Getting back into reading is a popular New Year’s resolution, with many reports showing that people are generally reading less than they used to. Yet, according to The Economist, we have enough time in our lives to read hundreds of books.
The British weekly based its estimate of the number of books an individual could read in their lifetime on statements by a panel of 1,500 Americans. This is, of course, an average, as reading habits vary from person to person.
Still, it turns out that 46% of respondents did not read any books in 2023, while the remaining 54% devoured an average of 11 books last year.
The Economist used this figure to determine that an individual who took up reading at the age of seven, and who has a life expectancy within the norm, could read 770 books over their lifetime.
Based on this calculation, a person in their 30s would be reading their 270th book, and someone in their 70s would be on their 670th.
While this may seem like a massive number of books, it’s actually not all that many in terms of current literary output. However, it is difficult to know the exact number of books published since the invention of printing around 1440 or the time it was put to commercial use in 1454.
Google engineers trying to estimate this in 2010 came to the conclusion that there were, at the time, almost 130 million unique books out there. It’s a safe bet that this figure has grown exponentially in recent years, especially with the rise of self-publishing.
So how can we get closer to reading the 770 books estimated by The Economist? First and foremost, this figure should not be taken literally – it’s an ideal, not an imperative.
On the other hand, it may serve to encourage us to switch off from screens and rediscover the joys of reading.
Those who wish to take up this activity can take part in a reading challenge with friends and family, or join a reading community online. You could also signed up for a book club – either in-person or remotely – to discover books you might never have picked up in a store or library.