Over the last decade, the number of Italians reading books has declined, but the number of library users has stayed relatively consistent. According to the most recent Istat study, 57.1% of people aged six and up reported reading at least one book in the previous 12 months (for leisure, employment, and/or educational purposes, or for other reasons), a slight decline from 2015 (59.4%). 51.9% of children aged five and under read, color, or browse books and picture books every day outside of school. In 2025, 14.9% of individuals aged six and older visited the library at least once, a figure that remains consistent with the 15.1% recorded a decade ago. According to the age distribution, 11-14 year-olds had the highest reading rate (78.9%). However, as people get older, this behavior tends to lessen. Furthermore, there is a significant gender gap in reading: women read more books than men (62.6% versus 51.2%). The discrepancy affects all age groups, gradually increasing from adolescence to adulthood, peaking between the ages of 45 and 54 (+17.4 percentage points), and then diminishing at later ages. Trends suggest a gradual drop in the overall share of book readers, from 60.0% in 2000 to 57.1% in 2024. The reduction affected both men and women (male readers fell from 54.9% to 51.2%, while female readers declined from 64.9% to 62.6%). Significant geographical disparities emerge: in Central and Northern Italy, more than 60% of the population reads, compared to 47% in southern Italy. Education and income also have a big impact on reading habits: people with a high level of education read more than those with a low level of education, by a 3:1 ratio. Similarly, when income was considered, readers decreased from 43.9% in the poorest families to 72.5% in the most economically prosperous.