Denmark removes 25% tax on books for a “alarming” reading crisis “

Published on 22/08/2025 – 8:57 UTC+2

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Denmark turns the page on one of the highest books in the world.

The government has announced that it would abolish the 25 % sales tax on books. Meanwhile, a measure intended to counter what the authorities call one “reading crisis“Who keeps getting worse.

The Danish Minister of Culture. However, Jacob Engel-Schmidt, said that he hoped that this change would lead to an increase in the number of livres sold. However, The plan will cost the State around 330 million crowns (44 million euros) per year. Meanwhile, but the Minister says it is an investment in the country’s cultural future.

“As Minister of Culture. I worked denmark removes 25% tax books in this direction, because I think we have to put everything into play if we want to end the reading crisis which unfortunately has spread in recent years“He told the Ritzau news agency.

He added: “I am incredibly proud. It is not every day that we manage to convince our colleagues that such important sums should be devoted to investment in consumption. culture of the Danes“.

This decision follows the publication of statistics alarming on the ‘OECD Literacy (Organization for Economic Cooperation. Development), which indicates that a 15 -year -old Danish cannot understand a simple text – a figure that Jacob Engel -Schmidt admits to being “shocking“.

Surveys also reveal a drop in the level of reading among adolescents. which experts put on the account of a shorter duration of attention and incessant and addictive distractions of digital life.

If Denmark has so far kept 25 % VAT on denmark removes 25% tax books books, its Nordic neighbors have long been clever with regard to readers. In Finland, books are taxed at 14 %, in Sweden at only 6 % and in Norway, they are fully exempt from taxes. In France it is 5.5%.