US e-book sales rose to $9.9 billion in 2023, and the average US e-book price landed at $5.99 compared with $11.06 for print. E-books also held 13.9% of US book market revenue in 2022, with forecasts projecting 17.0% by 2027. Global digital publishing reached $58.9 billion in 2023, setting the scale for shifting demand across formats and platforms.
Key Takeaways
- The US e-book market was worth $9.9 billion in 2023
- The share of e-books in US total book market revenue was 13.9% in 2022
- E-books are expected to account for 17.0% of the US book market revenue by 2027
- In 2022, US sales of e-books reached 298 million units
- E-book unit sales in the US were 285 million units in 2021
- E-book unit sales in the US increased by 4.6% from 2021 to 2022
- WCAG requires 100% keyboard access for users navigating digital content without a mouse
- WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.3 requires contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text
- WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.4 requires contrast ratio of at least 3:1 for large text
- In 2022, e-book retail prices were generally lower than print; average US e-book price was $5.99 vs $11.06 for print
- The average US print book price was $11.06 in 2023
- Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing offers standard royalty rates up to 70% for eligible e-books priced between $2.99 and $9.99
In 2023, the US e book market hit $9.9 billion and was set to keep growing through 2027.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size24 stats
01
The US e-book market was worth $9.9 billion in 2023
02
The share of e-books in US total book market revenue was 13.9% in 2022
03
E-books are expected to account for 17.0% of the US book market revenue by 2027
04
The global digital publishing market was valued at $58.9 billion in 2023
05
In 2022, fiction e-books generated $5.7 billion in the US
06
In 2022, nonfiction e-books generated $3.4 billion in the US
07
In 2023, the average US e-book price was $5.99
08
In 2023, the average US print book price was $11.06
09
US e-book sales were $9.2 billion in 2021
10
US e-book sales increased to $9.7 billion in 2022
11
US e-book sales increased to $9.9 billion in 2023
12
UK ebook revenues were £1.4 billion in 2022
13
France’s ebook revenues were €0.7 billion in 2022
14
Germany’s ebook revenues were €0.8 billion in 2022
15
Japan’s ebook market size was ¥2,023.8 billion in 2023
16
South Korea’s ebook market size was ₩2.0 trillion in 2023
17
Australia’s ebook market size was $0.7 billion in 2023
18
India’s ebook market size was ₹7,650 crore in 2023
19
Brazil’s ebook market size was R$3.5 billion in 2023
20
Mexico’s ebook market size was MXN 28.3 billion in 2023
21
Spain’s ebook market size was €0.5 billion in 2023
22
Canada’s ebook revenues were C$0.5 billion in 2022
23
Netherlands’ ebook revenues were €0.3 billion in 2022
24
Sweden’s ebook revenues were SEK 1.1 billion in 2022
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
US e-book revenues kept climbing from $9.2 billion in 2021 to $9.9 billion in 2023, growing their share of the market to 13.9% in 2022 and with forecasts to reach 17.0% by 2027.
02 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
In 2022, US sales of e-books reached 298 million units
02
E-book unit sales in the US were 285 million units in 2021
03
E-book unit sales in the US increased by 4.6% from 2021 to 2022
04
In 2023, Project Gutenberg reached over 74,000 public-domain ebooks
05
In 2023, Project Gutenberg surpassed 70,000 ebooks
06
In 2023, the Internet Archive held over 7 million e-books
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
US e-book sales climbed to 298 million units in 2022, up 4.6% from 285 million in 2021, while major free libraries also expanded rapidly, with Project Gutenberg surpassing 70,000 titles in 2023 and the Internet Archive holding over 7 million e-books.
More related reading
03 · Category
Performance Metrics16 stats
01
WCAG requires 100% keyboard access for users navigating digital content without a mouse
02
WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.3 requires contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text
03
WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.4 requires contrast ratio of at least 3:1 for large text
04
WCAG Success Criterion 2.5.1 requires pointer gestures be achievable with a single pointer without complex path requirements
05
WCAG Success Criterion 2.1.1 requires all content controlled by users to be operable with a keyboard
06
The W3C EPUB 3 specification defines EPUB reading order and media overlay support via structured markup
07
The EPUB 3 specification uses HTML5 as the base format for content documents
08
EPUB 3 uses CSS for styling, enabling consistent rendering across devices
09
EPUB 3 supports embedded media types including audio and video using standard HTML5 media elements
10
KDP specifies maximum cover image size of 2,560 px on the longest side
11
W3C EPUB 3 uses packages (OPF) with a manifest-based structure allowing predictable rendering
12
EPUB 3 requires a package document with MIME type application/oebps-package+xml
13
EPUB 3 uses a fixed-layout model via <svg> and CSS for consistency across devices
14
WCAG requires that text resizing up to 200% not be lost in content or functionality (Success Criterion 1.4.4)
15
WCAG requires that content remains readable at zoom level without loss of content or functionality (SC 1.4.4 allows 200% zoom)
16
WCAG requires that users can navigate using headings and landmarks for compatibility (Success Criterion 1.3.1/2.4.6)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
The clearest trend is that modern Ebook implementations must meet strict accessibility targets such as a 4.5:1 contrast ratio and full keyboard operability, while EPUB 3 infrastructure standardized by HTML5 and manifest-based packaging helps deliver that consistent experience across devices.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis9 stats
01
In 2022, e-book retail prices were generally lower than print; average US e-book price was $5.99vs $11.06 for print
02
The average US print book price was $11.06in 2023
03
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing offers standard royalty rates up to 70% for eligible e-books priced between $2.99 and $9.99
04
Amazon KDP royalty rate is 35% for eligible e-books priced below $2.99 or above $9.99
05
Apple Books subscription and sale requires Apple’s commission of 30% for most paid apps and digital content
06
In US book publishing, typical retail margins for booksellers are often around 55% of list price (used as a conversion factor in industry reporting)
07
Amazon’s 1-Click royalty reporting implies publishers receive net receipts after commissions and applicable fees
08
Internet Archive’s lending model provides free access to public domain ebooks and controlled access items
09
DRM licensing and platform fees apply per title and platform, with costs varying by distributor contracts (fee-based delivery)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In 2022 the average US e-book sold for $5.99 compared with $11.06 for print, and with Amazon KDP offering up to a 70% royalty for e-books priced $2.99 to $9.99, the data points to pricing and royalty structures strongly favoring lower-cost digital books while higher commissions and platform fees still shape what publishers ultimately receive.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Ebook Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ebook-industry-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Ebook Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/ebook-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Ebook Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ebook-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+27 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)