Exclusive: Australia's reading rate is dropping, especially among young men, but hope is not lost according to a nine.com.au reader poll.

Of 480 respondents*, more than 60 per cent said they had already read at least one book in 2026.

Close to a third had read four or more books in the first seven weeks of the year, but nearly 40 per cent said they'd not finished a single book.

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More than one in three respondents also said they read every day for leisure, while 14 per cent said they did it weekly.

Some people said audiobooks and e-books had made it easier for them to make time to read in their busy lives.

"I no longer read physical books, I prefer to use audio books," one said.

"There's nothing better than lying in bed in winter snuggled up listening to a good book and earphones mean you can enjoy a good 'read' almost anywhere."

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