More than half of Abu Dhabi population reads on a regular basis and around 80 per cent prefer reading online.
That's according to a survey by the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi, which indicates a significant increase in the percentage of individuals who read regularly, climbing from 38 per cent in 2020 to 55 per cent in 2022.
The average time spent on leisure reading was 25 hours per month, while the reading time for work-related tasks reached 20 hours.
At least 60 per cent of the respondents who do not read regularly said they do not have enough time to develop a reading habit while 51 per cent cited work-related stress.
Twenty-two per cent noted they have no suitable atmosphere to develop a reading habit, while 19 per cent consider reading is not their hobby, and 10 per cent pointed out that the preferred reading materials are not available.
Nearly nine out of 10 people also said that the best place to read is at home.
According to the poll results, 92 per cent of the population think that Abu Dhabi government entities have done their part in instilling the culture of reading.
Results of a survey, published by @adstatistics, showed a significant increase in the percentage of individuals who read regularly, climbing from 38 per cent in 2020 to 55 per cent in 2022, reflecting the emirate’s efforts to establish a culture of reading in community. pic.twitter.com/0sIdhEBJvr
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) April 13, 2022