The second National Survey on Reading and Book Purchases has found that reading is becoming indispensable in modern Chinese life with the development of the economy and society.

Launched by a special survey organization, Beijing Shengtao Survey Company, in the second half of 2001, the survey selected 15 cities and counties differing in area and population for scientific multi-layer sampling. The 4,600 completed samples produced two million pieces of data. Using international social analysis software, the survey found some specialties in modern people's reading and book purchases.

Comprehensive Books Most Popular

Comparing to 1999, although literary and comprehensive books are still the most popular, economic books have moved from eighth to fourth in the popular book list, which shows that people pay more attention to the practical usage of a book than before. The list is comprehensive books first, literary works second, political and law books third, economic books fourth and cultural and medical books fifth.

The further survey on literary, life, children, technology and foreign language books found that documentary writings have replaced works written by Jing Yong and Qiong Yao atop the literary works list, and books of daily-life knowledge, children's foreign language study and medical knowledge top their respective categories of life, children's and technology books.

Gender Differences

Daily life-related, culture and entertainment and literature are three kinds of most popular magazines, followed by news and politics. Women prefer life-related, literature and culture and entertainment, while natural science, social science, news and politics and business management are men's favorites.

Reading Online Minimal

Although people reading online doubled in the past two years, this still accounts for only 7.5 percent of the total, and most of them are young people, showing that reading online cannot challenge traditional reading habits. On the other hand, books and magazines are listed in first and third places in online purchase, so they may be the key to success in e-business.

10 Yuan (US$1.2) a Proper Price for Audio-visual Products

The survey found the market for audio-visual products stood at 25.2 billion yuan (US$3 billion), accounting for 31 percent of the publishing market, and the market for VCDs, DVDs and FD's is increasing rapidly. Shops are the main source of audio-visual purchasing, while vendors are the second source. The survey also found that 10 yuan (US$1.2) is the highest price for most people to buy such products.

(china.org.cn by Feng Yikun, July 3 , 2002)