Reading enjoyment among children and young people in the UK has fallen to its lowest level in two decades, with the decline particularly pronounced in teenage boys, according to new research.

While the past year saw boys’ reading enjoyment fall across most age groups – particularly among those aged 11 to 16 – girls’ enjoyment remained relatively stable or slightly improved.

The National Literacy Trust surveyed 114,970 children and young people aged five to 18 from UK schools about their reading habits as part of its Annual Literacy Survey.

Of girls aged eight to 18, 39.1% said they enjoyed reading in their free time, compared with 25.7% of boys. Girls were more likely to report reading for wellbeing and emotional support than boys, while boys and girls reported reading for curiosity purposes at similar levels.

Just one in three (32.7%) eight- to 18-year-olds reported enjoying reading “very much” or “quite a lot” this year. The 20 years since the survey began have seen a 36% fall in the number of children and young people who say they enjoy reading in their spare time. Meanwhile, the number of eight- to 18-year-olds who report reading something daily in their free time has halved in the last two decades, from 38.1% to 18.7%.

“This year’s data is once again stark,” said NLT CEO Jonathan Douglas. “We are witnessing the lowest levels of reading enjoyment and daily reading in a generation – a critical challenge for literacy, wellbeing and life chances. Children’s futures are being put at risk and joining forces across sectors to address the reading for pleasure crisis is essential”.

However, the research “also offers hope”, he said. Of those who do not enjoy reading, 38.1% said that they were more motivated to read when the material relates to a favourite film or TV series, while 37.1% said they would be motivated by finding books that match their interests or hobbies.

“This suggests linking reading text more explicitly to other media, particularly visual media, and emphasising how reading can help you to explore personal interests could support greater reading engagement in this group,” reads the report.

“Young people are still motivated to read when it connects to their interests, when they have choice, and when it feels relevant to their lives. We must meet young readers where they are” in order to “reignite a love of reading”, Douglas added.

Of those with the lowest reading enjoyment levels, 30.9% said they were motivated to read by seeing an interesting book cover or title.

Participating in a book club or group discussion was rated the least motivating factor by children who reported not enjoying reading, with just 2.7% saying a group would motivate them to read. These results challenge “some long-held assumptions about how to build a culture of reading”, states the report. “While these strategies may benefit avid readers, they may do little for those on the margins of literacy engagement.”

Differences in reading enjoyment between children based on socioeconomic background was “minimal”. Of eight- to 18-year-olds who do not receive free school meals, 33% reported enjoying reading in their free time, compared with 31% who do receive them.

Geographical differences did emerge, with 33.2% of eight- to 18-year-olds in England reporting enjoying reading in their free time, compared with 25.5% in Wales, 30.3% in Scotland, and 28.9% in Northern Ireland.