Despite the digital age, print books still commanded a staggering 75% of all units sold in the US last year, proving that our love for physical pages is far from a closed chapter.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the global book market revenue reached $143.56 billion, up 2.1% from the previous year
- US trade book sales in 2023 totaled $28.1 billion, a 0.4% increase year-over-year
- E-book segment of the global market accounted for $17.46 billion in 2023, growing at 3.2% CAGR from 2018-2023
- In 2023, US adult fiction print books sold 408 million units, up 1.2% YoY
- Total US print book units sold 767 million in 2023
- YA fiction print units in US reached 84.5 million in 2023, up 5.5%
- In 2023, there were 4.1 million new book titles published globally
- US ISBN registrations hit 2.3 million in 2023, up 10%
- Big Five publishers controlled 80% of US trade market in 2023
- 22% of US adults read 10+ books in 2022
- Women accounted for 64% of frequent book readers in US 2023
- 50% of US adults read a book in past year 2023
- Digital books 30% of consumption among 18-34 US 2023
- Audiobooks 25% annual growth listener hours 2023, 28.2 billion hours US
- E-books 20% of US sales revenue 2023
The global book market grew steadily in 2023, led by resilient print sales and rapidly growing audiobooks.
Demographics & Reading Habits
- 22% of US adults read 10+ books in 2022
- Women accounted for 64% of frequent book readers in US 2023
- 50% of US adults read a book in past year 2023
- Gen Z (18-25) read 15 books/year average US 2023
- 80% of avid readers are college-educated US 2023
- Hispanic readers grew 20% in US 2023
- Urban dwellers read 25% more than rural US 2023
- 45% of parents read to kids daily US 2023
- Baby boomers prefer print 75%, millennials digital 55% US 2023
- Low-income households (<$30k) read 8 books/year average 2023
- LGBTQ+ readers 12% of US book buyers 2023
- Black readers increased 15% post-2020, 25% of fiction buyers 2023
- Average reading time 23 min/day US adults 2023
- 30% of men never read a book US 2023
- Teens (13-17) read 12 books/year, 60% girls 2023
- Seniors (65+) read 18 books/year US 2023
- Book club members 74 million US 2023
- Audiobook listeners 52% under 35 US 2023
- Rural readers prefer libraries 60% US 2023
- Homeowners buy 2x more books than renters 2023
- Pet owners read 20% more fiction US 2023
- Married adults read 14 books/year vs 10 single 2023
- UK readers average 10.5 books/year 2023
- Canada 72% adults read book past year 2023
- Parents with kids under 6 read 22 books/month 2023
- Gamers read 11 books/year vs non-gamers 8 US 2023
- E-book readers 40% higher income bracket US 2023
- Global literacy rate impact: 86% adults literate, boosting books 2023
Demographics & Reading Habits Interpretation
While men are apparently busy doing… something else, women, young adults, and the highly educated are leading a bookish revolution, proving that whether you're a digital millennial, a print-loving boomer, or a parent reading twenty-two bedtime stories a month, the story of reading is one of persistent, if unevenly distributed, passion.
Digital & Audiobooks
- Digital books 30% of consumption among 18-34 US 2023
- Audiobooks 25% annual growth listener hours 2023, 28.2 billion hours US
- E-books 20% of US sales revenue 2023
- Kindle Unlimited pages read 2.5 trillion 2023
- Spotify audiobooks 15 million users monthly 2023
- Libro.fm indie audiobook sales up 40% 2023
- 55% prefer print over digital US 2023
- Global e-book market CAGR 4.5% to 2028
- Audiobooks 11% of US publishing revenue 2023
- Apple Books downloads 500 million 2023
- Google Play Books revenue $800 million 2023
- Kobo e-readers sold 2 million units 2023
- AI-narrated audiobooks 10% of new titles 2023
- Subscription models 35% of digital book consumption 2023
- Print books 75% units sold US 2023 despite digital rise
- Everand (Scribd) 1 million audiobook subscribers 2023
- Webtoons/manhwa digital comics 100 million readers monthly 2023
- NFT books sales $50 million blockchain platforms 2023
- VR/AR enhanced books trialed in 500 titles 2023
- Social audio apps like Clubhouse book discussions 1 million hours 2023
- TikTok #BookTok videos 100 billion views 2023, boosting digital sales 30%
- Email newsletters like BookBub 20 million subscribers 2023
- Goodreads 150 million members, 5 billion ratings 2023
- Amazon Kindle devices 50 million active 2023
Digital & Audiobooks Interpretation
While the printed page still commands a slight majority, the story of modern publishing is increasingly one of digital diversification, where audiobooks and e-readers are booming, subscriptions and social media are the new book clubs, and even AI and blockchain are trying to sneak onto the back cover.
Market Size & Revenue
- In 2023, the global book market revenue reached $143.56 billion, up 2.1% from the previous year
- US trade book sales in 2023 totaled $28.1 billion, a 0.4% increase year-over-year
- E-book segment of the global market accounted for $17.46 billion in 2023, growing at 3.2% CAGR from 2018-2023
- Print book sales generated $115.2 billion globally in 2022, representing 85% of total book revenue
- Audiobook market worldwide hit $6.5 billion in 2023, with a projected CAGR of 26.1% through 2030
- UK book market value was £6.6 billion in 2023, including physical and digital formats
- Children's book segment globally valued at $12.4 billion in 2023, up 1.5% YoY
- Self-publishing market reached $1.25 billion in the US in 2022, growing 17% annually
- Religious books category generated $1.3 billion in US sales in 2023
- Higher education publishing market in US was $4.2 billion in 2023, down 5% from 2022
- Professional publishing revenue in US hit $3.8 billion in 2023, up 2%
- Global second-hand book market estimated at $20 billion in 2023
- Romance genre books generated $1.44 billion in US sales in 2023
- Mystery/crime fiction sales reached $785 million in US 2023
- Science fiction/fantasy books sold for $590 million in US 2023
- Global educational book market valued at $88.4 billion in 2023, CAGR 5.2%
- US K-12 publishing revenue was $2.1 billion in 2023
- Book retail market in China reached $15 billion in 2023
- Independent presses in US generated $1.2 billion in 2023 sales
- Subscription book services like Kindle Unlimited had 4 million subscribers in 2023, revenue $1.5B
- Global print-on-demand market for books was $4.8 billion in 2023
- US mass market paperback sales totaled $492 million in 2023
- Trade paperback sales in US were $3.2 billion in 2023, up 1.1%
- Hardcovers generated $2.9 billion in US trade sales 2023
- Global literary fiction market $8.7 billion in 2023
- US university press sales $85 million in 2023
- Book export value from US was $2.5 billion in 2023
- India book market revenue $6.8 billion in 2023, CAGR 8%
- German book market €9.6 billion in 2023
- France book sales €2.7 billion in 2023
Market Size & Revenue Interpretation
Despite whispers of its demise, the global book market, a $143 billion behemoth, proves its resilience as print stubbornly holds its ground while audio books read the room and explode with growth, demonstrating that whether we're turning pages or listening to whispers, our appetite for stories is a serious, and seriously lucrative, business.
Publishing & Production
- In 2023, there were 4.1 million new book titles published globally
- US ISBN registrations hit 2.3 million in 2023, up 10%
- Big Five publishers controlled 80% of US trade market in 2023
- Indie publishers released 1.5 million titles US 2023
- Global translation rights deals 25,000 in 2023
- UK publishers produced 212,000 new titles in 2023
- Print-on-demand titles printed 500 million copies globally 2023
- Average print run for US hardcover debut novels 15,000 copies in 2023
- 65% of US books published in 2023 were self-published
- Academic journals published 3.5 million articles in 2023
- Children's picture books new titles 18,000 US 2023
- Poetry books published 12,000 titles US 2023
- First-time authors debuted with 50,000 books globally 2023
- Diversity in publishing: 76% white authors for Big Five in 2023
- Average advance for debut novelist $5,000-$15,000 US 2023
- 40% of manuscripts rejected by agents before publishers in 2023
- E-book production costs averaged $2,500 per title in 2023
- Print book production costs rose 15% due to paper prices in 2023
- 28% of books translated into English from other languages in 2023 US
- Audiobook production 150,000 new titles globally 2023
- Hybrid publishing models used by 15% of authors in 2023
- Crowdfunded books reached 5,000 projects on Kickstarter 2023
- China published 520,000 new titles in 2023
- India new book titles 90,000 in 2023
- Digital-first publishers launched 20,000 titles 2023
- 35% of publishers adopted AI for editing in 2023 survey
- Book cover design contests won by freelancers 80% in 2023
- Global paper consumption for books 25 million tons in 2023
Publishing & Production Interpretation
In 2023, the global book industry presented a paradox of mass production and niche survival, where a staggering 4.1 million new titles flooded the world, yet the Big Five's oligopoly, the modest print runs, and the paltry debut advances reveal an ecosystem where everyone is publishing, but few are breaking through.
Sales & Units
- In 2023, US adult fiction print books sold 408 million units, up 1.2% YoY
- Total US print book units sold 767 million in 2023
- YA fiction print units in US reached 84.5 million in 2023, up 5.5%
- Children's print books sold 245 million units in US 2023, down 4.8%
- Adult nonfiction print units 318 million in US 2023
- E-book units sold 529 million globally in 2023
- Audiobook downloads 1.8 billion worldwide in 2023
- Bestselling book "Lessons in Chemistry" sold 2.5 million copies in US 2023
- "Spare" by Prince Harry sold 3.2 million units in first week globally 2023
- Romance novels sold 49 million print units in US 2023
- US hardcover units 192 million in 2023, up 4.6%
- Mass market paperbacks 82 million units US 2023, down 6.5%
- Trade paperbacks 493 million units US 2023
- UK physical book sales 192 million units in 2023
- Self-published books on Amazon sold 1.2 million titles in 2023
- Graphic novels/manga units 45 million in US 2023, up 12%
- Religious books print units 67 million US 2023
- Cookbooks sold 22 million units US 2023
- Travel books units down 15% to 4.5 million US 2023
- Science/nature books 12 million units US 2023
- History/biography units 48 million US 2023
- Global bestseller units for fiction 150 million in 2023
- Indie bookstore sales up 12% to $1.1 billion US 2023, units 150 million
- Online book sales 55% of total US units 2023
- Brick-and-mortar sales 40% of US print units 2023
- Used book sales 100 million units online US 2023
- Canada book units 50 million print 2023
- Australia print book sales 18 million units 2023
- Brazil book units 120 million in 2023
- Japan light novels sold 30 million units 2023
Sales & Units Interpretation
While adults are cautiously buying more fiction and young adults are diving in with gusto, the real story is that our appetite for stories is not only surviving but stubbornly thriving across every format, proving that even in a digital age, we still crave a good tale told well—especially if it's a royal tell-all or a novel about a chemist.
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