Capacitive data electrostatically recorded on a medium such as cards, papers, and labels is read by shifting the medium and the data reading device opposite to each other. The capacitive data is formed in multiple kinds of different widths and contains a plurality of electrode planes 23 formed being spaced apart from each other in one direction or in a direction opposite to the one direction, and non-electrode planes 24 or ground electrode planes 24a formed between electrode planes 23, and forms a capacitor between the electrode planes 23 and the electrode for reading data, and a string of data (01, 11, and 11) is read according to temporal changes (T2, T4 and T4) in an electrostatic induction voltage value in accordance with the width of the electrode planes 23 and the non-electrode planes 24 or the ground electrode planes 24a, when the electrode for reading data charged on the electrode planes 23 and the non-electrode planes 24 or the ground electrode planes 24a are scanned in one direction.