Decline in Children’s Books with Diverse Characters

A study shows fewer children's books have Black main characters. In 2025, only 47 books had Black characters. This is a decline of 8% from last year. Black children are about 8.5% of kids under 10 in England and Wales. Books with south Asian main characters also fell. Only 1.4% of books had these characters. There were only three books with Middle Eastern and North African characters. This is a decline of 50%. The study shows that representation is very important for children.

A recent study found a decline in children's books featuring Black main characters. In 2025, only 47 out of 2,189 books had Black characters. This represents a decline of 7.8% from the previous year. Black children make up about 8.5% of the under-10 population in England and Wales. The study also showed a decline in books with south Asian main characters, which dropped to 1.4%. There were only three books with Middle Eastern and North African characters, a decline of 50%. The report highlights the importance of representation in children's literature for young readers.

A recent study by Inclusive Books for Children reveals a significant decline in children's literature featuring diverse characters. In 2025, only 47 of the 2,189 books published for children under 10 had Black main characters. This marks a decline of 7.8% from the previous year, while Black children represent about 8.5% of this age group in England and Wales. The representation of south Asian main characters also fell sharply to 1.4%, despite south Asian children making up 12.4% of the population. The report noted that only three books featured Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) characters, a decline of 50% from the previous year. This represented just 0.1% of the surveyed books, compared to the group’s 2.2% share of the population. The study emphasizes the need for better representation in children's literature, as it plays a crucial role in shaping children's understanding of their identities and the world around them.