While many industries struggle in a digital age, the French publishing industry tells a different story, with a resilient €2.7 billion turnover in 2022 fueled by surprising growth in comics and youth books despite the dominance of trade publishing and a stable literary fiction core.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the total turnover of the French publishing industry was 2.7 billion euros, representing a 1.2% increase from 2021
- Trade publishing accounted for 86% of the total publishing turnover in France in 2022, equaling 2.32 billion euros
- Educational publishing generated 281 million euros in turnover in 2022, a decline of 4.7% from the previous year
- Practical books turnover was 318 million euros in 2022, down 2.3%
- France produced 78,000 book titles in 2022, a 1.5% increase from 2021
- New titles in literature category numbered 12,500 in 2022
- Youth books new titles: 8,200 in 2022, up 2%
- French books sold totaled 366 million units in 2022, down 1% from 2021
- Comics sold 51 million units in 2022, +5%
- Youth books: 70 million units sold in 2022, stable
- The French publishing industry employed 35,000 people in 2022
- Publishing houses numbered 1,200 active in France in 2022
- Paris region hosted 70% of publishing employees in 2022
- E-book sales revenue reached 180 million euros in 2022, 7% of total market
- Audiobooks revenue: 85 million euros in 2022, +25% growth
The French publishing industry saw modest growth in 2022, with comics and digital sales performing particularly well.
Book Production and Titles
- France produced 78,000 book titles in 2022, a 1.5% increase from 2021
- New titles in literature category numbered 12,500 in 2022
- Youth books new titles: 8,200 in 2022, up 2%
- Comics new titles: 9,800 in 2022, +6.5%
- Practical books new titles: 6,100 in 2022, stable
- Illustrated books new titles: 4,500 in 2022, +3%
- Educational new titles: 3,200 in 2022, -2%
- Pocket editions new titles: 5,800 in 2022
- Hardback new titles: 15,000 in 2022
- Translations into French: 18% of new titles in 2022 (about 14,000)
- French originals: 82% of titles produced in 2022
- Average print run per title: 2,800 copies in 2022
- Total editions printed: 220 million copies in 2022
- Reprints accounted for 15% of total production in 2022
- Paris-based publishers produced 55% of all titles in 2022
- Independent publishers launched 45,000 titles in 2022
- Hachette Livre published 7,500 new titles in France in 2022
- Editis produced 4,200 new titles in 2022
- Gallimard/Madrigall: 1,800 new titles in 2022
- Flammarion: 1,200 new titles in 2022
- Foreign language titles in French production: 5,200 in 2022
- Digital-only new titles: 1,500 in 2022, up 10%
- Audiobook original productions: 800 in 2022
- In 2021, 76,500 titles were produced
- Poetry new titles: 450 in 2022
- Total active ISBNs in France: over 2 million in 2022
Book Production and Titles Interpretation
While France's publishing heart still beats strongly in Parisian hardbacks and literary reprints, the data suggests a future being written in comics, digital margins, and the vibrant, independent chaos producing over half of the nation's new titles.
Digital and Trends
- E-book sales revenue reached 180 million euros in 2022, 7% of total market
- Audiobooks revenue: 85 million euros in 2022, +25% growth
- Digital books sales volume up 12% to 12 million units in 2022
- Subscription platforms like BookBeat had 500,000 French users in 2022
- Print-on-demand titles: 20,000 in 2022
- Online bookstores market share: 25% of revenue in 2022
- Amazon.fr book sales: 18% of market in 2022
- Social media influence on sales: 15% of discoveries in 2022 survey
- NFT book projects: 50 launched in France 2022
- AI-generated content in publishing: 2% of new titles experimental in 2022
- E-book reading devices ownership: 25% of readers in 2022
- Streaming audiobook platforms grew 30% subscribers in 2022
- Metaverse book events: 10 major in 2022
- Piracy rate for e-books: 5% of digital market in 2022
- Blockchain for rights management pilots: 5 publishers in 2022
- TikTok BookTok influence: drove 10% youth sales in 2022
- VR/AR enhanced books: 200 titles in 2022
- Digital exports revenue: 120 million euros in 2022
- Mobile app book sales: 40% of digital in 2022
- Post-COVID digital acceleration: +20% adoption since 2020
- Open access academic titles: 1,200 in 2022
- Personalized print trends: 15% growth in customized books 2022
- Data analytics use in 60% of publishers in 2022
Digital and Trends Interpretation
The French publishing industry is a stately ship no longer just testing digital waters but actively charting a new course in them, as evidenced by e-books holding steady, audiobooks booming, and publishers cautiously embracing everything from TikTok to AI while still keeping a firm grip on the printed page.
Employment and Structure
- The French publishing industry employed 35,000 people in 2022
- Publishing houses numbered 1,200 active in France in 2022
- Paris region hosted 70% of publishing employees in 2022
- Women represented 65% of the publishing workforce in 2022
- Average salary in publishing: 38,000 euros gross annually in 2022
- Editorial roles: 12,000 employees in 2022
- Marketing and sales staff: 8,000 in 2022
- Production and printing staff: 5,000 in publishing firms in 2022
- Hachette Livre France employed 6,500 people in 2022
- Editis: 3,200 employees in 2022
- Madrigall group: 900 employees in 2022
- Freelancers in publishing: estimated 10,000 in 2022
- Turnover per employee: 77,000 euros in 2022
- Apprenticeships in publishing: 1,200 new in 2022
- Job creation: +1,500 posts in 2022
- Independent publishers employed 18,000 in 2022
- Digital specialists: 2,500 employees in 2022, up 15%
- Unions membership: 40% of workforce in 2022
- Remote work adoption: 25% of publishing jobs in 2022
- CEO average age: 52 years in French publishers 2022
- Diversity: 12% non-French nationals in workforce 2022
- Training budget: 2% of payroll in 2022
- Unemployment rate in sector: 4.2% in 2022
- In 2021, employment was 34,000
Employment and Structure Interpretation
Paris is both the beating heart and the stubborn head of French publishing, where a predominantly female, unionized, and modestly paid workforce fuels an industry that is cautiously growing, digitally evolving, and still comfortably centered around a few traditional giants.
International Aspects
- French book exports value: 450 million euros in 2022, 17% of turnover
- Top export market Germany: 80 million euros in 2022
- US market for French books: 65 million euros in 2022
- Comics exports: 150 million euros in 2022
- Rights sales revenue: 120 million euros in 2022
- Foreign sales of French youth books: 90 million euros
- Frankfurter Buchmesse French stands: 200 publishers in 2022
- Translations from French abroad: 4,500 titles licensed in 2022
- Asia-Pacific exports growth: +10% to 50 million euros 2022
- English-speaking markets 40% of exports value in 2022
International Aspects Interpretation
While the French literary world might seem lost in its own philosophical musings, the robust 450 million euros in book exports and the strategic dominance of comics, youth titles, and rights sales prove it's actually running a highly successful, globally-minded business with Germany as its favorite customer and English speakers as its biggest spenders.
Revenue and Turnover
- In 2022, the total turnover of the French publishing industry was 2.7 billion euros, representing a 1.2% increase from 2021
- Trade publishing accounted for 86% of the total publishing turnover in France in 2022, equaling 2.32 billion euros
- Educational publishing generated 281 million euros in turnover in 2022, a decline of 4.7% from the previous year
- Illustrated books contributed 92 million euros to the French publishing turnover in 2022, up 5.9%
- The youth book segment turnover reached 655 million euros in 2022, growing by 2.8%
- Comic books generated 561 million euros in 2022, a 7.1% increase over 2021
- Literary fiction turnover stood at 428 million euros in 2022, stable from 2021
- The overall publishing industry turnover per capita in France was approximately 40 euros in 2022
- Stationery and office supplies publishing added 55 million euros to turnover in 2022
- In 2021, French publishing turnover was 2.66 billion euros
- Pocket book format turnover was 215 million euros in 2022, up 1.5%
- Hardback books turnover reached 456 million euros in 2022
- The Paris region accounted for 65% of national publishing turnover in 2022
- Independent publishers' turnover grew by 3% to 1.2 billion euros in 2022
- Hachette Livre's French turnover was 1.1 billion euros in 2022
- Editis group's turnover in France was 650 million euros in 2022
- Madrigall group's turnover reached 180 million euros in 2022
- Flammarion's French operations turnover was 120 million euros in 2022
- Total publishing exports turnover was 450 million euros in 2022
- In 2023 Q1, publishing turnover rose 2.5% to 680 million euros
- School book publishing turnover fell 6% to 70 million euros in 2022
- University publishing turnover was 45 million euros in 2022, stable
- Religious books turnover 28 million euros in 2022, down 1%
- Art books turnover 65 million euros in 2022, up 4%
- Travel guides turnover 32 million euros in 2022, down 5%
- Dictionaries and encyclopedias turnover 22 million euros in 2022
- The publishing industry's EBITDA margin averaged 8.5% in 2022
- R&D spending in French publishing was 1.2% of turnover in 2022
- In 2020, pandemic impacted turnover dropping it by 5% to 2.5 billion euros
Revenue and Turnover Interpretation
While overall sales showed a cautious recovery to €2.7 billion, the French publishing industry in 2022 was a tale of two shelves: one where comics and children's books thrived with lively growth, and another where educational and reference titles seemed to be quietly gathering dust.
Sales Volumes
- French books sold totaled 366 million units in 2022, down 1% from 2021
- Comics sold 51 million units in 2022, +5%
- Youth books: 70 million units sold in 2022, stable
- Pocket books: 82 million units in 2022, +1.5%
- Literature general: 45 million units in 2022
- Practical books: 35 million units in 2022, -3%
- Illustrated books: 12 million units in 2022, +4%
- School books: 25 million units in 2022, -5%
- Foreign books sold in France: 22 million units in 2022
- Bestsellers accounted for 15% of total sales volume in 2022
- Online sales represented 22% of total book sales volume in 2022
- Physical bookstore sales: 65% of volume in 2022
- Supermarket sales: 8% of volume, 28 million units in 2022
- Digital book sales volume: 12 million units in 2022, +8%
- Audiobook downloads: 4.5 million units in 2022
- Comics manga subcategory: 18 million units in 2022
- French authors' books: 85% of sales volume in 2022
- Export sales volume: 30 million units in 2022
- Independent publishers' sales: 160 million units in 2022
- Hachette Livre France sales: 120 million units in 2022
- Editis sales volume: 70 million units in 2022
- Gallimard sales: 25 million units in 2022
- Top 10 bestsellers sold over 5 million units combined in 2022
- Average sales per title: 4,700 units in 2022
- In 2021, total sales were 370 million units
- Thrillers sold 12 million units in 2022
Sales Volumes Interpretation
In a year where French literature's grand total dipped slightly, the nation's bookshelves told a more nuanced story, revealing a populace that is increasingly graphic (comics up 5%), practical at home (those books down 3%), studious in theory (school books down 5%), nostalgic for paper (65% sold in physical shops), yet undeniably loyal to its own authors (85% of sales) and still irresistibly drawn to a blockbuster thriller.
Turnover
- Practical books turnover was 318 million euros in 2022, down 2.3%
Turnover Interpretation
The French appetite for "practical" guides seems to have lost a few pages, with a modest but telling 2.3% dip suggesting even the most instructive tomes weren't immune to last year's belt-tightening.
Sources & References
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