Publishers: Mezzogiorno too poor in bookshops
A study by the Italian Publishers' Association (Aie) reveals that the South has 25% fewer facilities than the Centre-North
by Vera Viola
3' min read
3' min read
The citizens of the Mezzogiorno read less than their compatriots living in other areas of the country. They buy fewer books and there are fewer bookshops in their cities. In short, reading represents one of the many gaps between the North and the South of the country, and perhaps it is also at the origin of some economic differences.
The photograph taken by Aie (the Italian Publishers' Association), which portrays two very different Italies, provides numbers and useful indications for understanding a phenomenon with alarming contours. This is the result of a survey conducted with 4,500 interviews by Pepe Research, between October and November 2024, in the southern regions (including Abruzzo and Molise) and the islands. The sample is representative of the population over 15 years of age.The data on reading were put in relation with some other data collected on what are defined as 'reading infrastructures': presence of libraries and bookshops on the territory, absorption indexes of printed book sales, number of loans, presence of school libraries, Third Sector associations that organise reading promotion initiatives.
Let's start with the readers
.The question asked is as follows: 'Thinking about the last 12 months, did you happen to read in your spare time, at least in part, a book, an e-book or listen to an audio-book of any genre, not only fiction (such as a novel, a detective story, a comic book, a fantasy...) but also an essay, a manual, a guide or a cookbook, not for school or for your professional development? And if so, roughly how many? Do not consider books for study'.
The answers showed that, in the South and the islands, readers represent 62% of the population; while in the Centre North this percentage rises to 77% and the Italian average is 72%. If we then evaluate the individual regions, in Campania the readership is 64%, just above the southern average, followed by Sardinia with 63% in 2024. Sicily is at the bottom of the league table with 60%. It is consoling, however, to learn that the younger segments of the population in the South read more books, more e-books, and listen to more audiobooks.
If we then consider only printed books, i.e. those on paper, we find that, surprisingly, the percentages drop: southern readers account for only 58%, those in the Centre North drop to 73% and finally Italian readers stop at 68%. But these rates, predictably, are even lower when it comes to e-book reading: 25% South, 38% Centre North, 34% Italy.
