Denmark is set to scrap VAT on books in an effort to boost reading and tackle what authorities call a growing "reading crisis".
At a rate of 25%, Denmark's tax on books is currently among the highest in the world, a policy that, according to the government, has negatively affected citizens' reading habits.
Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt announced on Wednesday that as part of the new draft budget, the government will propose abolishing VAT on books. The measure is expected to cost around 330 million Danish kroner (about £38 million) a year.
"This is an initiative that I have personally fought for, because I believe that we must do everything we can to end the reading crisis that has taken hold in recent years," Engel-Schmidt told the Ritzau news agency.
He added:
"It's not every day you convince your colleagues to invest so much in culture and local consumption."
Unlike Denmark, other Scandinavian countries apply lower rates to books: Finland 14%, Sweden 6% and Norway zero VAT. Sweden, for example, lowered the tax on books in 2001, causing an immediate increase in sales, although, as experts have shown, the books were bought mainly by ordinary readers, not young people.
Minister Engel-Schmidt emphasized that the goal is not only to reduce prices, but also to bring literature closer to children and young people.
"This is why we have already allocated funds to strengthen cooperation between public libraries and schools. We want more children to have the opportunity to experience quality literature," he said.
According to official statistics, 8.3 million books were sold in Denmark in 2023, both in stores and online, in a country of over 6 million people. The most popular were books for young children, especially those with pictures and activities, followed by thriller novels.
