While the UK publishing industry thrives with a staggering £6.64 billion market value and sees a staggering 62% of its revenue coming from exports, its true story is found not just in impressive statistics but in the resilient and innovative people who turn every page.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the UK publishing industry's total market value reached £6.64 billion, up 3% from the previous year.
- UK book publishing revenue from consumer sales was £2.85 billion in 2022.
- Export revenue for UK publishers hit £4.1 billion in 2022, representing 62% of total sales.
- The UK publishing industry employed 38,000 people in 2021.
- There were 2,450 publishing companies in the UK in 2022.
- London accounted for 45% of UK publishing employment with 17,100 jobs in 2021.
- 225 million physical books sold in UK in 2022.
- Adult fiction sales volume was 85.2 million units in 2022.
- Children's fiction sold 32.1 million copies in 2022.
- Print books represented 82% of sales volume in 2022.
- E-books accounted for 11% of total book sales value in 2022.
- Audiobooks made up 7% of the market value in 2022.
- 52% of UK adults bought at least one book in 2022.
- Average spend per book buyer was £45 in 2022.
- 28% of consumers read more books post-pandemic in 2022.
UK publishing thrives on exports, print sales, and digital growth in 2022.
Consumer Behavior
- 52% of UK adults bought at least one book in 2022.
- Average spend per book buyer was £45 in 2022.
- 28% of consumers read more books post-pandemic in 2022.
- Women accounted for 62% of book purchasers in 2022.
- 18-24 year olds bought 15% more books digitally in 2022.
- 41% of buyers shopped online exclusively for books 2022.
- Book clubs membership grew 10% to 2.5 million in 2022.
- 35% of readers prefer physical books over digital in 2022.
- Diverse authors' books bought by 22% of consumers in 2022.
- Audiobook listeners increased 25% to 12 million adults 2022.
- 47% of parents bought books for children weekly 2022.
- Loyalty to high street booksellers: 32% in 2022.
- Impulse book buys at supermarkets: 28% of sales 2022.
- Subscription services used by 8% of book buyers 2022.
- Social media influence on purchases: 55% in 2022.
- Second-hand book buying up 12% to 15 million units 2022.
- Reading frequency: 68% read daily or weekly 2022.
- Gift book purchases: 40% of annual sales in 2022.
- Eco-conscious buying influenced 19% in 2022.
- TikTok BookTok drove 20% sales uplift in YA 2022.
Consumer Behavior Interpretation
While the industry is being reshaped by digital trends and social media, the enduring British love affair with the physical book persists, fueled by a post-pandemic reading revival, a surge in audiobooks, and the stubborn loyalty of shoppers who still cherish both high street bookshops and a well-timed supermarket impulse buy.
Employment Statistics
- The UK publishing industry employed 38,000 people in 2021.
- There were 2,450 publishing companies in the UK in 2022.
- London accounted for 45% of UK publishing employment with 17,100 jobs in 2021.
- Average salary in UK publishing was £32,500 in 2022.
- 65% of publishing workforce were women in 2022.
- Editorial roles made up 28% of publishing jobs in 2022.
- Marketing and sales staff comprised 22% of the workforce in 2021.
- Production and design roles were 15% of total employment in 2022.
- Senior management in publishing was 72% white in 2022 diversity report.
- Freelance workers in publishing numbered 12,000 in 2021.
- Publishing apprenticeships grew to 450 in 2022.
- BAME representation in publishing reached 14% in 2022.
- Disability disclosure in workforce was 8% in 2022.
- IT and digital roles increased by 20% to 4,500 jobs in 2022.
- Small publishers (under 10 employees) numbered 1,800 in 2022.
- Large publishers employed 70% of the workforce in 2021.
- Turnover per employee in publishing averaged £175,000 in 2022.
- New entrants to publishing workforce: 3,200 in 2022.
- Publishing sector GVA per employee was £84,000 in 2021.
Employment Statistics Interpretation
In a realm where nearly two-thirds of the workforce are women yet senior leadership remains overwhelmingly white, the UK publishing industry—packed into London and a handful of large corporations—somehow spins stories of £175,000 per head while paying its editors and designers a rather more modest, plot-twisting average of £32,500.
Format Breakdown
- Print books represented 82% of sales volume in 2022.
- E-books accounted for 11% of total book sales value in 2022.
- Audiobooks made up 7% of the market value in 2022.
- Hardcovers were 25% of physical sales volume in 2022.
- Paperbacks dominated with 68% of print sales in 2022.
- Digital formats grew from 15% to 18% market share 2021-2022.
- Large format hardbacks increased 12% in sales in 2022.
- Mass market paperbacks declined 2% in volume in 2022.
- Children's board books were 15% of children's print sales in 2022.
- E-book fiction share was 20% in adult category 2022.
- Audiobook fiction sales up 35% in units 2022.
- Print non-fiction held 85% format dominance in 2022.
- Digital academic journals were 75% of STM format in 2022.
- Trade paperbacks 55% of adult fiction print in 2022.
- Enhanced e-books represented 2% of digital sales 2022.
- Vinyl-bound books grew 8% in premium format sales 2022.
- Boxed sets sales up 15% in children's formats 2022.
- Print-on-demand units: 5 million in 2022.
- Braille and large print: 0.5% of total formats 2022.
Format Breakdown Interpretation
The data reveals a publishing industry stubbornly in love with the tactile, as print books still clutch 82% of sales volume, while digital formats, though growing, seem content to whisper in our ears and flicker on our screens—for now.
Market Revenue
- In 2022, the UK publishing industry's total market value reached £6.64 billion, up 3% from the previous year.
- UK book publishing revenue from consumer sales was £2.85 billion in 2022.
- Export revenue for UK publishers hit £4.1 billion in 2022, representing 62% of total sales.
- The academic publishing segment generated £1.2 billion in domestic revenue in 2022.
- Children's book publishing revenue stood at £428 million in 2022.
- Trade publishing revenue increased by 5% to £1.7 billion in 2022.
- STM (Science, Technology, Medicine) publishing revenue was £1.8 billion in 2022.
- Overall publishing turnover grew 2.4% to £5.9 billion in 2021.
- Digital publishing revenue accounted for 18% of total at £1.2 billion in 2022.
- Educational publishing revenue reached £850 million in 2022.
- UK publishing GVA was £3.2 billion in 2021.
- B2B publishing revenue totalled £450 million in 2022.
- Fiction category revenue was £650 million in 2022.
- Non-fiction revenue hit £1.1 billion in 2022.
- Audiobook revenue surged to £100 million in 2022.
- Professional publishing revenue was £720 million in 2022.
- UK publishers' total sales value increased 1% to £6.7 billion in 2023 forecast.
- Print book retail sales revenue was £2.4 billion in 2022.
- E-book revenue totalled £500 million in 2022.
- Subscription-based publishing revenue grew to £250 million in 2022.
Market Revenue Interpretation
The UK publishing industry, proving that reports of its death are greatly exaggerated, is a £6.64 billion behemoth that cleverly sells more stories abroad than at home while quietly betting on a future where audiobooks, academic journals, and children's tales are all equally lucrative chapters in its ongoing success story.
Sales Volumes
- 225 million physical books sold in UK in 2022.
- Adult fiction sales volume was 85.2 million units in 2022.
- Children's fiction sold 32.1 million copies in 2022.
- Total book sales value at retail was £2.85 billion in 2022.
- Biographies sold 18.4 million units in 2022.
- Religious books sales reached 7.5 million in 2022.
- Poetry sales volume increased 25% to 1.2 million units in 2022.
- Bestselling books accounted for 15% of total sales volume in 2022.
- Independent booksellers sold 12 million books in 2022.
- Online retail captured 65% of physical book sales volume in 2022.
- Supermarket book sales were 28 million units in 2022.
- Export sales volume equivalent to 100 million books in 2022.
- Mind Body Spirit category sold 5.6 million units in 2022.
- History books sold 14.3 million copies in 2022.
- Total e-book units sold: 85 million in 2022.
- Audiobook units distributed: 112 million in 2022.
- Hardback sales volume: 42 million units in 2022.
- Paperback sales: 160 million units in 2022.
- Picture books sold 9.8 million copies in 2022.
- Celebrity memoirs sold 4.2 million units in 2022.
Sales Volumes Interpretation
Despite algorithms and audiobooks commanding the digital airwaves, the UK's £2.85 billion book market proves we remain, at heart, a nation of paperback people, still buying over 225 million physical tomes to escape, learn, or pry into a celebrity's soul.
Trends and Forecasts
- Digital publishing market projected to grow 5% annually to 2027.
- AI adoption in publishing expected to reach 40% by 2025.
- Sustainability initiatives cover 70% of publishers by 2023.
- Diversity in author lists to hit 30% by 2025 forecast.
- Audiobook market to double to £200 million by 2026.
- Self-publishing titles to reach 1 million annually by 2025.
- VR/AR books projected 15% growth in niche 2023-2027.
- Export growth forecast at 4% CAGR to £5 billion by 2027.
- Open access academic publishing to 25% market share 2025.
- NFT-linked books pilot sales up 300% in 2023 early data.
- Personalized printing tech adoption 50% by 2026.
- Metaverse events for launches expected 20% engagement boost 2024.
- Subscription models to 15% revenue by 2027.
- Print decline to 70% market share by 2027.
- Children's digital content growth 8% annually to 2027.
Trends and Forecasts Interpretation
The publishing industry is frantically sprinting into a more digital, diverse, and slightly surreal future, where audiobooks and AI tools are booming while print quietly takes a dignified step back.
Sources & References
- Reference 1PUBLISHERSpublishers.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 2NIELSENBOOKnielsenbook.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 3STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 4THEBOOKSELLERthebookseller.comVisit source
- Reference 5IBISWORLDibisworld.comVisit source
- Reference 6GOVgov.ukVisit source
- Reference 7PWCpwc.comVisit source
- Reference 8DCMSdcms.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 9SOCIETYOFYOUNGPUBLISHERSsocietyofyoungpublishers.comVisit source
- Reference 10SOCIETYOFAUTHORSsocietyofauthors.orgVisit source
- Reference 11ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 12RNIBrnib.org.ukVisit source