Youth and adults alike are reading less, reported the study by the Stiftung Lesen in Germany today. It is the third such study, carried out by researchers since 1992, of the reading habits of more than 2,500 people over 14 years of age.

Eight years ago almost 1 in 3 read between eleven and fifty books per year, now it's only 1 in 4. Stefan Aufenanger, the scientific director of the Stiftung Lesen, spoke of the "disappearing opportunist reader".

What remains almost unchanged, are the extremes: the number who read zero books remained steady at a staggering twenty-five percent. Three percent manage more than fifty books per year. It's the middle band of average readers, which has declined.

Despite the fact that more people indicated they felt reading was 'important' it seems to be missing for many from an early age. Forty-five percent of 14-19 year olds, say they never received a book as a gift as a child. in 1992, seventy-two percent said they had.

The number of books per household has also fallen.

What is interesting to me, was the stronger emphasis in non-German native households on reading. Thirty-six percent read a book once or frequently a week, eleven percent daily. " German migrants form a new reading 'middle-class' with a significant education potential", summarized Andreas Storm, Parliamentary secretary for Education and research.

My Thursday thoughts: I wonder what impact audio books has had, and whether they were included in the study, or whether it refers only to hard copies? And if only paper formats, who is reading what? I wonder if it reflects other countries' reading trends?