Denmark has dropped its 25% sales tax on books, until now the highest book tax in the world. Officials say the move is part of a push to tackle a growing “reading crisis.”
Why now?
A recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report showed that one in four Danish 15-year-olds cannot understand basic texts. Policymakers fear this will hurt education, the economy, and democracy. At the same time, surveys show teens are reading less than ever, with many spending more time on social media, streaming, and games.
How Denmark compares with other Scandinavian nations
Physical Map of Scandinavia (Source: freeworldmaps.net).
The cut makes Denmark more aligned with its Nordic neighbors, where books are taxed at far lower rates:
Denmark: 25% VAT (now scrapped)
Norway: 0%
Sweden: 6%
Finland: 14%
Books were more expensive in Denmark than anywhere else in Europe. Dropping the tax is meant to make them cheaper and help both readers and publishers.
What it costs
The government will lose about 330 million kroner (approximately Rs 282 crore) a year. Danish Culture Minister Jacob Engel-Schmidt said he hopes the change will see more books “flying off the shelves.” Engel-Schmidt insists it is an investment in Denmark’s cultural future. “This is something that I, as minister of culture, have worked for, because I believe that we must put everything at stake if we are to end the reading crisis that has unfortunately been spreading in recent years,” he told the Ritzau news agency.
Will it work
Experts say cheaper books alone will not fix the problem. The real challenge is that young people spend less time reading long texts in today’s digital world. Still, supporters hope the change will boost literacy efforts and strengthen the book industry.
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