The Observatory of Culture and Communications of the Institut de la statistique du Québec produced a document resulting from the consultation of 2,750 people aged 15 and over.
Portrait and habits of the Quebec reader
In 2023, 25% of Quebecers aged 15 and over read books several times during the year and used the Internet to discover works. Among the preferred methods, 70% of readers perform keyword searches on search engines, 66% rely on recommendations from those around them, and 64% go to physical locations such as bookstores, stores or libraries to explore new titles.
The socio-demographic profile of book readers is clearly different from that of other types of cultural consumers. This group includes a greater proportion of women (65%) than men (51%), marking the greatest gender difference among different cultural products.
Level of education and qualifications
As for age, people aged 65 and over are proportionally more likely to be part of the book audience (62%) than those aged 30 to 44 or 45 to 64 (55% for both groups). Young people under 30 also represent a significant share (60%), with no significant difference from other age groups.
Education level also plays a role: people with a university degree are more likely to read (66%), compared to those with a college diploma (57%), high school diploma (53%), or no diploma (48%). Finally, people living outside metropolitan areas (53%) are less likely to be part of the book reading audience than those living in the Montreal area (60%) or in other metropolitan areas (61%).
The Internet, this catch-all
Furthermore, 46% of readers use streaming or sales service platforms to discover digital or audio books. Regarding reading habits, 49% read mainly in French, 25% in English and 24% in both languages, while 80% of readers choose Quebec books in French.
Note that 15% of people aged 15 and over read books every day or almost every day, 10% about once a week, 11% a few times a month and 21% a few times a year. However, according to 2023 data, a quarter (25%) of the Quebec population aged 15 and over reads books at least a few times a year and uses the Internet to discover them. The study therefore concerns the discovery practices of the Internet audience.
Quebec content in French, such as series, films, music and books, is not all as easily identifiable on non-Quebec streaming service platforms (PSD), the survey notes.
In fact, 60% of online audience members who search for Quebec series and films on these platforms believe that it is difficult to find them. This figure is comparatively lower for music, with 32% of users encountering this difficulty, and for books, where only 28% share this same perception. The full survey is available for viewing and/or downloading below.
Photo credits: ActuaLitté, CC BY SA 2.0
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