Half of Digital Manga Readers in Japan Are Over 50

In Japan, surprisingly, it’s individuals in their 50s who are reading manga digitally on their phones.

The data, sourced from Oricon ME (via SoraNews24), is based on an online survey conducted between May and June 2023, involving 10,438 digital manga readers.

What’s interesting is that a significant 50.5 percent of those consuming digital comics weekly are in their 50s, defying the expectation that this age group, having grown up with physical manga, would prefer traditional formats. Surprisingly, they are opting for the ease and convenience of digital platforms. Conversely, the age bracket least subscribing to digital manga services was between 10 and 19 years old.

Moreover, over half (51 percent) of respondents in their 50s reported reading digital comics nearly every day. Similar patterns were observed among those in their 60s (50.6 percent) and 40s (45.9 percent), showing that older demographics are actively engaged in manga consumption.

Several factors contribute to this trend, including increased subscriptions among middle-aged individuals, the rising use of smartphones and tablets within this age group, and the stable incomes of older readers, affording them more opportunities to invest in hobbies like manga. The accessibility of older manga series available on digital platforms is also an important reason given.

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Rayan Sayyed is a staff writer for IGN India with a primary focus on Asian entertainment spanning from anime, manga, games to films and dramas from the East. You can reach out to him at [email protected], or find him on Twitter @rayanaver and Instagram @rayansayyed.