MORE and more people are turning back to reading real books, according to the city’s annual reading report released yesterday.

The study by the Shanghai Press and Publication Administration, released at the 2017 Shanghai Book Fair, surveyed 4,685 people, including 2,992 online. The number of readers who choose digital devices as their first option fell for the first time in three years.

About 46.6 percent of respondents said books were their first option, while the proportion favoring digital was 21.4 percent. It was the first time the gap widened after two years of narrowing.