New Data Shows 48% of Japanese Teenage Girls Read Manga Digitally, Compared to Just 28% of Boys

Manga has long been one of Japan’s defining forms of youth entertainment, but new readership data suggests the medium is no longer reaching teenagers at the same rate it once did. According to figures from the 2025 E-Book Business Report, shared by researcher Ichishi Iida, teenage girls are now significantly more likely than teenage boys to report reading manga, particularly through digital platforms. The figures indicate that around 35% of teenage boys read print manga, while 28% consume manga digitally.…