Portugal‘s Book voucher Program Boosts Youth Reading, Reveals Mixed Results
A recent analysis of Portugal’s inaugural book voucher program, launched between November 2024 and July 2025, offers insights into youth reading habits and the challenges of fostering a national reading culture. The program provided a €20 voucher to young people born in 2005 and 2006, redeemable at physical bookstores.
While the program saw a strong uptake among those who did participate, overall engagement was limited. Only 21.6% (47,651) of the 220,000 eligible 18-year-olds collected a voucher, with 82.4% of those issued being used – leaving over 8,300 vouchers unclaimed.
The data reveals a clear preference for certain genres among voucher recipients.Young adult literature and manga proved especially popular, followed by fantasy, romance, and personal development titles, with a leaning towards translated works.Notably, titles like “Fifty Shades of Gray,” “The Little Prince,” and the “Tokyo Ghoul” manga series were frequently purchased. Interestingly, a critically important number of selections – including works by Ana Maria Magalhães, Isabel Alçada, and the “the Twins” collection by Enid Blyton – are typically recommended for readers up to age 11, suggesting some participants gravitated towards familiar childhood favorites.Portuguese authors like Ana Maria Magalhães, Isabel Alçada, Fernando Pessoa, josé Eduardo Agualusa, and Filipe Melo also saw notable interest.
The program demonstrated a strong gender disparity, with 64% of vouchers issued to females and 65% of those used by women. Participation was concentrated in larger bookstore chains (94% of voucher redemptions) and geographically uneven, with limited access in some regions. 128 bookstores, encompassing 306 outlets, participated, primarily located in Lisbon, porto, Braga, Setúbal, Leiria, and Coimbra.
Despite the limited overall participation, officials view the program as a success in encouraging bookstore visits and promoting reading diversity. Bruno Eiras, Deputy Director-general of the Directorate-General for Books, Archives, and Libraries (DGLAB), emphasized the program’s success in achieving its core goals.
Looking ahead, Culture Minister Margarida Balseiro Lopes announced a second edition in January, increasing the voucher amount to €30. This increase falls short of the €100 advocated by the Portuguese publishers and Booksellers Association (APEL),who argue a more significant incentive is needed to cultivate lasting reading habits.
This program’s launch coincides with broader trends in Portuguese reading habits. A 2024 study by Gfk revealed that 76% of Portuguese people read at least one book during the year, but only 58% purchased them. The average number of books read per person decreased slightly to 5.3, and among regular readers, the average dropped from 7.9 to 7.2. However, the study also highlighted that women and those aged 35-54 remain the most dedicated readers, while the 15-24 age group is showing the most significant growth in reading engagement.
