Public libraries across the US and the UK bring together physical collections and growing digital access, from books to e-books and electronic serials. Their day-to-day capacity depends on local government funding, supplemented by state aid and federal grants, which shape staffing, spending, and program delivery. On the following page, you’ll compare resources and usage alongside workforce figures and the reach of literacy, health, and summer reading for children and families.
Key Takeaways
- US public libraries hold 775 million physical volumes as of 2022
- US public libraries subscribed to 823,000 electronic serial titles in 2022
- UK public libraries: 140 million physical books in stock 2022/23
- US FY2022 public libraries operating income totaled $15.8 billion
- Local government funding provided 75.6% of US public library revenues in 2022, amounting to $11.9 billion
- UK public libraries expenditure: £1.1 billion in 2022/23, with 62% from local authorities
- Federal grants via IMLS to US libraries: $153 million in FY2022, category: Funding and Budget
- US public libraries offered 94 million program sessions in 2022, attendance 89.6 million
- 96.4% of US public libraries provided formal literacy programs for children under 5 in 2022
- UK libraries delivered 250,000 programs in 2022/23, focusing on health and wellbeing
- US public libraries employed 272,661 full-time staff in FY2022
- 43.5% of US public library staff hold MLIS degrees in 2022, totaling 118,000 professionals
- UK public library staff: 18,500 FTE in 2022/23, down 20% since 2010
- In 2022, U.S. public libraries reported 1.12 billion total checkouts, averaging 3,281 per library
- Public library visits in the US reached 920.6 million in fiscal year 2022, down 4.7% from pre-pandemic levels
US libraries in 2022 served huge audiences with 775 million physical volumes and 920.6 million visits.
Related reading
01 · Category
Collections And Holdings23 stats
01
US public libraries hold 775 million physical volumes as of 2022
02
US public libraries subscribed to 823,000 electronic serial titles in 2022
03
UK public libraries: 140 million physical books in stock 2022/23
04
US public libraries provided access to 16.1 million e-books in 2022
05
Canadian libraries hold 50 million volumes, with 12 million digital items in 2022
06
Australia public libraries: 42 million physical items, 5 million digital in 2021-22
07
EU libraries total holdings: 2.5 billion volumes in 2022, averaging 5,000 per library
08
US academic libraries: 1.2 billion volumes including digital in 2022
09
US libraries subscribed to 5.4 million electronic periodicals in 2022
10
India public libraries: 20 million books total, Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation aids 10,000
11
New Zealand libraries: 15 million physical items, 3 million digital in 2022/23
12
Brazil bibliotecas: 25 million volumes, 2 million digital in 2022
13
South Africa libraries: 10 million books, focusing on indigenous languages in 2022/23
14
Japan libraries: 300 million volumes, 50 million digital in 2022
15
Germany libraries: 500 million volumes, 100 million e-resources in 2022
16
France libraries: 150 million volumes, BnF digitalizes 400,000 yearly
17
Italy libraries: 120 million books, 20 million digitized by 2022
18
Spain libraries: 100 million volumes, 15 million digital in 2022/23
19
US public libraries audio materials: 75 million units in 2022
20
Video materials in US libraries: 45 million in 2022 collections
21
UK libraries interlibrary loans: 2.5 million fulfilled in 2022/23
22
Sweden libraries: 40 million volumes, 10 million e-books licensed
23
Netherlands libraries: 25 million items, 8 million digital collections
Interpretation
Collections And Holdings Interpretation
Across collections and holdings, US public libraries alone held 775 million physical volumes in 2022 while also expanding digital access to 16.1 million e-books, showing how physical scale is increasingly matched by a rapid shift toward electronic materials.
02 · Category
Funding And Budget23 stats
01
US FY2022 public libraries operating income totaled $15.8 billion
02
Local government funding provided 75.6% of US public library revenues in 2022, amounting to $11.9 billion
03
UK public libraries expenditure: £1.1 billion in 2022/23, with 62% from local authorities
04
US state aid to libraries: $192 million in FY2022, supporting 9,201 libraries
05
Canadian public libraries total revenue: CAD 1.5 billion in 2022, 80% municipal funding
06
Australia NSLA members budgets: AUD 1.2 billion in 2021-22, 55% government grants
07
EU library funding averaged €25 per capita in 2022, totaling €11 billion
08
US academic libraries expenditures: $5.6 billion in 2022, 45% salaries
09
Philanthropic donations to US libraries: $250 million annually as of 2022
10
India public library funding: INR 500 crore centrally, states add INR 2,000 crore yearly
11
New Zealand library funding: NZD 250 million in 2022/23, 90% public sector
12
Brazil library budgets: BRL 1.2 billion in 2022, mostly federal/municipal
13
South Africa library grants: ZAR 1.5 billion in 2022/23, conditional grants 60%
14
Japan library budgets: JPY 500 billion in 2022, local taxes 70%
15
Germany library funding: €4.5 billion in 2022, Länder and communes 85%
16
France library budget: €1.2 billion in 2022, national 40%
17
Italy biblioteca funding: €800 million in 2022, regions 60%
18
Spain library budgets: €1.1 billion in 2022/23, autonomous communities 70%
19
Fines and fees contributed only 0.8% to US library revenues in 2022, $128 million total
20
UK library income from charges: £45 million in 2022/23, 4% of total
21
US libraries capital expenditures: $1.4 billion in FY2022 for buildings/tech
22
Sweden library funding: SEK 5 billion in 2022, municipalities 95%
23
Netherlands library budgets: €600 million in 2022, provinces/municipal 75%
Interpretation
Funding And Budget Interpretation
Across countries, public libraries are largely sustained by local and government money, with local government funding providing 75.6% of US public library revenues in 2022 and reaching 62% in the UK, showing how the Funding And Budget category is dominated by public-sector support rather than earned income.
03 · Category
Funding And Budget, Source Url: Https://www.imls.gov/about/appropriations Budget1 stats
01
Federal grants via IMLS to US libraries: $153 million in FY2022, category: Funding and Budget
Interpretation
Funding And Budget, Source Url: Https://www.imls.gov/about/appropriations Budget Interpretation
In FY2022, IMLS federal grants to US libraries totaled $153 million, showing the scale of dedicated Funding and Budget support flowing into libraries from federal sources.
More related reading
04 · Category
Programs And Services24 stats
01
US public libraries offered 94 million program sessions in 2022, attendance 89.6 million
02
96.4% of US public libraries provided formal literacy programs for children under 5 in 2022
03
UK libraries delivered 250,000 programs in 2022/23, focusing on health and wellbeing
04
92% of US libraries offered summer reading programs, serving 48 million children in 2022
05
Canadian libraries hosted 1.2 million programs with 25 million attendees in 2022
06
Australia libraries: 150,000 events in 2021-22, 12 million attendances
07
78% of US libraries provided ESL classes, averaging 500 learners per library in 2022
08
EU libraries offered 5 million cultural events in 2022, drawing 200 million participants
09
US academic libraries instruction sessions: 4.5 million in 2022
10
Job-seeking services in 89% of US libraries, with 2.5 million resume reviews in 2022
11
India libraries community programs: 500,000 events yearly via RRLF
12
New Zealand libraries: 50,000 programs, 2.5 million attendees in 2022/23
13
Brazil libraries literacy programs: 100,000 sessions, 5 million kids in 2022
14
South Africa library programs: 20,000 events, focusing on early literacy in 2022/23
15
Japan libraries cultural programs: 1 million events, 50 million participants in 2022
16
Germany libraries: 400,000 events, 40 million visits for programs in 2022
17
France libraries storytelling sessions: 50,000 yearly for children
18
Italy libraries senior programs: 10,000 events, 1 million participants in 2022
19
Spain libraries digital literacy classes: 30,000 courses, 500,000 users in 2022/23
20
73% of US libraries offered virtual programs, 25 million attendances in 2022
21
UK health programs in libraries: 5,000 initiatives, reaching 1 million in 2022/23
22
US teen programs: 15 million attendances at 80% of libraries in 2022
23
Sweden libraries maker spaces: 200 locations, 500,000 uses in 2022
24
Netherlands libraries STEAM programs: 10,000 events for youth in 2022
Interpretation
Programs And Services Interpretation
Across public libraries worldwide, programs and services are reaching huge numbers of people, with US libraries alone hosting 94 million program sessions and 89.6 million attendees in 2022 and 92% offering summer reading for 48 million children.
05 · Category
Staff And Demographics24 stats
01
US public libraries employed 272,661 full-time staff in FY2022
02
43.5% of US public library staff hold MLIS degrees in 2022, totaling 118,000 professionals
03
UK public library staff: 18,500 FTE in 2022/23, down 20% since 2010
04
US public libraries volunteers: 1.4 million contributing 145 million hours in 2022
05
Average salary for US public library directors: $92,348in 2022
06
Canadian library staff: 25,000 FTE, 60% women in professional roles 2022
07
Australia library workforce: 20,000 staff, 70% female in 2021-22
08
77% of US library staff are female, 23% male as of 2022 survey
09
EU library staff totals 400,000 FTE in 2022, averaging 8 per 10,000 pop
10
US academic library staff: 90,000 FTE in 2022, 50% librarians
11
India library staff: 100,000 across public systems, mostly part-time
12
New Zealand library staff: 5,000 FTE, 75% qualified in 2022/23
13
Brazil library personnel: 15,000 professionals in 2022
14
South Africa librarians: 8,000 certified, serving 1,000 libraries in 2022/23
15
Japan library staff: 50,000 FTE, highly unionized in 2022
16
Germany library employees: 60,000, 40% part-time in 2022
17
France library staff: 25,000 in public sector, 30% contract in 2022
18
Italy library personnel: 20,000 FTE, aging workforce average 50 years
19
Spain library staff: 18,000, 65% women in 2022/23
20
US libraries racial diversity: 80% white staff, 7% Black, 6% Hispanic in 2022
21
UK library staff ethnicity: 92% white, 4% Asian in 2022/23
22
US librarian age: median 49 years, 25% over 60 in 2022
23
Sweden library staff: 10,000, 80% women, high union coverage
24
Netherlands library workforce: 12,000 FTE, 55% part-time in 2022
Interpretation
Staff And Demographics Interpretation
Across the Staff And Demographics landscape, US public libraries relied on 272,661 full time staff in FY2022 and nearly half of them, 43.5% totaling about 118,000 professionals, held MLIS degrees, underscoring a strong qualifications signal in the workforce.
06 · Category
Usage And Visitation26 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. public libraries reported 1.12 billion total checkouts, averaging 3,281 per library
02
Public library visits in the US reached 920.6 million in fiscal year 2022, down 4.7% from pre-pandemic levels
03
46% of Americans visited a public library or bookmobile in person in the past 12 months as of 2021
04
UK public libraries had 332.4 million visits in 2022/23, a 7.2% increase from the previous year
05
In 2023, 78% of public libraries offered Wi-Fi access with 4.7 billion wireless sessions recorded across the US
06
Canadian public libraries saw 122 million in-person visits in 2022, averaging 1,220 per capita per library system
07
Australian libraries recorded 202 million visits in 2021-22, with 62% of population using them at least once
08
In 2022, EU public libraries averaged 4.2 visits per inhabitant annually, totaling over 900 million visits
09
US academic libraries had 223 million gate count visits in 2022, up 12% from 2021
10
Children's library visits in US public libraries: 238 million in 2022, representing 26% of total visits
11
2023 survey shows 55 million reference transactions at US public library desks annually
12
India has over 70,000 public libraries with 150 million annual visits, mostly rural
13
New Zealand public libraries: 15.2 million visits in 2022/23, 2.9 per capita
14
Brazil public libraries: 45 million visits in 2022, with urban libraries averaging 50,000 monthly
15
South Africa community libraries: 12.5 million visits in 2022/23, up 15% post-COVID
16
Japan public libraries: 1.1 billion visits in 2022, 8.8 per capita nationwide
17
Germany public libraries: 300 million visits in 2022, averaging 3.6 per inhabitant
18
France bibliothèque publique: 120 million visits in 2022, with Paris libraries at 25 million alone
19
Italy public libraries: 85 million visits in 2022, 1.4 per capita
20
Spain bibliotecas públicas: 95 million visits in 2022/23, up 8% from 2021
21
US public libraries saw 4.5 billion virtual visits via website/app in 2022
22
62% of UK library users aged 16-24 visited digitally only in 2023
23
In 2022, US libraries registered 2.3 million new library cards
24
Attendance at library programs in US: 89.6 million in 2022
25
Sweden public libraries: 40 million visits in 2022, 3.8 per capita
26
Netherlands libraries: 55 million visits in 2022, with digital access at 120 million sessions
Interpretation
Usage And Visitation Interpretation
Across Usage and Visitation, public libraries are clearly seeing strong demand despite shifts in in-person behavior, with US visits totaling 920.6 million in fiscal year 2022 and still reaching 46% of Americans visiting in person over the prior 12 months as well as 1.12 billion total checkouts that year.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Library Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/library-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Library Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/library-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Library Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/library-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level