The Story Report: The European State Of Reading

StoryTel Group recently released their 2026 Story Report. 

Who are the StoryTel Group? From their "About Us" page:

We are a storytelling company. Driven by our purpose – “Leading the future of storytelling, we move the world through stories” – Storytel Group inspires and entertains people around the world by blending innovation with tradition. We bring stories to life across various formats for everyone to discover. Anytime. Anywhere.

The Group consists of two business areas: Streaming and Publishing. Our streaming service is one of the leading subscription-based audio and e-book services, and offers listening and reading of more than 1.8 million titles in 55+ languages to nearly 2.7 million subscribers under the brands Storytel, Mofibo, and Audiobooks.com.Through our publishing operations, we bring high-quality stories from outstanding authors across a wide range of genres via prestigious publishers such as Bokfabriken, Gummerus, Lind & Co, Norstedts Publishing Group, People’s, Storyside and Overamstel. Storytel Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

Their 2026 Story Report was commissioned by Storytel and conducted by Trackit Insight, a Stockholm-based independent research and insights agency specialising in human-driven consumer data. The survey was designed to explore the relationship between consumption of stories, audiobook habits and wellbeing across five European markets. Data were collected through online panel interviews in April 2026, with a total of 5,077 respondents across Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland and Bulgaria — approximately 1,000 per market. Respondents were aged 18–79 years and samples were representative of each national population. Panel recruitment and data collection were carried out by Norstat in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Poland, and by JTN Research in Bulgaria.

From the introductory letter by the CEO:

The Quiet Power of the Story

Today’s world can feel overwhelming, with its constant stream of notifications, screens, and the persistent pressure to be productive. At Storytel Group, we have always believed that stories are more than just entertainment – they are a sanctuary.

This year, we conducted research to better understand the impact that stories have on our daily lives.

Our findings are clear: whether you are on a busy commute, doing household chores, or taking a quiet moment before sleep, stories offer a powerful way to restore your wellbeing. From finding peace during a long journey to using audiobooks as a screen-free way to spark a child’s imagination, the pattern is unmistakable: stories help us pause and recharge. Most importantly, our research shows that the more we read or listen – regardless format – the better we feel. Regular reading and listening are consistently linked to higher levels of personal wellbeing.

We don’t just read to escape our busy lives; we read to enrich our lives. This report confirms the meaningful impact of books in all formats as a daily habit.

Bodil Eriksson Torp

CEO Storytel Group

Click through to access the full PDF. It is a fascinating look at 5 European reading markets. 

Yes I know that a majority of my readers are in North America, but it is always good to cross reference reader data here and other places because we are all humans and a lot of the takeaways here are about how reading improves overall wellness.

I also thought this was be a great time to remind you of two recent reports about the state of reading and readers here in America, studies which I wrote about at the end of 2025. 

• 2025 YouGov poll on American Reading Habits
• 2026 Everabd 2026 State of Reading

Now you can add the Story Report to these other two. When you compare all three, notice the overlap because that is where some universal reading truths about reading at this moment in history are revealed.