Do Women Read More Than Men?

Who’s more social about their reading, men or women? You can tell by looking at bookstagrammers, who are usually women.

In modern times, a fierce debate has raged between the sexes: Who does it better, men or women?

This debate has found a voice in almost all areas of human life: sports, politics, careers, and even parenting. So it should come as no surprise that we are asking, “Who reads more, men or women?”

Let’s jump in.

The Goodreads Evidence

According to Goodreads, the answer might seem to be a resounding yes! Goodreads is a social media platform that helps readers find books they might be interested in, rate them, write reviews, and connect with other readers. The platform has a Community feature that shows each country’s top readers and reviewers.

Since we are Afrocentric, we decided to check out Nigeria’s all-time top 100 readers. A majority of readers on the list were women. So do Nigerian women read more than Nigerian men? The numbers say yes.

But something interesting happened when we checked out the top readers worldwide. The top three readers appeared to be men.

However, a word of warning. Not all readers are members of Goodreads. And not all members of Goodreads are reliable when it comes to updating how many books they’ve read.

Where do we turn to if Goodreads can’t give us a conclusive answer? I’ll bet that about seven will tell you women read more than out of every ten persons you ask. As a matter of fact, we actually did a poll on Instagram.

The Stereotype

A controversial stereotype can explain the results of the polls above: Men are generally seen as more physically active and outdoorsy and, therefore, less likely to be found sitting down reading a book.

Another factor to consider is that reading is a primarily indoor activity that is often done alone. So it’s almost impossible to tell who reads more.

The Bookstagram Evidence

Who’s more social about their reading, men or women?

This is an easy one. You can tell by just looking at bookstagrammers, who are usually women. At least the popular ones are.

The Genre Divide

Then there’s another divide: Fiction and nonfiction. It is a personal opinion that people who read nonfiction are in an entirely different class.

Most readers here might not necessarily read for pleasure. Nonfiction includes biographies, history, business, and self-development. For this reason, you are more likely to find men dominating this group.

Why?

Well, it’s no secret that men are more common in career spaces and, therefore, are likely to read more in pursuit of growth and development.

The Verdict

Who reads more? Women or men? Honestly, it doesn’t matter. We don’t need that comparison here.

Reading is a pleasurable activity enjoyed by all, old and young, and across all nationalities and cultures.