2030 Generation Reading Fewer Books... Spending Less Than 10,000 Won Per Month on Books

Statistics Korea Survey... Monthly Average Spending of 9,033 Won on Books

Statistics show that the average monthly amount spent on purchasing books by households in their 20s and 30s has fallen below 10,000 won for the first time.

According to the National Statistical Portal of Statistics Korea on the 29th, the average monthly expenditure on books for households with a head aged 30 or younger in the second quarter of this year was 9,033 won. This represents a 34.1% decrease compared to one year ago.

A statistical survey revealed that the average monthly expenditure on book purchases by households in their 20s and 30s fell below 10,000 won for the first time.
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This is the first time since related statistics began being compiled in 2006 that the monthly book expenditure of households in their 20s and 30s has dropped below 10,000 won. Until the mid-2000s, book spending remained in the 20,000 won range, but it first fell to the 10,000 won range in the second quarter of 2012 (19,668 won) and has continued to decline since then. In particular, from the third quarter of last year, spending decreased by around 20% for three consecutive quarters, and the decline widened in the second quarter, ultimately breaking the 10,000 won threshold.

In the second quarter of this year, households headed by people in their 40s were the only group to spend more than 10,000 won monthly on books. The average monthly book expenditure for households with a head in their 40s was 17,475 won, a 0.1% increase compared to one year ago. Except for households in their 40s, all other age groups spent less than 10,000 won on books, resulting in an overall average monthly book expenditure of 8,077 won for all households in the second quarter, a 10.4% decrease from 9,011 won one year earlier.

According to household trend statistics, 'book expenditure' includes only the cost of purchasing printed books, while purchases of e-books are counted under 'cultural service expenditure' along with game content. Therefore, the decline in book expenditure is analyzed as reflecting a generational shift where younger people obtain necessary information through mobile content such as e-books rather than printed materials like paper books.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Seoul Institute of Technology in November last year of 1,037 Seoul citizens found that 19.6% of respondents in their teens and 13.5% in their 20s considered watching videos on platforms like YouTube as a form of 'reading.'