WASHINGTON, April 6 (UPI) -- Increasing ownership of tablet computers and e-book readers is matched by increases in the percentage of adults reading e-books, a U.S. poll found.
In a February survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 21 percent of adults said they had read an e-book in the last year, compared to 17 percent who reported doing so in December.
The rise paralleled a major increase in ownership of e-readers during December's holiday gift-giving season, Pew reported.
The poll also found that people who read e-books read more than those without such devices, with the average reader of e-books reading 24 books in the past 12 months compared with an average of 15 books by a non-e-book consumer.
Despite the growth of e-books, printed books remain the predominant format for book readers, the Pew research found.
In a December 2011 survey, 72 percent of American adults said they had read a printed book compared with the 17 percent who had read an e-book, while 11 percent said they had listened to an audio book.
