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VCIOM Poll: Fiction Overtakes Social Media as Russians’ Top Reading Choice

A VCIOM phone poll of 1,600 adults reports weekly reading is widespread with a clear tilt to paper formats.

Overview

  • Fiction leads reported reading at 40%, ahead of scientific literature (37%), news (29%) and social-media posts (22%), marking a roughly 5‑point rise for fiction since 2020.
  • Eighty-seven percent said they read something in the past week, and respondents average about six books over three months.
  • Print remains dominant at 71% while 40% read on phones, reflecting a hybrid pattern VCIOM says is becoming routine.
  • Two-thirds say they like reading, yet reading for self-development (57%) and for pleasure (40%) show declines compared with 2022.
  • Interest in “scientific” reading is high at 66%, though VCIOM cautions respondents often include popular, professional or educational texts; men cite history/art more often, and younger readers favor fantasy, classics and psychology.