Going through a reading slump? You’re not alone.

Fewer Americans are reading for fun, with a new study finding a “concerning” decline in the number of readers over the last 20 years.

Only 16% of Americans reported reading for fun on a given day in 2023, according to the study , which was published Wednesday in the journal iScience — a 40% drop from a high point of 28% in 2004.

“This is not just a small dip — it’s a sustained, steady decline of about 3% per year,” said Jill Sonke , one of the study authors and co-director of the EpiArts Lab at the University of Florida, in a news release . “It’s significant, and it’s deeply concerning.”

Why are people reading less?

The study was conducted by researchers from University College London and the University of Florida, using data

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