For the first time, the Ministry of Culture has extended to the overseas departments the survey on cultural practices that it regularly conducts in mainland France. Its results, relating to data collected before the health crisis, highlight various local specificities. Reunion Islanders rarely visit museums and exhibitions : 8% of island residents aged 15 or over did so in 2019, compared to 29% in France. Only 7% went to the theater, compared to 21% in mainland France. On the other hand, 48% of Reunion Islanders attended professional street shows and major events, compared to only 5% of mainland residents. 42% say they read books, compared to 70% in mainland France : a gap observed at equal diploma levels, including for higher education graduates. It is true that 25% of Reunion Islanders aged 16 to 25 have difficulty reading., according to the reading tests organized in 2020 as part of the Defense and Citizenship Days. Other indicator : only 44% of island residents went to the cinema in the year preceding the survey, against 62% of residents of France.
Reunion Islanders read little and appreciate street shows
