The annual reading rate among adults in South Korea plunged to a new record low of 43 percent last year.

According to the culture ministry's 2023 survey results on Thursday, 43 percent of adults in the country had read in writing or via audio at least one book, an all-time low since 1994, when the reading rate stood at 86-point-eight percent.

The number of books read in a year also fell point-six from 2021 to three-point-nine last year, with an average daily reading time of 18-point-five minutes on weekdays and 25 minutes during weekends.

Age and income seemingly had an effect on one's reading habits, with the reading rate standing at 74-point-five percent among those in their 20s, compared to 15-point-seven percent among those in their 60s and older.

The rate among those with an average monthly income of five million won or more stood at 54-point-seven percent, compared to nine-point-eight percent among those earning less than two million won.