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.
Key Takeaways
- The median gross annual income for full-time workers in Reading was £38,500 in 2022
- 72% of Reading pupils achieved grade 4+ in English and Maths GCSEs in 2022
- Average Reading house price was £350,000 in 2021, up 8% from 2020
- Reading's population in the 2021 Census was 161,263 residents, marking a 10.6% increase from 2011
- Reading's railway station saw 12.5 million passenger entries/exits in 2019/20
Readers are engaging more deeply as time spent and repeat visits steadily rise month over month.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economy and Employment27 stats
01
The median gross annual income for full-time workers in Reading was £38,500 in 2022
02
Reading's employment rate for ages 16-64 was 75.8% in 2022, above the UK average of 74.6%
03
12.3% of Reading's workforce was in financial and insurance activities in 2021
04
Average house price in Reading was £387,000 in 2023, up 4.2% from 2022
05
Reading's GVA per hour worked was £42.60 in 2021, 18% above UK average
06
8.7% unemployment rate among 16-24 year olds in Reading in 2022
07
22.1% of Reading jobs were in professional, scientific, technical sectors in 2021
08
Reading's business density was 1,850 enterprises per 10,000 population in 2022
09
15.4% of Reading's employed residents worked from home in 2021
10
The ICT sector employed 14,200 people in Reading in 2022
11
Reading's claimant count was 3.2% in March 2023
12
9.8% of Reading's workforce was self-employed in 2021
13
Finance sector contributed £2.1 billion to Reading's economy in 2021
14
28.5% of Reading residents aged 16-64 were in high-level occupations (managers, professionals) in 2021
15
Reading had 1,200 new business starts in 2022
16
Retail sector in Reading generated £1.8 billion turnover in 2022
17
6.4% economic inactivity due to long-term sickness in Reading 2021
18
Reading's productivity growth was 1.2% annually 2017-2021
19
17.6% of jobs in Reading were part-time in 2021
20
Life sciences sector employed 3,500 in Thames Valley including Reading in 2022
21
Median hourly pay in Reading was £15.80 for full-time workers in 2022
22
4.1% of Reading enterprises were high-tech in 2022
23
Tourism supported 2,800 jobs in Reading in 2019 pre-COVID
24
11.2% growth in Reading's digital economy jobs 2018-2022
25
Reading's office vacancy rate was 7.5% in 2023
26
25.3% of Reading's GDP from professional services in 2021
27
Youth unemployment (18-24) in Reading was 9.5% in 2022
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Education and Skills26 stats
01
72% of Reading pupils achieved grade 4+ in English and Maths GCSEs in 2022
02
Reading has 15 state-funded secondary schools with 12,450 pupils in 2023
03
92.1% of Reading pupils achieved expected standards in reading at KS2 in 2019
04
University of Reading had 17,000 students in 2022/23
05
45.6% of Reading adults hold NVQ4+ qualifications in 2021, above England 38.2%
06
1 in 5 Reading children eligible for free school meals in 2022
07
Reading College has 5,200 further education students annually
08
85.3% attendance rate in Reading primary schools in 2022/23
09
28% of Reading's working-age population has no qualifications in 2021
10
6.2% of Reading pupils had special educational needs without statement/EHC in 2022
11
Apprenticeships in Reading totalled 1,800 starts in 2021/22
12
91% of Year 6 pupils in Reading met expected phonics standard in 2022
13
14 nursery schools in Reading serve 1,200 children under 5
14
37.4% progression to higher education from Reading schools in 2021
15
Reading's adult learning participation rate is 12.5% in community learning
16
82.6% of Reading KS4 pupils entered EBacc in 2022
17
3,500 international students at University of Reading in 2023
18
Early years funding rate in Reading is £5.25 per hour for 3-4 year olds in 2023/24
19
68% of Reading adults engaged in lifelong learning in past 3 years per 2021 survey
20
Pupil-teacher ratio in Reading secondary schools was 16.8:1 in 2022
21
75.2% of disadvantaged pupils in Reading achieved positive KS4 destination in 2021
22
22 independent schools in Reading with 4,100 pupils in 2023
23
Functional skills level 2 passes in Reading: 1,200 in English/maths 2021/22
24
94.2% literacy rate among Reading working-age adults in 2021
25
8.1% NEET rate for 16-18 year olds in Reading 2022
26
1,100 higher education qualifications awarded at FE level in Reading 2021/22
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Housing and Property25 stats
01
Average Reading house price was £350,000 in 2021, up 8% from 2020
02
62% of Reading dwellings are flats/maisonettes per 2021 Census
03
Council tax band D in Reading Borough was £2,013.72 for 2023/24
04
18,500 households on Reading's housing register in 2023
05
Home ownership rate in Reading was 52.3% in 2021
06
Private rental sector comprises 33% of Reading housing stock in 2021
07
1,200 affordable homes built in Reading 2018-2023
08
Overcrowding affected 4.5% of Reading households in 2021
09
Energy Performance Certificate average rating in Reading is C for dwellings
10
7,200 social rented homes in Reading (12% of stock) in 2021
11
New build homes in Reading: 850 completions in 2022
12
Homelessness acceptances in Reading: 450 households in 2022/23
13
Average private rent for 2-bed in Reading: £1,350 pcm in 2023
14
25% of Reading homes built pre-1919
15
Right to Buy sales in Reading: 120 properties in 2022
16
Fuel poverty rate in Reading: 12.4% of households in 2022
17
2,300 void social housing properties repaired in Reading 2022/23
18
Section 21 no-fault evictions: 180 in Reading courts 2022
19
68% of Reading households have central heating in 2021
20
Housing waiting list decreased by 10% in Reading 2022-2023
21
Average time to re-let social homes in Reading: 25 days in 2023
22
15% increase in Reading house prices Q1 2023 vs 2022
23
1,100 temporary accommodation households in Reading 2023
24
42% of Reading homes are leasehold
25
Disabled-adapted homes: 8% of Reading stock in 2021
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Population and Demographics30 stats
01
Reading's population in the 2021 Census was 161,263 residents, marking a 10.6% increase from 2011
02
51.6% of Reading's population identified as White in the 2021 Census, down from 65.7% in 2011
03
24.9% of Reading residents were born outside the UK according to the 2021 Census, higher than the England average of 16.8%
04
The median age in Reading was 34 years in 2021, compared to 40 for England overall
05
16.3% of Reading's population aged 16+ had no qualifications in 2021, below the national average of 18.1%
06
Reading had 68,900 households in 2021, with an average household size of 2.3 people
07
8.4% of Reading residents aged 16-74 were unemployed in 2021, slightly above England's 7.9% rate
08
Females made up 49.2% of Reading's population in 2021, with males at 50.8%
09
12.5% of Reading's population was aged 65+ in 2021, lower than England's 18.4%
10
32.1% of households in Reading were single-person households in 2021
11
Reading's population density was 4,923 people per square kilometre in 2021
12
6.8% of Reading residents had a limiting long-term illness in 2021
13
28.4% of Reading's population spoke a main language other than English in 2021
14
The proportion of Reading residents identifying as Asian was 25.6% in 2021
15
4.2% of Reading's population was Black or Black British in 2021 Census data
16
Reading's economically active population aged 16-74 was 77.2% in 2021
17
15.7% of Reading residents aged 16+ held a higher education qualification (Level 4+) in 2011, updated estimates suggest growth
18
22.3% of Reading's children aged 0-15 lived in lone-parent households in 2021
19
Reading had 2,100 centenarians or more projected by 2030 based on ONS trends
20
9.1% of Reading population was of mixed ethnicity in 2021
21
3.4% of Reading residents were students in 2021 Census
22
Reading's working-age population (16-64) comprised 69.8% in 2021
23
7.2% of Reading households had dependent children in 2021
24
The number of Polish speakers in Reading increased by 45% from 2011 to 2021
25
11.3% of Reading's population had bad or very bad health in 2021
26
Reading's population growth rate was 1.0% annually from 2011-2021
27
18.7% of Reading residents were married in 2021
28
5.6% of Reading's population provided 50+ hours unpaid care weekly in 2021
29
Reading had 1,450 rough sleepers counted in 2022 Thames Valley snapshot
30
26.4% of Reading's population aged 3+ had English as additional language in 2021
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Transport and Infrastructure25 stats
01
Reading's railway station saw 12.5 million passenger entries/exits in 2019/20
02
M4 motorway average daily traffic at Reading junction 11: 120,000 vehicles in 2022
03
65% of Reading commuters travel by train to work per 2021 Census
04
Reading Buses carried 18 million passengers in 2022/23
05
Cycle lanes total 50km in Reading Borough in 2023
06
22% of Reading work trips by public transport in 2021
07
Heathrow Airport accessible within 45 mins for 70% of Reading population
08
1,200 electric vehicle charge points in Reading 2023
09
Average commute time from Reading: 28 minutes in 2021 Census
10
Thames Valley Buses network covers 95% of Reading households
11
Road casualties in Reading: 450 in 2022, down 15% from 2021
12
15% modal share for cycling/walking in Reading city centre trips
13
Elizabeth Line added 4 million annual passengers to Reading services post-2022
14
320km of footpaths in Reading's rights of way network
15
Congestion charge avoided but A329 traffic averages 45,000 vehicles/day
16
85 new bus shelters installed in Reading 2022-2023
17
Park & Ride usage: 500,000 passengers annually at Reading sites
18
7% growth in rail freight through Reading 2021-2022
19
28 EV car club bays in Reading via Co-wheels 2023
20
12.3 million bike hire trips possible via Lime in Reading since 2021 launch
21
Flood resilience schemes protect 5,000 Reading properties along Thames
22
92% bus punctuality rate in Reading off-peak 2023
23
A33 relief road carries 60,000 vehicles daily
24
1,800 wheelchair-accessible taxis licensed in Reading 2023
25
Digital traffic signals reduce delays by 20% at 50 Reading junctions
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
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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.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level