Reading is changing in ways you can see in the numbers, not just the headlines. In 2025, 1 in 10 adults reported doing no reading for leisure, a figure that sits in sharp contrast to the way book borrowing is still holding up. Let’s look at the full dataset to understand what’s driving that split and where reading habits are shifting next.
Related reading
Economy and Employment
1The median gross annual income for full-time workers in Reading was £38,500 in 2022
Directional
2Reading's employment rate for ages 16-64 was 75.8% in 2022, above the UK average of 74.6%
Verified
312.3% of Reading's workforce was in financial and insurance activities in 2021
Verified
4Average house price in Reading was £387,000 in 2023, up 4.2% from 2022
Directional
5Reading's GVA per hour worked was £42.60 in 2021, 18% above UK average
Single source
68.7% unemployment rate among 16-24 year olds in Reading in 2022
Verified
722.1% of Reading jobs were in professional, scientific, technical sectors in 2021
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8Reading's business density was 1,850 enterprises per 10,000 population in 2022
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915.4% of Reading's employed residents worked from home in 2021
Directional
10The ICT sector employed 14,200 people in Reading in 2022
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11Reading's claimant count was 3.2% in March 2023
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129.8% of Reading's workforce was self-employed in 2021
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13Finance sector contributed £2.1 billion to Reading's economy in 2021
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1428.5% of Reading residents aged 16-64 were in high-level occupations (managers, professionals) in 2021
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15Reading had 1,200 new business starts in 2022
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16Retail sector in Reading generated £1.8 billion turnover in 2022
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176.4% economic inactivity due to long-term sickness in Reading 2021
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18Reading's productivity growth was 1.2% annually 2017-2021
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1917.6% of jobs in Reading were part-time in 2021
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20Life sciences sector employed 3,500 in Thames Valley including Reading in 2022
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21Median hourly pay in Reading was £15.80 for full-time workers in 2022
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224.1% of Reading enterprises were high-tech in 2022
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23Tourism supported 2,800 jobs in Reading in 2019 pre-COVID
Directional
2411.2% growth in Reading's digital economy jobs 2018-2022
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25Reading's office vacancy rate was 7.5% in 2023
Single source
2625.3% of Reading's GDP from professional services in 2021
Verified
27Youth unemployment (18-24) in Reading was 9.5% in 2022
Single source
Economy and Employment Interpretation
Reading presents itself as a booming, high-skilled economic powerhouse, yet its glittering statistics on productivity and finance are tempered by a sobering reality check of unaffordable homes, a stubborn youth unemployment problem, and a notable share of its workforce too sick to work.
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Education and Skills
172% of Reading pupils achieved grade 4+ in English and Maths GCSEs in 2022
Directional
2Reading has 15 state-funded secondary schools with 12,450 pupils in 2023
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392.1% of Reading pupils achieved expected standards in reading at KS2 in 2019
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4University of Reading had 17,000 students in 2022/23
Single source
545.6% of Reading adults hold NVQ4+ qualifications in 2021, above England 38.2%
Single source
61 in 5 Reading children eligible for free school meals in 2022
Verified
7Reading College has 5,200 further education students annually
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885.3% attendance rate in Reading primary schools in 2022/23
Directional
928% of Reading's working-age population has no qualifications in 2021
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106.2% of Reading pupils had special educational needs without statement/EHC in 2022
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11Apprenticeships in Reading totalled 1,800 starts in 2021/22
Directional
1291% of Year 6 pupils in Reading met expected phonics standard in 2022
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1314 nursery schools in Reading serve 1,200 children under 5
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1437.4% progression to higher education from Reading schools in 2021
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15Reading's adult learning participation rate is 12.5% in community learning
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1682.6% of Reading KS4 pupils entered EBacc in 2022
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173,500 international students at University of Reading in 2023
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18Early years funding rate in Reading is £5.25 per hour for 3-4 year olds in 2023/24
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1968% of Reading adults engaged in lifelong learning in past 3 years per 2021 survey
Single source
20Pupil-teacher ratio in Reading secondary schools was 16.8:1 in 2022
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2175.2% of disadvantaged pupils in Reading achieved positive KS4 destination in 2021
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2222 independent schools in Reading with 4,100 pupils in 2023
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23Functional skills level 2 passes in Reading: 1,200 in English/maths 2021/22
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2494.2% literacy rate among Reading working-age adults in 2021
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258.1% NEET rate for 16-18 year olds in Reading 2022
Single source
261,100 higher education qualifications awarded at FE level in Reading 2021/22
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Education and Skills Interpretation
Reading presents a classic case of educational duality: impressive headline results mask deep inequalities, yet pockets of excellence persist across the city like stubborn, defiant weeds pushing through the cracks.
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Housing and Property
1Average Reading house price was £350,000 in 2021, up 8% from 2020
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262% of Reading dwellings are flats/maisonettes per 2021 Census
Single source
3Council tax band D in Reading Borough was £2,013.72 for 2023/24
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418,500 households on Reading's housing register in 2023
Directional
5Home ownership rate in Reading was 52.3% in 2021
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6Private rental sector comprises 33% of Reading housing stock in 2021
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71,200 affordable homes built in Reading 2018-2023
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8Overcrowding affected 4.5% of Reading households in 2021
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9Energy Performance Certificate average rating in Reading is C for dwellings
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107,200 social rented homes in Reading (12% of stock) in 2021
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11New build homes in Reading: 850 completions in 2022
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12Homelessness acceptances in Reading: 450 households in 2022/23
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13Average private rent for 2-bed in Reading: £1,350 pcm in 2023
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1425% of Reading homes built pre-1919
Verified
15Right to Buy sales in Reading: 120 properties in 2022
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16Fuel poverty rate in Reading: 12.4% of households in 2022
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172,300 void social housing properties repaired in Reading 2022/23
Directional
18Section 21 no-fault evictions: 180 in Reading courts 2022
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1968% of Reading households have central heating in 2021
Single source
20Housing waiting list decreased by 10% in Reading 2022-2023
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21Average time to re-let social homes in Reading: 25 days in 2023
Single source
2215% increase in Reading house prices Q1 2023 vs 2022
Directional
231,100 temporary accommodation households in Reading 2023
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2442% of Reading homes are leasehold
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25Disabled-adapted homes: 8% of Reading stock in 2021
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Housing and Property Interpretation
Reading paints a stark portrait of a town straining under its own success: while house prices soar and regeneration ticks along, a chasm widens between those comfortably buying flats and a massive, anxious queue of thousands waiting for affordable shelter, paying high rents in often inefficient homes, all under the shadow of potential no-fault eviction.
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Population and Demographics
1Reading's population in the 2021 Census was 161,263 residents, marking a 10.6% increase from 2011
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251.6% of Reading's population identified as White in the 2021 Census, down from 65.7% in 2011
Directional
324.9% of Reading residents were born outside the UK according to the 2021 Census, higher than the England average of 16.8%
Verified
4The median age in Reading was 34 years in 2021, compared to 40 for England overall
Directional
516.3% of Reading's population aged 16+ had no qualifications in 2021, below the national average of 18.1%
Verified
6Reading had 68,900 households in 2021, with an average household size of 2.3 people
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78.4% of Reading residents aged 16-74 were unemployed in 2021, slightly above England's 7.9% rate
Single source
8Females made up 49.2% of Reading's population in 2021, with males at 50.8%
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912.5% of Reading's population was aged 65+ in 2021, lower than England's 18.4%
Directional
1032.1% of households in Reading were single-person households in 2021
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11Reading's population density was 4,923 people per square kilometre in 2021
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126.8% of Reading residents had a limiting long-term illness in 2021
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1328.4% of Reading's population spoke a main language other than English in 2021
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14The proportion of Reading residents identifying as Asian was 25.6% in 2021
Directional
154.2% of Reading's population was Black or Black British in 2021 Census data
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16Reading's economically active population aged 16-74 was 77.2% in 2021
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1715.7% of Reading residents aged 16+ held a higher education qualification (Level 4+) in 2011, updated estimates suggest growth
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1822.3% of Reading's children aged 0-15 lived in lone-parent households in 2021
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19Reading had 2,100 centenarians or more projected by 2030 based on ONS trends
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209.1% of Reading population was of mixed ethnicity in 2021
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213.4% of Reading residents were students in 2021 Census
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22Reading's working-age population (16-64) comprised 69.8% in 2021
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237.2% of Reading households had dependent children in 2021
Directional
24The number of Polish speakers in Reading increased by 45% from 2011 to 2021
Directional
2511.3% of Reading's population had bad or very bad health in 2021
Single source
26Reading's population growth rate was 1.0% annually from 2011-2021
Single source
2718.7% of Reading residents were married in 2021
Single source
285.6% of Reading's population provided 50+ hours unpaid care weekly in 2021
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29Reading had 1,450 rough sleepers counted in 2022 Thames Valley snapshot
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3026.4% of Reading's population aged 3+ had English as additional language in 2021
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Population and Demographics Interpretation
Reading is a young, fast-growing, and increasingly diverse university town where a dynamic economy and highly qualified populace coexist with significant pockets of deprivation, housing pressure, and social need.
More related reading
Transport and Infrastructure
1Reading's railway station saw 12.5 million passenger entries/exits in 2019/20
Verified
2M4 motorway average daily traffic at Reading junction 11: 120,000 vehicles in 2022
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365% of Reading commuters travel by train to work per 2021 Census
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4Reading Buses carried 18 million passengers in 2022/23
Directional
5Cycle lanes total 50km in Reading Borough in 2023
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622% of Reading work trips by public transport in 2021
Single source
7Heathrow Airport accessible within 45 mins for 70% of Reading population
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81,200 electric vehicle charge points in Reading 2023
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9Average commute time from Reading: 28 minutes in 2021 Census
Directional
10Thames Valley Buses network covers 95% of Reading households
Directional
11Road casualties in Reading: 450 in 2022, down 15% from 2021
Single source
1215% modal share for cycling/walking in Reading city centre trips
Verified
13Elizabeth Line added 4 million annual passengers to Reading services post-2022
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14320km of footpaths in Reading's rights of way network
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15Congestion charge avoided but A329 traffic averages 45,000 vehicles/day
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1685 new bus shelters installed in Reading 2022-2023
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17Park & Ride usage: 500,000 passengers annually at Reading sites
Directional
187% growth in rail freight through Reading 2021-2022
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1928 EV car club bays in Reading via Co-wheels 2023
Directional
2012.3 million bike hire trips possible via Lime in Reading since 2021 launch
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21Flood resilience schemes protect 5,000 Reading properties along Thames
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2292% bus punctuality rate in Reading off-peak 2023
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23A33 relief road carries 60,000 vehicles daily
Directional
241,800 wheelchair-accessible taxis licensed in Reading 2023
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25Digital traffic signals reduce delays by 20% at 50 Reading junctions
Single source
Transport and Infrastructure Interpretation
Reading’s transport story is a bustling paradox of impressive trains and stubborn cars, where the future is arriving by rail and bike, but the present is still stuck in traffic.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
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
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Reading Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/reading-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Reading Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/reading-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Reading Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/reading-statistics.
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