ZAGREB, 23 AprilВ (Hina) -В About 44% of people in Croatia read at least one book in the past year, up from 37% a year earlier, according to a surveyВ presented at the opening of the Night of Books at the National and University Library in Zagreb.

The figure returns reading levels to those seen in 2020-2021.

Culture Minister Nina Obuljen KorЕѕinek welcomed the rise but said more work is needed to promote reading and literacy.

She highlighted continued investment across the book sector, including around €5.5 million for 33 projects within a €35 million programme for cultural and creative industries.

The survey shows women, higher-income and highly educated citizens read more, as do residents of Zagreb and regions like Istria, Croatian Littoral and Gorski Kotar.

Books are most often bought (46%) or borrowed from libraries (40%), while one in four citizens receive them as gifts. One in four citizens bought a book in the past three months, though overall sales remain flat.

Online book purchases rose from 20% to 26%, especially among under-45s, while reading online content continues to grow, now reaching 77%.

E-books are read by 9% of respondents but purchased by just 1%.

Fiction remains the most popular genre. Borrowing from friends is declining, while 10% of readers photocopy or download books. AboutВ 17% attend book promotions and 16% visit book fairs, with satisfaction with library services increasing.

The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,000 respondents in March.