Reading books in Portugal and Europe. Recent trends from a comparative perspective

Abstract

This article intends to bring new contributions to the sociological analysis of book reading in Portugal. Through extensive research, using data from Eurobarometer (2007, 2013) and IEFA (2007, 2011 and 2016), we have sought to situate Portugal in the eu context and, subsequently, to deepen the analysis of the evolution of book reading practices in the country. The results show that Portugal has one of the lowest rates in the European framework, which is part of a clear downward trend, thus reversing the growth that had been noted in previous studies. It can also be concluded that this decrease mainly affects the younger population with a high level of education, which shows differences between the various generational cohorts that should continue to be monitored in future research.