I find that I read more now that I have a Kindle than I did before. For me in South Africa it works out cheaper to buy ebooks than paper books. And of course the fact that they take up less space :D

I'm in the 21+ group. Paper in the old days. Now I download lot of free E-books to read. I still buy magazines in paperform.

It's not too surprising. E-readers are a self-selected group - they only people willing to put down money for a book-reading-device are probably big reading fans.

The interesting factoid would be whether an individual tends to read more books before or after getting the e-reader.

I think I read about the same amount, but I'm also in the 21+ group. (As will probably be a lot of people interested enough to click on this article!)

I definitely *spend* more on books than I used to, though, since I'm buying fewer used books.

I know that after I bought my wife a Kindle (she swore she would never use it) she has read more books in the past 6 months than in the past 5 years. She likes that she can easily take it where ever she goes and when she finishes a book it is quick and easy for her to get another one.

This graphic shows who buys more books, but not who actually reads more books. And, it doesn't include those readers like myself who make great use of local library systems. I read a new book about every 10 days, but I only buy about 6 books a year. You can thank student loans for that.

I'm with you Newsmuse! I read library books like they're going out of style (which apparently, they are). I figure as long as there's books left in their sci-fi/fan collection, I won't NEED an e-reader. Than again, if one is travelling a lot, I can see where a Kindle would be useful. I also buy about $150 worth of used books a year, since many of them are older titles that aren't in electronic form.

I also would be interested in seeing if a person's reading habits change when they buy an e-reader: do they read more or less? What proportion is electronic and what is on paper (if any)? Do they travel a lot? Do they use their local library? Has a change in material selection caused any changes in their reading choices?

newsmuse07: You took the words right out of my mouth ... or fingers.

I own a Nook and I read a lot of books in a year, but I buy very few books. After the switch to the Nook, I have continued to get my books from the library, they are just e-books now. I absolutely love using an e-reader, but I waited until I was certain there were enough books available from the library that I would want to read before I bought one.

Another in agreement with the comment by newsmuse07. My reading material comes from the library and I exchange a lot of books with friends.

When did reading become a competitive sport?

two questions: this only shows downloads, do people actually read those books? and second: did their reading change before/after e-reader? way more relevant than book vs. ebook sales.

I have a large book collection, an e-reader and am a frequent user of the library (and possess a library degree). I love reading in all forms. :)

i also do a lot of library books, both digital and e-reader. The e-reader has defiantly increased my reading habit tho as it makes it easier for my to get my hands on new and different material. My city has a great library website and I have been known to download a few new books before bedtime if I'm in the mood for reading and don't have anything on hand.

I probably split my time between real books and e-books. Some books I read are 150 pages, some are 1000 pages. How could I compare the two?

Also, there are a lot of very old classics available for free off iBooks. I'm not paying for them, does this count as a purchase?

Not to mention, friends who lend me books.

I'm in the 21+ group in both. In fact, it would not be at all unusual for me to read/buy 21 books in a month.

I use the public library a lot. I used to buy a lot of books (or as we call them 'book books') but not so much now. If it's available as an ebook, that's nearly always my preference.

Also, now that I can borrow books from the library for my Kindle, I've been doing that, too. I've probably borrowed 21+ since it became possible a few weeks ago.

As far as how my reading habits have changed - I don't think I buy more books now, but more of them are e-books. I've discovered lots of new authors by looking for cheap (under $5) ebooks. The way I browse for new books has changed. Borders has closed, I don't like Barnes and Noble much, and my local library is pretty small (though I can get books from a much larger library system). So now I'm much more dependent on reviews and Amazon recommendations than I once was.

I don't think paper books will go away, but for certain types of books - mass market popular fiction etc - I think the ebook is infinitely preferable.

As a traditional book reader, I get most of my books from the library. So, while I read quite a bit, I would be in the "0" category.

Sorry!

The full infographic shows not only who buys more, but who reads more, too! Just click the link above.

What about the library?

I'm sooooo happy that the kindle has finally being released here in France (we have some pretty outdated legislation here about books). We'll see in a couple of months if my reading habits have changed !

Right now, I tend to buy and keep maybe 5 beautiful and meaningful books a year, but I buy and resell, or borrow books on a weekly basis. I figure the e-reader will probably only impact that second "light reading" category.

I'm a 21+er with no e-reader. I go to the library or buy books at goodwill, yard sales, etc. I probably buy less than 10 brand new books a year.

I would probably get an e-reader if I traveled a lot, but I don't and I love holding a books weight in my hands.

Let's remember that people who read books go to the library, swap, exchange, gift, re-gift, share, donate, and borrow books. Also, does this fancy scientific study include purchasing at independent bookstores or used bookstores? Probably not. Let's remember. . . Amazon is not the only place to get books!

Interesting graphic. I'd like to more about the data collected and it's implications.

I'm a librarian and I read all the time (at home, not at work), more than 50 books per year -- it would be more but I work full time. I don't read ebooks, but my partner bought a Kindle with high expectations of using it heavily -- only he doesn't. He spends a lot of his time on his laptop computer, browsing various news sites, programming, posting to blogs, etc. and I suspect the lure of ebooks against the laptop isn't strong enough to claim his time.

I don't have anything against ebooks, apart from a suspicion that I wouldn't especially love the format, since I do love paper books -- the smell, the feel, the art (where applicable), etc... I think ebook readers are a brilliant substitute for hardcopy textbooks, and hope the world goes that way, with associated price reductions! If I traveled more, ebooks would be great for packing light. But for me, I'd rather hold and enjoy the Real Thing.

My library does offer access to ebooks through Overdrive, a commercial service which supports Nook, Sony, and some other devices, very recently including Kindle. But these are like hardcopy library books -- only one user at a time per item, you can place holds but you have to wait your turn, you can only keep access for a specific number of days (when the license expires and the files no longer open), etc. Because people like not having to pay, the wait lists are as long as for hardcopy.

Libraries will not be going away a ny time soon, and hardcopy books will remain an integral part of our services. Ebooks will grow. Databases will supplant a lot of reference books, partially because they are updated more frequently and partially because most libraries have increasing space issues. But libraries will still offer information, leisure reading, other entertainment (computer games, movies, music...), programs, and so on and so forth as long as our communities continue to want such things. Libraries are the great equalizer, offering access to anyone materials and services the wealthy can provide for themselves.