Children's enjoyment of writing halves in 15 years

Only a quarter of children and young people aged 8 to 18 enjoy writing in their free time, according to new research by the National Literacy Trust (NLT). Levels of writing enjoyment have almost halved over the past 15 years, particularly among primary-aged children.

This report, Children and Young People's Writing 2025, is based on 114,970 responses to the NLT's Annual Literacy Survey from children and young people aged 5 to 18 in schools across the UK in early 2025. Findings show that writing enjoyment levels are at their lowest since 2010.

The survey's authors said, "Writing is more than just a skill - it's also a powerful tool for thinking, communication, and self-expression." The report, which explores children and young people's writing enjoyment in their free time, paints a troubling picture of declining enjoyment, motivation and habits, said its authors, with concerning long-term implications for learning and literacy outcomes.

2025 Annual Literacy Survey key findings:

Only 1 in 4 (26.6%) young people aged 8 to 18 say they enjoy writing in their free time. This marks a near halving of writing enjoyment over the past 15 years. Daily writing habits have similarly declined, with just 1 in 10 (10.4%) writing something in their free time each day.

Enjoyment levels dropped for all children and young people in 2025, but the decline was particularly pronounced for primary-aged children, with enjoyment in this group dropping by 6 percentage points over the last year.

Continuing a 15-year trend, more children and young people receiving free school meals (FSMs) enjoyed writing than their non-FSM peers (31.1% vs 25.0%).

Just 1 in 10 (10.4%) children and young people wrote something daily in their free time. Daily writing levels stabilised somewhat over the last year, decreasing by 0.7 percentage points between 2024 and 2025, after halving between 2023 and 2024. They are, however, at historically low levels in 2025, as part of a sustained downward trend.

Daily writing is found to decline with age.  While 2 in 5 children aged 5 to 8 wrote daily in their free time, just 1 in 10 of those aged 11 and older did so.

Why do children and young people write for pleasure?

The survey identified that for those students who do write daily in their free time, writing is not just about academic success, it is a deeply personal, expressive act tied to creativity, emotional wellbeing, and identity. Of the children and young people aged 8 to 18 who wrote at least once a month, 1 in 2 (48.7%) did so to be creative, while more than 2 in 5 wrote to express their ideas and imagination (45.8%) or their thoughts and feelings (40.8%).

Many also wrote to support their mental wellbeing, with 2 in 5 (37.0%) writing to relax and 3 in 10 (31.4%) because it made them feel happy. This gives a way in to finding what can be done to nurture the next generation's love of writing, and to engage with their motivations.

How do we motivate writing for pleasure?

The survey identifies that, among those who don't enjoy writing, there are signs of what might spark re-engagement. Having more autonomy and choosing their own topics or formats is especially motivating, as is responding to inspiring prompts or writing about personal experiences. 

Teenagers are harder to reach and tend to respond less strongly to both creative and social motivators, although personal relevance has some impact.

The report's authors add: "Findings show that the writing crisis among children and young people in the UK continues into 2025, with writing and frequency at an unprecedented low. This deepening disengagement has concerning long-term implications for literacy and learning. While there is no single solution, it is clear that writing enjoyment must be positioned as a meaningful, personal and empowering part of children and young people's lives."

Download the full report: Children and Young People's Writing 2025