CHILDREN’S reading habits are at “crisis point” as the number enjoying books in their free time has plummeted to just one in three, a report reveals today.

Only 34.6 per cent of young people aged eight to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2024, down from 43.4 per cent in 2023, according to research by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) charity.

This is the lowest level recorded since the charity began the survey in 2005.