The data, without the argument
Book challenges in schools and libraries have risen sharply since 2021. Two organizations track the trend with the most-cited national numbers: the American Library Association (ALA), which counts reported challenges, and PEN America, which counts bans — each instance of a title being removed or restricted in a school district. This page reports those figures as published, so families and educators can see the scale for themselves. It takes no position; the sources are linked for anyone who wants the full methodology.
Reported challenges, 2020–2024
| Year | Attempts to censor | Unique titles challenged |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 156 | 223 |
| 2021 | 729 | 1,858 |
| 2022 | 1,269 | 2,571 |
| 2023 | 1,247 | 4,240 |
| 2024 | 821 | 2,452 |
ALA documented a record 4,240 unique titles in 2023, then 2,452 in 2024 as the pace eased. ALA notes these counts cover reported challenges only and that most challenges are never reported, so the true totals are higher.
Where the bans happened, 2023–2024 school year
| State | Ban instances (2023–24) |
|---|---|
| Florida | 4,561 |
| Iowa | 3,671 |
| Texas | 538 |
| Wisconsin | 408 |
| Virginia | 121 |
| Kentucky | 100 |
Two states accounted for the large majority of the national total: Florida (4,561) and Iowa (3,671), both following new state laws that prompted districts to pull titles. Over three school years (since July 2021), PEN America counted 15,940 ban instances across 43 states and 6,143 unique titles.
What the sources say about who and what
Both trackers report detail beyond the totals. ALA found that in 2024, 72% of challenges were initiated by pressure groups, elected officials, and board members rather than individual parents, and that a single challenge now often targets many titles at once. The titles most often challenged are disproportionately by or about LGBTQ people and people of color, per both organizations' published analyses. These are the sources' findings, reported here without endorsement; readers can consult the originals below.