Americans are spending far less time reading for pleasure than they did two decades ago, according to a study by University College London and the University of Florida. By analysing more than 230,000 responses to the American Time Use Survey from 2003 to 2023, researchers found the share of people who pick up a book, magazine or e-reader each day has fallen from 28% to 16 percent—a decline of about 3 percent annually, or 40% overall. Those who do read are devoting more than 90 minutes a day to it, but participation has dropped most sharply among Black Americans, people with lower incomes or education levels, and residents of rural areas. The authors warn that reduced reading could erode language skills, mental health and social cohesion. The findings add to wider concerns about reading habits in developed economies. Denmark this week said it would abolish its 25% value-added tax on books—one of the world’s highest—in a bid to address what Culture Minister Jacob Engel-Schmidt called a national “reading crisis.” The measure, expected to cost about 330 million kroner ($50 million) a year, follows OECD data showing that a quarter of Danish 15-year-olds struggle with basic comprehension. Danish officials hope cheaper books will spur literacy, underscoring the growing policy focus on reading as a public-health and economic issue.