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Inclusive Books for Children’s 2026 report found that 150 of 2,189 traditionally published UK books for children aged 1 to 9 featured main characters from the marginalised groups it tracked. The count fell 8% from 2024, with sharp declines in books featuring Black and disabled main characters, although the share of books rose because the overall market contracted more steeply. Some categories, including neurodivergent picture-book representation, showed gains from low starting points.
A new report on UK children’s publishing found that the number of books featuring main characters from marginalised groups fell by 8% in 2025 compared with 2024, with declines in Black and disabled representation. Inclusive Books for Children (IBC), the charity behind the study, counted 150 such books among 2,189 traditionally published titles for children aged 1 to 9; their share of the market rose because the wider number of books published fell more sharply.
IBC’s Excluded Voices 2026 report covers baby and toddler books, picture books and children’s fiction. Of all 2,189 books surveyed, 150 titles, or 6.9%, featured main characters from the marginalised groups included in the research. The organisation says the absolute number dropped 8% from 2024, even as the proportion increased amid a sharper contraction in the children’s publishing market overall.
For ethnic representation, the report counted 47 books with Black main characters, equal to 2.1% of the titles studied and down 7.8% from 2024. It found 30 books with South Asian main characters, or 1.4%, and three with MENA main characters, or 0.1%. The report compares these figures with population estimates: around 8.5% of children aged 1 to 9 in England and Wales are Black, 12.4% are South Asian and 2.2% are of MENA heritage.
Disabled representation was especially limited in picture books: the number featuring a disabled main character fell 60% to two titles in 2025. Neither was created by a disabled “Own Voice” creator, a term the report uses for an author or illustrator who shares the main character’s marginalised identity. In fiction for ages 5 to 9, three books featured disabled main characters; one was created by an Own Voice author.
Representation Gaps Across the Shelves
The figures describe both the availability of stories and which children are likely to find characters resembling themselves in books. IBC argues that exposure to varied literature can support children’s confidence in their identities and help them develop empathy. The report does not measure those effects directly, but its counts show that books featuring some groups remain rare in the categories it examined.
The distinction between a character’s identity being present and identity driving the plot is another concern raised in the report. IBC highlights “incidental representation”: for example, a Black, South Asian, disabled, neurodivergent or bilingual child appearing as the lead in an ordinary story about friendship or adventure. The findings suggest that counting titles alone cannot capture the range of stories available; the report also questions whether representation is limited to explanatory or identity-centred narratives.
For publishers, booksellers, librarians, teachers and families, the report offers a snapshot of what was published in one year, rather than a measure of what every child reads. Still, the small counts mean that individual titles can account for large year-to-year changes, particularly in categories with only a few books.
inclusive children's picture books Black disabled characters
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A Market That Also Contracted
The report’s headline decline needs to be read alongside its market-wide comparison. IBC says the number of books featuring marginalised main characters fell 8% against 2024, but their overall proportion rose because the children’s publishing market shrank more sharply. The increase in share does not mean more such books were published: the reported count went down.
IBC also compared its title counts with population estimates for children aged 1 to 9. It says 27% of children in that age range identify as belonging to a minoritised ethnicity, while 5.8% of books in the study featured a main character from a minoritised ethnicity. The population and publishing figures measure different things, and the report’s numbers do not establish why the gaps exist.
The findings were not uniformly negative. Neurodivergent main characters in picture books rose from three titles in 2024 to 13 in 2025; in fiction for ages 5 to 9, the count moved from four to five. Baby and toddler books featuring marginalised main characters increased 29.4%, from 17 to 22. That category also recorded its first neurodivergent and disabled main characters, both by Own Voice creators. IBC cautions that the absolute counts remain small.
“Why can’t a child simply be South Asian, disabled, neurodivergent or bilingual and also be the hero of an ordinary story about friendship, adventure, loss or joy?”
— Dr Stella Louis, early years consultant, trainer and author
Limits of the 2025 Count
The report counts books in specified age groups and publishing categories; its figures do not represent every children’s book available in the UK or show how often children encountered each title. The source material does not provide a breakdown of readership, print runs, sales or library availability, so the counts cannot establish how accessible the books were to children.
The findings also do not explain what caused the declines. The source summary gives no detailed account of the overall market contraction or the factors behind year-to-year changes. Small totals—such as two picture books with disabled main characters or three with MENA leads—make percentage movements particularly sensitive to a few titles. The report describes the published output it assessed, not the intentions of individual publishers or authors.
Publishers Face Calls for Broader Stories
IBC says publishers, booksellers, librarians, teachers, schools and parents all have a role in helping children encounter a wider range of voices and experiences through books. The report calls for more varied representation, including stories in which marginalised characters take leading roles without their identity being the plot’s sole focus.
The supplied report summary does not identify a specific policy change, publisher commitment or timetable for future action. Further reporting will be needed to establish whether the 2025 pattern continues and whether the small gains in some categories lead to sustained increases in the number and range of titles.
Key Questions
How many books were included in the study?
IBC analysed 2,189 traditionally published books for children aged 1 to 9, including baby and toddler books, picture books and children’s fiction.
No. The report says their overall share increased, even though the number of titles fell 8% from 2024. The share rose because the wider children’s publishing market contracted more sharply.
Which groups had the sharpest reported declines?
The number of books with Black main characters fell 7.8% in 2025 compared with 2024. Picture books with disabled main characters fell 60%, to two titles.
Were there any increases in representation?
Yes. Neurodivergent main characters in picture books increased from three titles in 2024 to 13 in 2025. Baby and toddler books featuring marginalised main characters rose from 17 to 22, although IBC says the totals remain low.
What does “Own Voice” mean in the report?
IBC defines an Own Voice creator as an author or illustrator who shares the marginalised identity of the main character they create.
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