Digital readership grows eight years in a row: survey

(ECNS) -- The proportion of Chinese adults who have the habit of reading increased to 79.9 percent in 2016 with more readers of digital content, according to a survey by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication.

Some 68.2 percent of readers used digital platforms in China, a 4.2 percent increase over 2015 and the eighth consecutive year of growth in the number of online readers.

People spend more time in reading digital content, with mobile phones and the Internet the two major sources of material. The survey found that adults read with mobile phones for 74.4 minutes a day on average, an increase of 12.19 minutes over the previous year .

It also showed the average time one reads online lasts 57.22 minutes and reading on the popular messaging app WeChat reaches 26 minutes, both increasing from the previous year. Rural residents were found to read WeChat-based content 42.7 minutes a day on average, higher than urban readers.

Traditional print media continues falling from favor. In 2016, the average daily reading time of newspapers was 13.15 minutes, 3.86 minutes less than in 2015. Time spent reading magazines dropped by 2.22 minutes to 6.61 minutes.

Digital reading has become the mainstream among adults under 49 years old. But Chinese on average read 7.86 books in 2016, a small increase over the previous year.

The survey found 51.6 percent still preferred to read a printed book and over 40 percent admitted that they need to read more. About 70 percent also called for the organization of reading activities.