Household spending · Consumer Expenditure Survey · BLS CE 2024
Reading Spending
How much American households spend on reading - broken down by income, age, region, household size and tenure, from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
- Annual average (2024)
- $125
- Share of spending
- 0.2%
- Change vs 2023
- +6.8%
- Change vs 2020
- +9.6%
Spending Insight: Reading
American households spent an average of $125 on reading in 2024, representing 0.2% of total consumer expenditures. This marks a notable 6.8% increase from 2023 ($117), outpacing the roughly 3% general inflation in 2024 and suggesting growing consumer prioritization of this category.
Since 2020, reading spending has risen by 9.6% (from $114 to $125), rising slower than the roughly 21% cumulative inflation over the same period, a decline in real, inflation-adjusted terms.
Income is strongly associated with reading spending: the top income quintile spends $300/year versus $47 for the lowest quintile, a 6.4x gap. Regionally, the Northeast spends the most ($191/year) while the South spends the least ($92/year). Use the cross-cuts below, by income, region, age, household size, and housing tenure, to see which demographic factors drive this category hardest for your situation.
How Reading compares to other categories
Reading is the #14 largest of 14 major household spending categories in 2024, claiming 0.2% of the total budget.
Major spending categories, ranked
Reading highlighted · average annual spending · 2024
Spending Trend (2020–2024)
Reading spending per household, 2020–2024
National average annual spending
| Year | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $125 |
| 2023 | $117 |
| 2022 | $117 |
| 2021 | $114 |
| 2020 | $114 |
How we calculate this: % of Total is this category's published spend divided by that year's total household spend. YoY Change is the percentage difference between a year's amount and the prior year's amount. Both are computed from the raw BLS figures, not re-estimated.
By Income Level (2024)
How reading spending varies across income quintiles
| Income Group | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| Lowest 20% | $47 |
| Second 20% | $75 |
| Middle 20% | $82 |
| Fourth 20% | $122 |
| Highest 20% | $300 |
By Region (2024)
Geographic variation in reading spending
By Age Group (2024)
How reading spending changes across the lifecycle
By Household Size (2024)
| Size | Annual |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $75 |
| 2 People | $147 |
| 3 People | $133 |
| 4 People | $179 |
| 5 or More | $144 |
By Housing Tenure (2024)
| Tenure | Annual |
|---|---|
| Homeowner (with mortgage) | $153 |
| Homeowner (no mortgage) | $174 |
| Renter | $127 |
What to do with this data
The average U.S. household spends $125 a year on reading - here's how to put that in context.
- Compare your own spending against the national income quintiles. Budget calculator
- See how reading spending shifts across income levels, ages, and regions. By income
- Track this category in your private watchlist to revisit as the data updates. Save categories
Figures are national averages from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey; your own household may differ from these means.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the average household spend on reading? ▼
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How does income affect reading spending? ▼
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Spending Guides (show related guides)
Related Spending Categories
Browse other major categories from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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Free to reuse, including commercially, under CC0 (the underlying BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data is public domain). A link back is appreciated.
