Average number of books owned by children in Ireland falls to just 23

File image of boy and girl reading a book Alamy Stock Photo Children's Books Ireland The average book ownership figure was 30 in 2023. THE AVERAGE NUMBER of books owned by a child on the island of Ireland has dropped to just 23. That’s a drop of seven from just two years previous, in 2023, when the figure stood at 30. The findings were published today in the annual report of charity and arts organisation Children’s Books Ireland. This year’s report was extended to include Northern Ireland for an overall picture of behaviours and attitudes to reading across the whole island of Ireland. The report is based on data collected in December 2025 in a nationally representative online survey and the findings capture data for some 1,197 children. While the average book ownership figure for children