29
votes
Danish government has announced it will abolish a 25% sales tax on books, in an effort to combat a "reading crisis"
Link information
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- Title
- Denmark scraps book tax to combat "reading crisis"
- Published
- Aug 20 2025
- Word count
- 290 words
That's not bad but the crisis has a lot of other sources which require a lot of other strategies as well. Because while 25% tax does sound significant, it's probably too late for the teens who can't read. If we imagine it starts now with early childhood reading and board books, we should start to see an impact in a few years.
My province has a 10% tax rebate on books at the point of sale as well.
But honestly that has never impacted my decision to buy a book, let alone read a book. By the time I find myself browsing for a book, online or in person, the likelihood of me actually reading and being able to read has been decades in the making. And if I felt any sort of financial pressure to read at all, anything short of free (as in library) would be a hurdle. I'm more likely to read more as a result of more accessible library location and longer hours, home delivery of books, a not crappy digital borrowing system, and a better catalog of choices at the local library.
What's going on with Danish education that a quarter of teens can't read? But then again, apparently Denmark is doing well:
Adult skills in literacy and numeracy declining or stagnating in most OECD countries (OECD)
And
Results from 2022
The worldwide average has been declining since 2010s. And it's going to absolutely crater with kids and adults using AI for everything instead of reading for fun and doing work/assignments on their own.
My god. I thought that title was an exaggeration, but then this:
How is this possible?
I wonder what the sales tax rate is on most types of items. 25% seems really high, especially for books. I hope the American government doesn’t feel inspired by this.
We have 25% sales tax on everything basically. Newspapers and such are exempt.
Books are usually a small ticket item. A 25% tax on a $15 book isn't that significant in absolute numbers.
I don't know what the Danish book industry is like, but Dutch book associations/publishers agree on a national price cap on books. You can't publish books over a certain price point, depending on the size of the book, which ultimately means tax will never be a huge number.
Side note, Dutch tax on books is 9% but the point stands.
It is not unusual for a regular novel to sell for about €40, so 25% tax is certainly noticeable.
Tariffs are pretty much just a hidden sales tax on the consumer, this is US economic policy moving forward.
At least while Trump is in power
While I can point to a plethora of things wrong with our school system, I am not sure this is correct. I have seen it mentioned about 4th graders (10 year olds) though.
The wording "simple text" must be referring to something specific. I found this but that wording doesn't appear anywhere. There's a definition of what they're testing on page 6 (just skimmed through the pdf a little bit):
So I'm not sure what the article is on about either. Haven't dived that deep into it obviously but I couldn't find any source in any other article about this either. This article for example links to the OECD survey here but it seems like it's the wrong page they linked to? Not saying the figure is wrong, only that I haven't a clue because I could not find a source, and I also feel the wording "simple text" seems misleading.
Edit: now found this. It's from 2022 so I assume these articles are about 2025 surveys that have yet to be published..?
It would make sense though I guess, that reading proficiency of these kids is worse since 2022. Extremely simple language mostly when scrolling social media, playing video games, etc., plus going to school during covid definitely must have messed up these kids' abilities.
That "simple text" phrasing is still bothering me though. I'm hyperfixating a bit on it now but assuming the criteria are the same from this as to now, the definition from that link (seems to be identical to what I copy/pasted in Danish above) is not what I would call simple:
Hmm linked article has no further citation for "cannot understand a simple text".
The Pisa results for Denmark 2022 shows they're doing above average
So apparently 1/5 in 2022 didnt to level 2. Assuming further decline in the last few years, a quarter not getting to level 2 is possible? Depending on how the article defined a simple text:
Source for the following long details in pdf
details on level 2 vs level 1
Readers at Level 2 can identify the main idea in a piece of text of moderate length. They
can understand relationships or construe meaning within a limited part of the text when
the information is not prominent by producing basic inferences, and/or when the text(s)
include some distracting information.
They can select and access a page in a set based on explicit though sometimes complex
prompts, and locate one or more pieces of information based on multiple, partly implicit
criteria.
Readers at Level 2 can, when explicitly cued, reflect on the overall purpose, or on the
purpose of specific details, in texts of moderate length. They can reflect on simple visual or
typographical features. They can compare claims and evaluate the reasons supporting
them based on short, explicit statements.
Tasks at Level 2 may involve comparisons or contrasts based on a single feature in the text.
Typical reflective tasks at this level require readers to make a comparison or several
connections between the text and outside knowledge by drawing on personal experience
and attitudes.
Level 1a
Readers at Level 1a can understand the literal meaning of sentences or short passages.
Readers at this level can also recognise the main theme or the author’s purpose in a piece
of text about a familiar topic, and make a simple connection between several adjacent
pieces of information, or between the given information and their own prior knowledge.
They can select a relevant page from a small set based on simple prompts, and locate one
or more independent pieces of information within short texts.
Level 1a readers can reflect on the overall purpose and on the relative importance of
information (e.g. the main idea vs. non-essential detail) in simple texts containing explicit
cues.
Most tasks at this level contain explicit cues regarding what needs to be done, how to do it,
and where in the text(s) readers should focus their attention
While reading the article, I assumed that statement meant not being able to understand text, as in, words on a page. But it sounds like PISA means text as in, longer and more complex than a short passage. [Edit: it says "a simple text. Indefinite article.] So I guess in the end, it's me who struggles to understand a short passage.
I doubt this has much to do with a sales tax, people and especially young people do not read anymore due to being addicted to instant gratification via social media apps. Reading is an exercise in patience, the reward could be 10-40 hours away. The pacing is slow, the use of language becomes an art form, the goal isn't usually 'entertainment' (this is HIGHLY dependent on what one is reading, I'm referring mostly to Literature here). What can be done? Does anything need to be done? Does reading actually add something of value to the average persons life? Is reading 'young-adult romantic fantasy' any different from watching internet slop or brainless TV shows/movies? Those who want to seek out serious literature will still do so, but they have always been rare even among readers.
Losing the ability to understand what someone is trying to convey to you in writing is much worse an issue and will lead to large parts of the population unable to tell truth from fiction and being easily taken by swindlers.... sound familiar? It is already occurring.
Completely agree with your point. The other thing is that unlike what I, or you may see as a 'local' issue, it's not. It's a world wide phenomenon. Where that will take us, hard to say but it's darn scary.
The thing I have done, within my own circle is to ingrain the love of reading.
They should ban social media for kids if they want to make an impact.
We have something in Brazil called "registro módico" ("modest registry" maybe?). It makes shipping books via the post office much cheaper. Unfortunately, many of the books we buy today are shipped through private companies. I'm not sure if Amazon and other big sellers even allow you that shipping option. I didn't see it last time I checked.
I used registro módico to ship books I was selling before. I also got books like that from used book sellers.