Black Character Representation Falls 8% in British Children’s Books

A recent study of diversity in British children’s publishing found a decline in the presence of main characters from different racial and ethnic backgrounds in 2025.

Black character representation fell by 8%, according to the findings outlined in the supplied summary. The decline points to a setback in efforts to broaden representation in books for young readers.

The study also reported a wider drop in books featuring protagonists from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The summary did not provide a full breakdown of those changes.

Details of the study’s sample and methodology were not included, leaving unclear whether the reported 8% decline refers to the number of books or the share featuring Black characters.