A recent study on diversity in UK publishing has found that the number of children's books with Black main characters decreased by nearly 8% in the past year. In 2025, only 47 of the 2,189 children's books aimed at under-10s featured a Black main character, which represents a 7.8% decline from the previous year. Black children in England and Wales make up approximately 8.5% of this age group.

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The representation of South Asian main characters also saw a decline, dropping by 14.3 percentage points to just 1.4%, despite children of South Asian heritage constituting around 12.4% of the under-10 population. Additionally, only three books featured main characters of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) heritage, a 50% reduction from the previous year, amounting to 0.1% of the total books surveyed while this demographic represents 2.2% of the population of under-10s.

The research, conducted by the literacy charity Inclusive Books for Children, revealed that only 150 books—6.9% of those surveyed—featured main characters from minority ethnic, disabled, or neurodivergent backgrounds. Of these, 37.3% were written or illustrated by creators who did not share the backgrounds of their characters.

Author Serena Patel emphasized the importance of diverse representation, stating, "At an age when children are figuring out the world around them and where they fit in, it’s vital they have access to funny, inspiring, adventurous books that reflect both the lives they live and the ones they don’t. We must do better."

The report, which included surveys of baby and toddler books, picture books, and fiction for children up to age nine, noted a sharp decrease in the number of stories with disabled main characters. Only two titles in 2025 featured disabled protagonists, both created by non-disabled authors.

Dr. Stella Louis, an early years consultant, highlighted a significant issue with the current narrative approach, noting a "continued reliance" on identity-driven stories. She questioned why children's identities could not exist within ordinary stories about friendship and adventure.

The report also found that all three MENA-themed books published in 2025 were narratives about refugees. Nadine Kaadan, an Arab author, expressed concern about the limited focus of these stories, warning against perpetuating a single narrative focused on war and displacement rather than showcasing the region's rich cultures.

On a positive note, there was an increase in the representation of neurodivergent characters in picture books, growing from three titles in 2024 to 13 in 2025. In the baby and toddler category, the number of books with marginalized main characters increased by 29.4%.

Children's book consultant Jake Hope reiterated the importance of diverse narratives, stating, "When children’s enjoyment of reading is at a significant low, it’s more important than ever that the stories children encounter reflect their lives, identities, experiences, and emotions. These figures need to be more than mere statistics and a call to action for continued change and improvements."