Brazilians read, on average, four books per year.
The "Portraits of Reading in Brazil" survey reveals that only half of the population can be considered readers, meaning those who have read at least one book in the last three months.
Agency Brazil - Brazilians read an average of four books a year and only half of the population can be considered readers. This is what the Portraits of Reading in Brazil survey, released today (28) by the Instituto Pró-Livro, indicates. The study, conducted between June and July 2011, interviewed more than 5 people in 315 municipalities.
In 2008, the institute released similar research indicating an average reading rate of 4,7 books per year. However, the organization does not consider that there has been a decline in the reading rate of Brazilians, since the research methodology underwent minor changes to make it more accurate.
According to the survey, Brazil currently has 50% of readers, or 88,2 million people. This category includes those who have read at least one book in the last three months, in whole or in part. Among women, 53% are readers, a higher rate than that found among male respondents (43%).
When respondents were asked how many books they had read in the last three months, a period considered by the study to be the easiest to remember, the average number of books read was 1,85. Of this total, 1,05 books were chosen on their own initiative and 0,81 were recommended by the school.
Among students, the average number of books read has risen to 3,41 in the last three months. Students read 1,2 books on their own initiative, divided between literature (0,47), the Bible (0,15), religious books (0,11), and other genres (0,47).
According to the study, the Bible appears first among the preferred genres, followed by textbooks, novels, religious books, short stories, children's literature, among others.