The inaugural edition of the book voucher program took place between November 4, 2024, and July 15, 2025, and involved providing a personal, non-transferable voucher worth 20 euros to young people born in 2005 and 2006 for purchasing books at physical bookstores.
An analysis of the books purchased by these young people shows a broad diversity of genres and authors, with a significant focus on young adult literature and manga, followed by fantasy, romance, and personal development titles, mainly by translated authors, stated Bruno Eiras, deputy director-general of the Directorate-General for Books, Archives, and Libraries (DGLAB).
“The predominance of young females in accessing the program was quite evident,” both in terms of vouchers issued (64%) and used (65%), according to the same overview.
The most notable Portuguese-language authors included Ana Maria Magalhães and Isabel Alçada, Fernando Pessoa, José Eduardo Agualusa, and Filipe Melo.
Among the most sought-after titles were the erotic romance “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “The Little Prince,” and collections such as “The Twins” (by Enid Blyton) and the manga “Tokyo Ghoul.”
Even though the vouchers were aimed at 18-year-olds, several of the most chosen works – such as those by Ana Maria Magalhães and Isabel Alçada or the “The Twins” collection – are recommended by the National Reading Plan (PNL) for children up to 11 years, highlighting a preference among some young participants for childhood-associated readings.
The data shows that over the nine-month program, only one in five eligible youths collected the book voucher.
DGLAB’s assessment indicated that 47,651 vouchers were issued, representing about 21.6% of the 220,000 eligible young people, and of the total issued vouchers, 39,270 were used, reflecting 82.4%, leaving 8,381 unused.
From an operational viewpoint, 128 bookstores participated in the program, totaling 306 outlets, with a higher concentration in Lisbon and Porto, followed by Braga, Setúbal, Leiria, and Coimbra.
The majority of voucher uses (94%) took place in large bookstore chains.
The first edition identified significant geographical disparities in access to participating bookstores by the young, as in some regions, participation was minimal.
“Nonetheless, from a broader perspective, we highlight the great diversity of genres and authors selected, alongside the encouragement to read and the visits to bookstores by young people, which were the main goals of the first edition of the book voucher program,” added Bruno Eiras.
This week, Culture Minister Margarida Balseiro Lopes announced in parliament that the second edition of the book voucher program would begin in January, with the amount increasing from 20 to 30 euros, still far below the 100 euros advocated by the Portuguese Publishers and Booksellers Association (APEL), which argues that it takes more than a book to cultivate reading habits.
A study on reading habits in Portugal for 2024, conducted by the independent consultant Gfk and presented by APEL in September, revealed that 76% of Portuguese people claimed to have read at least one book that year, but only 58% had bought them.
The average number of books read per person decreased to 5.3 (down from 5.6 the previous year), and among readers, the average number of books read also dropped, from 7.9 in 2023 to 7.2 in 2024.
Women and individuals between 35 and 54 years old remain among the most loyal readers, with the 25 to 34 age group showing the highest reading index. The most significant increase in reading engagement is among 15 to 24-year-olds.
