Updated March 2023.
I’ll admit, I’m not great at remembering which generation is which, and I do get a kick out of how people like to pit one against another. I guess that’s just the way we do everything these days. OK Boomers vs. Millennials. Gen Z vs. Gen X.
And is it wrong that I didn’t even know there was such a thing as the Silent Generation? That doesn’t sound very supportive, especially as they were preceded by the Greatest Generation. Who gets to name these groups, anyway?
Reading habits from ages 5-95
My personal issues aside, the folks at Best By The Numbers put together the infographic below charting the reading habits of five generations: Generation Z (age 5-25), Millennials (age 26–40), Generation X (age 41–55), Baby Boomers (age 56–75), and The Silent Generation (age 76–95). So it’s time to pick your favorite, select your nemesis, and bend the numbers to support your preconceptions.
But seriously, there is some interesting information here, and seeing how different generations consume, select, and engage with their reading materials is enlightening — and sometimes surprising. Among other things, now we know:
- Gen Z prefers fantasy to other genres.
- Millennials read more books than other generations.
- Gen X reads more online news than other generations.
- Baby Boomers rely on best-seller lists to find their books.
- The Silent Generation spends the most time reading each day.
- A preference for physical books spans all generations.
Check out the infographic for more insights into the reading habits of the different generations.
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Isn’t it interesting that of the genres each generation allegedly prefers, none mention Romance or any of its sub-genres. That seems odd when Romance has been by far the best-selling genre fiction for more than a decade, lately earning more than $30 billion-a-year.
Never heard of the silent generation, and am certainly not silent! My mouth gets me into predicaments,am opinionated.I prefer biographies ,nonfiction and historical fiction. Am director of a book club, mostly older generation, and a variety of books each month. My first sentence was “ I want to read a book”, and I certainly have quite a lot of books!
The reason they’re called The Silent Generation has nothing to do with how much they talk or don’t talk, in the sense of having the so-called “Gift of Gab” it was more about being cautious about what you believed politically in an open setting, especially if it went against everything Senator Joseph McCarthy was speaking about. So people had to be real careful about sharing their opinions in certain settings because it was actually dangerous. So, effectively that generation was silenced politically. It doesn’t mean they weren’t talkative, just means they were careful about what they talked about.
I agree about wondering who named The Silent Generation and what does that mean? I thought we had always been The War Baby Génération. K
My first love was Tarzan. I was crushed to find out it was fiction. I soon discovered science-fiction. Of late, well written fantasy is my favorite. I love really good writing, great world building and in-depth characters. I read a smattering of other genres…apoplectic, historical fiction, mystery/spy books, but I don’t care for romance novels. I burned out on horror/vampire/blood splatter books. I did my share of non-fiction in my middle years. I have a lot of books, but have been using an ereader the last couple of years; I like being able to increase the font size. I get my news online. I am part of the Silent Generation, although the data is hit or miss.
I have been a voracious reader all my life, reading mostly fiction, some biographies, some non-gory mysteries, and “women’s fiction.”
Always and only real printed on paper books, although almost everyone else in my large extended family reads e-books for their own good reasons.
I am a self-described Johnny Appleseed of the book world in that I am a compulsive sharer of books, lending them to anyone who might be interested. I keep very few books, preferring to give, loan, and swap them out. I have a triple-compartment Little Free Library (“Murder & Mayhem,” “Children,” and “General Reading”) on the edge of my front lawn, restocking it from my own over-the-top book buying habits as well as regular purchases from the local Friends of the Library used book store here in Cumberland, RI. at $1.00/book.
I browse The NY Times book site online weekly just to keep up to see what’s around and look forward to my Sunday morning strolls around the local Barnes& Noble bookstore. I read 2-4 books per week on average. I am part of what you are calling the Silent Generation although silence is definitely not my strong suit.
I’m the youngest of the Silent Generation but always thought I was a Boomer. I don’t think I fit anywhere. Have read Tolkien numerous times, and The Once and Future King, but not much other fantasy. I like Golden Age Sci Fi and classic literature. Almost never read novels—To Kill a Mockingbird and On the Beach are probably the only “recent” novels I’ve read. I like science non-fiction. And I read e-books on an iPad. Oh, I almost forgot my recent favorite—A Series of Unfortunate Events. It may be for kids, but the humor and literary references kept me going through all 13 books.
I am reading this in February 2022. It was published in August 2020. This means the ages used for generation reference are now incorrect. Why, oh why weren’t years used?1946-1964 as a frame of reference for Boomers is always accurate; ages 56-75 isn’t.
Baby boomer. Always been an omnivorous reader of fiction – usually read non-fiction only if I need information. School librarian for 32+ years and felt it was part of my job to at least skim every book I put on the shelves – and usually read through the fiction. Can’t get the students interested if I can’t describe contents! Love audiobooks. Converted to ebooks, especially after seeing how “germy library books can get.
Love my public library for audiobooks, ebooks and tv/movies as I don’t subscribe to tv at home. Have always loved sci-fi/fantasy but go thru periods of thriller, romance, etc. not a best seller follower but an author follower.
RE: giving away books. Yes, over the years I had crammed bookshelves and spent a lot on books. Then I moved, weeded some, then moved again and now, with my retirement move have a couple boxes of books I know are out of print but want to re-read. The rest either given away or trashed. Yes, thrown away. Sounds horrible but libraries have to do it all the time. Nobody wants your old, crumbling ( or even not crumbling) books. Cost prohibitive to send to “poor” places and as far as non- fiction goes, they’re probably out of date. It’s kind of like all the people with 25 years of National Geographic who want to give their moldering copies to the library.
I’m a “silent”, almost 80! Read 100+ books last year and I love my Kindle. I can read in the dark, I can enlarge print, I can highlight a word for definition or Wikipedia , I can carry hundreds of books on my travels, I can download books for free from the library, etc. BUT, if I read a book on Kindle and really love it, I order a hard copy to keep on my shelf or lend to a friend.
Me too
Andre, this is very useful information, presented in an understandable way —thank you! Born in 1942, and also feel the term Silent Generation is a misnomer—we should be called the Original Rock n’ Roll Kids! Appreciate your blog!
In 2020 when this blog was written, Generation Z was 8-24. Millennials were 25-39.
It would be nice to know how the research was conducted. How did they survey people? How many people did they survey? etc. The hyperlink to Best By The Numbers does not seem to work.
This is an amazingly written blog. I think everyone needs to read more, take time from your busy routine for reading. I am from the second category of generation where people haven’t time for their better routine.
[…] due to burnouts, attention spans, and workloads, the amount of people who read 5-7 days a week halves once they reach age 15. During the last couple weeks, I have attempted to figure out why in my own […]
I love, it love it, love it! saw this post on Reddit and decided to follow the link. So many insightful comments. Thank you, Bookbaby for this awesome research!
I’m a Baby Boomer. I prefer print books and don’t like online ebooks at all. I also enjoy audio books. I’m a radio guy so love listening to podcasts, old time radio dramas, modern day radio dramas from the BBC, and yes audio books. I’ll do Sudoku or play online solitaire while listening, or listen to them while driving in the car via a CD. I enjoy going to the public library and use it often. The types of fiction I enjoy are: Sci-FI [no fantasy], Mysteries, and Historical Fiction. I also read Non-Fiction dealing with such topics as Science, History [both US and Ancient history], and Christianity.
You do know baby boomers range from 1946 to 1964.
I’m 82 and have always been an enthusiastic reader, mostly of nonfiction. I have recently started to enjoy memoirs because it’s so interesting to learn what inspired people. Churchill and Eisenhower ate my current favorites. But my all time favorite author is Pearl S. Buck.
I’m 69…Apocalypse, Christian, fiction, some non fiction. I am a re-reader. I read the Chronicles of Narnia series each year, along with other favorites in my library.
Gen X (age 46) here who reads classic literature, nonfiction (history, religion/spirituality, theology, sociology, psychology), and historical fiction. I prefer print books. I order from Thriftbooks if possible. I will resort to Amazon or Ebay if necessary. I never read craft/hobby books.
At 78, an official ‘silent’ generation, I read a book a day, love historical and western and regency romances, and am writing my own historical romances set in Alberta, Canada. I have 2 books already published and doing final editing on the third. My personal library contains over 600 books, mostly historical and regency romance, a few contemporary romance and westerns, including the complete works of Louis L’Amour. I used to frequent the library but now blow my pension on Amazon adding to my bookshelves. Life is so good!
I love this info but as becomes apparent in the comments, just like dating, age is just a number. To attempt to classify us by generation is a lost cause.
But, having said that, it is good for generalizations and good to see the millennials as a group love to read.
Age is just a number;)
I’m a boomer and my all time favorites are autobiographies, next up mystery, sci-fi, humor (Wodehouse junkie), spy novels and thrillers, and guilty pleasure easy read love and romance. Some of the off the wall romantic comedies are surprisingly good.
I find it hard to believe that a quarter of all baby boomers spend an hour a day reading the Bible. And how does this reconcile with the adjacent statistic that says they spend 26 minutes a day reading. I’m missing something.
I’m Gen X. I do read a lot online. I’m am not a fan of ebooks, though I have a tablet. I just prefer touching the pages over swiping. My biggest love is non-fiction, particularly history, social sciences, life sciences, and religion. I generally read fiction in the form of Mangas these days. I know, odd for a Gen X female. However, I think the bulk of my reading comes from an unmentioned category: subtitled foreign films and tv series. I lived abroad for several years so I tire of listening to English sometimes. While versatile, it is not the most melodious of languages.
I’m 58 and actually fit much of the silent generation’s data. I read and write daily. I read every genre but mostly historical fiction, and self-help and inspirational books.
Never heard of the silent generation, and am certainly not silent! My mouth gets me into predicaments,am opinionated.I prefer biographies ,nonfiction and historical fiction. Am director of a book club, mostly older generation, and a variety of books each month. My first sentence was “ I want to read a book”, and I certainly have quite a lot of books!
I agree about not being silent. I belong to that last group, and this has been my most outspoken time in my entire life. Just because the younger generations don’t want to listen, it doesn’t make us silent. I am enjoying my age and feel I have so much to share because I am a survivor. But no one is listening so I am in a way silent. Its o.k. I keep talking. Love to read spiritual books, anything that helps me improve spiritually. Above all I read the Bible
We were the war babies…BELIEVE ME I have never been silent! Also I read all types of books and have a library of over one thousand books that include everything. I choose my own books and do not belong to reading groups. Usually I read up to three hours a day. My age is eighty, feel like sixty, and work like forty.. Definitely not silent!
So good to hear ; ) While I love data, I am having a difficult time recognizing anyone I know… I am much more similar to you.
Best reply yet
A thousand books? You’re just getting started.
advice I can give you is that if you feel you get sleepy too soon after you start reading don’t push it, stop. You don’t have to read a complete book in one night
Thank you, very informative!
My reading habits are reflected in this infographic with surprising accuracy (millennial). The only thing is that I read a lot more at work (3-4 hours almost every day) since it’s part of my responsibilities.
This statistic can really be the basis for thematic planning and book promotion.
Great article. There is too much useful information in this article for you. The way you use infographics to convey information is easy to understand and compelling. I’m a millennial, and the information you gave me is very true. Thanks to your article, I can understand my kids better. Thank you
A lot of us Millennials / Gen Y-ers have been reading several books lately because we are raising our young. We need to read to them and many of us are homeschooling thanks to COVID-19. I don’t have time to read a 200+ pager for enjoyment anymore like I used to in my middleschool and highschool days. The things I have been reading online are mainly teaching sources and researching work-from-home opportunities. One year, I listened to e-books while doing the dishes / laundry / cleaning / driving. Thanks for the fascinating information!
-Sleepless in Texas
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Surprised that Boomers read thrillers. Myself and many of my female friends read historical ficion and memoir. As a librarian I was aware that men and boys prefer history and fantasy. I taught all genres. Many Boomers have turned to writing – short stories, memoir, poetry, book reviews and yes even novels!
As long as I can see and hear, I will be a “reader”!!
Hmmmm… I thought beatniks preceded boomers.
[…] Take any data set and slice and dice, and you can come up with whatever you want, so of course you shouldn’t put too much weight on this research into generational differences in reading preferences. Even the definition of generations is a variable. Still, The Passive Voice gives us this list of reading preferences by generation which originates at the BookBaby Blog. […]
Hmmm, I’m a boomer and read widely, a few best sellers but I don’t rely on them. So not typical
Based on the stats offered below it, one heading should read “More Millennials read books than any other generation” rather than “Millennials read more books than any other generation.” Same for “More teenage girls read fiction” and “More teenage boys read comic books.” Small quibbles. Thanks for compiling/posting this.
Honestly, I’m an audiobooks lover but how do I inspire my next generation?
Taxonomy. Born in 1943, I was early on considered part of the Baby Boom since there were so much more of us than the kids of 42, 41, and 40. When the definition became causal (soldiers coming home) rather than purely statistical, sudden my group was not included. OK. Recently my son (echo of baby boom) told me of a new system, which had Pre-Boomers between Silents and Boomers. Some click bait site came to me claiming the Pre-Boomers eat better, exercise more, and suffer obesity less than Boomers. Whatever. Oh and the Silents (to me, not Real Grownups, just The Big Kids) –the Silents were the ones who made Rock and Roll popular. As my calculus teacher said, “Never underestimate the power of a definition. Currently I’m reading Trollope’s Ralph The Heir, a break from re-reading Ian Rankin and Michael Connelly.
Yeah. This whole thing of dividing and further dividing “Generations” leaves me amused, bemused, and cynical. By birth year, I am a Boomer (born towards the end of 1950), but since my parents married later than many, I am actually the child of Depression-era parents. I also am a “Third Culture Kid,” which has its own contributory factors. How much any of this played into my reading choices is highly subjective, but I read and enjoy both physical books and e-books (for the convenience and portability). I also read both short and easy books and the lengthy classics of many genres, and love cross-genre fiction like alternate history, time travel novels, historical mysteries, etc., etc.
Fascinating, to say the least! I also did not know there is a “Silent Generation” and wonder why its name. I am certainly not planning to be silent, even when I (soon) will enter that category!
I think they were dubbed that after the next generation turned the culture on its ear in everything from anti-war demonstrations to drugs to music to the sexual revolution—anything but silent.
That’s not how that works. Your generation is determined by your birth year. Not by your age.
What happened to Gen Y? How did Gen Y become Millennial all of a sudden?
After 9/11 it was decided that they (Gen Y) no longer were defined by “no event” which is the reason for Generation X, being that the letter X stands for “no name”. Calling them Millennials seemed to signify the biggest event of their life without specifically referring to the great tragedy. So it was about 17-18 years ago that social scientists changed the name. Cohort groups are an important identification in value preferences which is a large part of what all kind of social scientists measure. It is not pitting one group against another, but gathering factual information about the compositions of cohorts that allow one to make meaningful evaluations. Does it apply to reading choices? I have no idea, but it is very important in lots of other areas of value preferences. If you are trying to understand almost anything about a society you will include generational cohorts in your analysis.
It has to do with marketing
Yes.. classified
This is a most excellent reply! Simple, intelligent, understandable. Thank you!
I just discovered the existence of the Silent Generation of which I am a part. I always thought I was a Boomer. I mostly hung out with younger people. I guess being born in 1944 puts me on the cusp. However, I don’t fit the category at all. I do go to the library. A lot of Silents are too old to get to a library. I read more than half of my books on a Kindle. I hate mysteries. I love speculative fiction and Sci-Fi.
I, being born in 1943, was once part of the baby boom, back when it was based on population stats. There were for more of us than those I. My sister’s group, born in 1941. Once a narrative was formed, based on soldiers coming home, the narrative drove the taxonomy rather than population figures. “Silents” groups us with those born in the 30’s, which seems a stretch. I fit the part about reading lots. I read more Re than two hours most days. As a retired English teacher, Imhave a house filled with books, some of which are in boxes labell, Eng 19C novels, Eng 18C novels. Medieval, French and Italian, and so on. I alo read and reread, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, Agatha Christie, P.G. Wodehouse. And I read books from one of my sons on Classical History. Though I am have read Tolkien and the Narnia books five or six times and Harry Potter once, I find most current fantasy, nearly unreadable. I read one of the Fire and Ice books and loathed it. I read Anathem and merely disliked it, not loathed.
Like you, as retired English teacher, I have boxes with similar labels. I’m having trouble finding a place, a person, who will take and appreciate them. One college librarian said bluntly that “no one reads that kind of thing any more”. They’ve been rejected by college and public libraries. As downsizing approaches, I’m at a loss.
Our local public library has a re-sale shop and takes donations. Perhaps yours does, too. They use the money to buy new additions for their collection. Check that out. At least the cycle contributes to the readers of the world! I have read that on the list called “No One Wants You to Leave Them These Things” books ranks right up there with good china, crystal, sterling flatware, and furniture. That breaks my heart, for we spend our lives collecting these “fine things,” only to realize that they will probably go to an auction place somewhere and get sold for far less than their value. We just have to realize that we valued them when we read them, and in that way they served their purpose.
Thank you.
I don’t know the age of my readers. I do know that as a baby boomer, I have never relied on bestseller lists to choose my reading material. I choose a book by the title and back cover blurb for authors I haven’t read before and by the author’s name for auto buy books. A book could have the worst cover in the world, but if the blurb intrigues me, I will buy it.
We are all individuals. I have no idea why someone doing some study is always trying to pidgeon-hole people.
I agree with most of what you said. I have never picked a book based on the best seller lists either. I like all types of books. I go to the library often except the ones that closed due to the pandemic. I prefer watching and listening to the news. Take Care.
Agree, and don’t care for the pigeonholing either. I only read nonfiction, and it doesn’t have to be a bestseller.
This is good information to see, though I am a fantasy author and I aimed my books for Generation Z and Millennials yet when it came to who buys and reads it, over 50% my market is Baby-boomers and Silent Generation. Seeing this article and knowing who is more likely to pick up which genera is good, but never assume that is the only generation that will enjoy your book.
Have to agree. As a boomer I’m more likely to read exactly what they said – I love thrillers and mysteries/suspense. However, I’ve been known to get into fantasy on occasion, and lately, I’ve been reading more of it. The past few years I’ve also been reading more dystopian novels. But in the long run, what matters to me is that it is a great yarn with well-written plots and characters.
Perhaps those who buy your books plan to gift them to your target audience?
This is an amazingly written blog. I think everyone needs to read more, take time from your busy routine for reading. I am from the second category of generation where people haven’t time for their better routine.