Less than half of adults in the country were found to have read at least one book in the past year.

According to the culture ministry's survey of six-thousand adults on Friday, 47-point-five percent of respondents said they read at least one book between September 2020 and August 2021, down eight-point-two percentage points from 2019.

Those who read at least one book were found to have read an average four-point-five books during the 12-month period, three books less than 2019.

In a separate survey of three-thousand-320 students in fourth grade to high school, the reading rate was 91-point-four percent, down zero-point-seven percent from 2019. The students read an average 34-point-four books a year, also down by six-point-six books.

Asked about factors that deter reading, 26-point-five percent of adults said there just isn't enough time, while another 26-point-two percent said they consume other forms of media. Among students, 23-point-seven percent said they more frequently resort to smartphones, television and online games.