Seven in ten residents of Poland’s largest cities read books in 2025

Seventy-one percent of residents of Polish cities with populations exceeding 500,000 read at least one book in 2025, according to a new report by the National Library of Poland.

Across the country, 41% of respondents aged 15 and older said they had read at least one book during the 12 months preceding the survey — the same proportion as in 2024. The share of people who read at least seven books also remained unchanged at 7%.

Reading rates differed substantially depending on where respondents lived. While the figure reached 71% in cities with more than 500,000 residents, it stood at 54% in cities with populations between 200,000 and 499,000. The proportion was 40% in cities with 100,000–199,000 residents, 32% in cities with 50,000–99,000 residents, 38% in towns with 20,000–49,000 residents, and 36% in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents. In rural areas, 34% of respondents reported reading at least one book.

The National Library noted that access to books and other cultural resources was relatively easy in Poland’s largest cities. However, the relationship between reading and place of residence was not entirely linear. The report pointed out that many people living in villages and small towns near major metropolitan areas commute to jobs that require higher education — a group that tends to read more frequently.

Age and education were also associated with reading habits. Among respondents aged 15–18, 56% had read at least one book, compared with 43% of those aged 19–59, 37% of people aged 60–70, and 28% of respondents older than 70.

Students were the most active group, with 64% reporting that they had read a book during the year. Among university graduates, the figure stood at 54%. Women also read more frequently than men — 47% compared with 34%. The report recorded another year of growing visibility for public libraries, both as a source of books and as places visited for activities not necessarily connected with borrowing materials.

Among people who had read at least one book, 19% said that one or more of the titles came from a public library. This was up from 15% in 2024 and exceeded the pre-pandemic figure of 18% recorded in 2019 for the first time. Public libraries were the only major source of books whose share increased considerably in the latest survey.

Full access to library services was restored in 2023 following the restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the researchers, however, rebuilding relationships with readers and encouraging them to return to public libraries took considerably longer.

At the same time, the proportion of readers who bought the books they read fell from 50% in 2024 to 43% in 2025. The share who borrowed books from relatives or friends declined from 33% to 26%, while the proportion receiving books as gifts dropped from 34% to 26%. Books from home collections were mentioned by 10% of readers, unchanged from 2024 but roughly half the level recorded in several earlier surveys.

Printed books remained more popular than e-books and audiobooks, although frequent readers — particularly younger people — were more likely to read on mobile devices. The report also recorded ebooks and audiobooks accessed through codes provided by libraries.

Crime and thriller fiction remained the most popular genre in Poland, chosen by 27% of readers. Romance and non-fiction followed with 19% each, while 16% read fantasy. Contemporary literary fiction was mentioned by 14% of respondents, and 13% read historical fiction. Remigiusz Mróz remained Poland’s most widely read author in 2025, followed by Stephen King, Henryk Sienkiewicz, J.K. Rowling, and Andrzej Sapkowski. The top ten also included Bolesław Prus, Katarzyna Bonda, Nicholas Sparks, George Orwell, and Adam Mickiewicz. The study was based on a nationally representative survey of 2,005 Polish residents aged 15 and older.

As reported earlier, Poland planned to allocate PLN 10 million for new materials in public libraries in 2026, compared with approximately PLN 30 million annually in previous years. In 2025, 2,052 libraries received nearly PLN 33 million for printed books and access to digital and audio publications.

RELATED: 2025 Librarian of the Year announced in Poland

Main image: Biblioteka Narodowa, “Biblioteka Narodowa planuje uruchomienie czytelń od 7 grudnia 2020 roku,” 27 November 2020.