Survey finds readers still prefer books

A survey of 4,569 Shanghai residents has found that 53.3 percent prefer reading books to reading digitally, though the latter has jumped in popularity this year, local media reported Thursday.

The proportion of people who prefer reading on devices like tablet computers and e-readers was up 14.6 percentage points from the previous year's survey, according to a press release from the Shanghai Municipal Press and Publication Bureau, which published the survey.

About 81.25 percent of respondents said reading was important to them. Nearly 58 percent said reading's biggest benefit was that it broadened their horizons.

The five most popular categories of books were fiction, history, daily life tips, economics and psychology.

Most respondents spent 15 to 60 minutes reading each day, the press release said.

About 40.1 percent of respondents read one to three books a year. About half as many read four to six books a year, according to a report in the Shanghai Morning Post.

About 10 percent of respondents reported that they do not read.

The survey found that most respondents have a limited budget for reading. About 40 percent spend 50 yuan ($8.18) to 200 yuan a year on books and 16 percent spend less than 20 yuan a year. The majority of readers stick to free reading materials.