Key Takeaway
Only 150 of 2,189 titles published in UK for young children last year focused on minority ethnic, disabled or neurodivergent charactersThe number of children’s books featuring Black main characters fell by almost 8% last year, according to research into diversity in UK publishing. Just 47 – or 2.
Published October 4, 2026 · Category: News
Overview
Only 150 of 2,189 titles published in UK for young children last year focused on minority ethnic, disabled or neurodivergent characters
The number of children’s books featuring Black main characters fell by almost 8% last year, according to research into diversity in UK publishing.
Details
Just 47 – or 2.1% – of the 2,189 books published for under-10s in 2025 featured a Black main character, a 7.8% fall from the previous year, according to Inclusive Books for Children. Black children make up about 8.5% of that age bracket in England and Wales.
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Source
Originally published at www.theguardian.com.
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What is "Children’s books with Black main characters down 8% in a year, study shows" about?+
Only 150 of 2,189 titles published in UK for young children last year focused on minority ethnic, disabled or neurodivergent charactersThe number of children’s books featuring Black main characters fell by almost 8% last year, according to research into diversity in UK publishing.Just 47 – or 2.1% – of the 2,189 books published for under-10s in 2025 featured a Black main character, a 7.8% fall from the previous year, according to Inclusive Books for Children. Black children make up about 8.5% of
Who reported this story?+
This story was reported by The Guardian World.