely to read higher numbers of books in a typical year and less likely to read no books at all. In total, 15% of adults say they read no books in an average year, up 67% from 9% in 2010. Interestingly, of the remaining 85% who do read at least one book per year, the highest percentage (20%) report reading three to five books and 21 books or more. This percentage is flat or virtually flat from 2010.

Looking at e-reader users, 27% read 21 or more books per year, 35% more than average. The percentage of non-e-reader users who read this many books in a given year (19%) is virtually the same as the national average. E-reader users also report higher percentages of reading six to 10 and 11-20 books per year, with the percentage reading 11-20 (32%) double the national average of 16%.

On the other side, only 8% of e-reader users say they don’t read any books, 47% less than the overall average, compared to 18% of non-users, 20% more than average.

E-readers Users More Likely to Increase Reading

harris-reading-habits-sep-2011.JPGAnother sign of e-reader usage driving higher reading rates is the percentage of e-reader users who say they read more than they did before. Overall, 19% of adults say this, compared to 36% of e-reader users and only 16% of non-users. Conversely, only 8% of users but 24% of non-users say they read less than before, compared to the national average of 21%.

There has not been a significant change in overall rates of reading more, less or the same than before between 2010 and 2011. E-reader usage also has minimal impact of keeping a flat reading rate.

Pew: E-reader Growth Outpaces Tablets

The share of adults in the US who own an e-book reader doubled to 12% in May 2011 from 6% in November 2010, according to data from the Pew Research Center Internet & American Life Project. This is the first time since the Pew Internet Project began measuring e-reader use in April 2009 that ownership of this device has reached double digits among US adults.

Meanwhile, Pew data shows 8% of US adults owned a tablet computer in May 2011. This is roughly the same percentage of adults who reported owning this kind of device in January 2011 (7%), and represents 60% growth in ownership since November 2010

About the Data: This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between July 11 to 18, 2011 among 2,183 adults (aged 18 and older). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

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