How Many Books Should You Read in a Year?

What Most People Actually Read

In Pew Research Center's October 2025 survey of 8,046 U.S. adults, 25% said they hadn't read a book in the past year, 38% read one to five, 13% read six to 10, 10% read 11 to 20, and 14% read more than 20.

So a book a month already puts you ahead of about three in four adults, and more than 20 a year puts you in the top 14%. Pew's 2021 survey found the same shape: an average of about 14 books a year, but a typical (median) reader at five. A small group of heavy readers pulls the average up, so don't measure yourself against it.

What Your Daily Reading Time Adds Up To

The most reliable way to set a goal is to start from minutes, not books. At an average 250 words a minute, a typical 300-page book takes about five and a half hours, which makes the arithmetic simple: 30 minutes a day is about 33 books a year.

The table below covers 10 minutes to an hour. If you read faster or slower than average, take the two-minute reading speed test and plug your real number into the pages per day calculator.

How to Choose Your Number

Start with last year. If you finished eight books, aim for 10 to 12: a stretch you'll feel, not a different hobby. If you don't know your number, start with the daily minutes you can protect, say the 20 minutes before bed, and read the answer off the table.

Then make the goal smaller than you think. A goal you beat in November feels better and builds more habit than one you abandon in March, and you can always raise it mid-year.

The Popular Goals, and What Each One Takes

12 books (one a month): about 11 minutes a day. The best first goal for anyone getting back into reading.

24 books (two a month): about 22 minutes a day, roughly a chapter or two before bed.

52 books (one a week): about 45 minutes a day at an average speed, closer to 35 for faster readers, or 43 pages a day. The 52 Book Challenge gives you a prompt for every week so you never stall on what to read next.

100 books: about an hour and a half a day, or less with audiobooks and shorter books in the mix. How to read 100 books a year covers how people actually fit it in.

Other Ways to Set a Goal

A book count isn't the only option, and it can push you toward short books. Pages read, minutes read or days read reward the same habit without punishing you for picking up a long one.

Or set a variety goal: one book from a different genre each month, as in the 12 Months, 12 Genres challenge, or one classic a month from the 100 Classics checklist.

Make the 2027 Goal Stick

Write the number down somewhere you'll see it, and track every book as you finish it. Seeing the count climb is most of the motivation. Check in once a quarter, and adjust the goal rather than quietly giving up on it.

Abandon books that aren't working. Nothing slows a reading year like forcing your way through one you don't like, and audiobooks, rereads and graphic novels all count.