A growing number of UK families are struggling to include reading in daily life, as new research reveals a sharp decline in shared reading between parents and young children.
Children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce has called for urgent national action to tackle what he described as a children’s “reading crisis” across Britain.
Speaking during a lecture at London’s Royal Institution, organised by children’s charity BookTrust, Cottrell-Boyce said children still love reading but families need greater support as economic and social pressures continue to grow.
He warned the UK is facing a wider crisis in children’s development, linking the issue to poverty, housing insecurity, loneliness and the decline of community services such as libraries and youth centres.
New figures released by BookTrust showed that daily shared reading among families with children aged up to eight fell from 60% in 2021 to just 49% in 2025 — a drop of 11%.
Despite this decline, children’s interest in books appears to remain strong. The proportion of children aged up to eight who said they like or love reading rose from 66% to 80% during the same period.
The research also highlighted growing concerns over children’s screen use, with 36% of parents and carers saying they worry about the amount of time their children spend on devices.
Among families with children under one year old, around 27% expressed concerns about screen exposure.
Nearly half of parents surveyed said shared reading helped reduce screen time, suggesting books continue to play an important role in helping families reconnect.
Cottrell-Boyce used the lecture, delivered during the National Year of Reading and marking the end of his two-year term as children’s laureate, to reflect on the success of his Reading Rights campaign.
The initiative aims to ensure all children have access to books and shared reading during their early years.
He also announced he will continue supporting the campaign as BookTrust’s new Reading Rights ambassador.
“Working with BookTrust over the last two years as children’s laureate has been a hugely rewarding experience,” he said.
“Launching the reading rights campaign is something very close to my heart as I’m truly passionate about making sure the transformative gift of reading is shared with every single child.”
He added: “We’ve worked with early learning centres, nurseries, schools and family hubs and the UK Government to make sure children have the best start in life with guidance from midwives, health visitors, early years professionals, families and communities.”
“I urge everyone to join our movement to ensure that every child has daily access to books and shared reading in their first seven years of life. It’s so important for their happiness, mental health, empathy and future opportunity.”
Annie Crombie, co-chief executive of BookTrust, said the findings demonstrate why urgent support for families is needed.
“Frank has spent the last two years making an extraordinary case for reading as a right, not a privilege,” she said.
“Our research shows why this matters now. Families value reading and children still love it, but daily shared reading is slipping because life is getting harder.”
She warned that inequalities would continue to widen without national action.
“Without support, inequalities will only grow. With Frank as our reading rights ambassador for BookTrust, we’ll be bringing partners together so that shared reading is built into the support families receive. Our children’s futures will only improve if we act collectively and early,” Crombie added.