Adult fiction book sales increased by *** percent between 2022 and 2023, with 2023 unit sales hitting ***** million, up from just over *** million in the previous year. All other categories saw a year-over-year decrease in print unit sales, particularly juvenile non-fiction, which suffered a decrease of *** percent.

In Hungary, romance was the leading e-book genre in 2022, accounting for ** percent of the books sold. World literature followed in the ranking, with a ** percent share.

In 20202, the net revenue of the U.S. professional book publishing industry was 1.47 billion U.S. dollars. After the years 2014 and 2015 saw the revenue surpass three billion, annual decreases have been recorded ever since and trends suggest this decline will continue each year.

In 2022, the estimated net revenue of the U.S. trade book publishing industry amounted to 17.36 billion U.S. dollars, up from 17.04 billion in the previous year. Revenues have been creeping up each year since 2013, and years of steady growth has led to an overall increase of almost two billion U.S. dollars in that period. Important to note is that when reporting the 2022 figure, the source noted that the 2022 figure was 6.6 percent lower than in 2021, however did not report an updated exact figure for 2021.

The estimated total revenue of the U.S. higher education book publishing industry in 2022 was 3.18 billion U.S. dollars. Back in 2013, higher education publishing generated over 4.8 billion U.S. dollars, but this figure decreased semi-consistently thereafter.

In 2023, the revenue of specialized literature accounted for the highest share of publisher's total sales to physical bookstores in Denmark, at just over ** percent. The second most profitable genre was fiction, with a share of roughly ** percent.

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E-Book Market Size 2025-2029

The e-book market size is forecast to increase by USD 14.52 billion, at a CAGR of 10.7% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing adoption of various e-book formats and the expanding reader base. Publishers are embracing digital publishing to cater to the evolving preferences of consumers, who value the convenience and accessibility of e-books. This trend is further fueled by the availability of e-readers and advanced mobile devices, enabling readers to carry a vast library of books in a compact form. However, the market faces challenges as well. Privacy concerns are on the rise, with growing reports of data breaches targeting e-book platforms and readers' personal information. These incidents have the potential to deter consumers, threatening the trust and security of the market.
Companies must prioritize robust data protection measures to mitigate these risks and safeguard their users' privacy. By addressing these challenges and continuing to innovate, players in the market can capitalize on the vast opportunities presented by the digital publishing landscape.

What will be the Size of the E-Book Market during the forecast period?

Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
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The market continues to evolve, with dynamic market dynamics shaping its growth and applications across various sectors. Online sales dominate the distribution channels, offering consumers the convenience of purchasing and accessing digital content instantly. File formats, such as EPUB and MOBI, are continually refined to enhance the reading experience, with adjustable font sizes and text scaling catering to individual user needs. Copyright protection and software updates ensure content security and maintain consumer trust. Consumer behavior drives the demand for e-books, with preferences shifting towards subscription services and cloud storage. Backlit displays and e-ink technology offer improved reading experiences, while user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design advancements facilitate seamless navigation and accessibility features cater to diverse user needs.

Audiobook support and page-turn buttons are integrated into e-book readers, enhancing the overall user experience. Product development and customer service are crucial components, with technical support and content management systems streamlining operations for e-book retailers. Sales data analysis and demographic insights inform marketing strategies, while wholesale distribution and wireless connectivity expand reach and accessibility. E-book retailers leverage content licensing and delivery systems to offer a vast library of titles, catering to diverse genres and interests. Library management and note-taking features enable users to organize and engage with their digital content, further enhancing the value proposition. The market's continuous evolution reflects the industry's commitment to delivering innovative solutions and meeting the evolving needs of consumers.

How is this E-Book Industry segmented?

The e-book industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Product

  Consumer e-book
  Professional e-book
  Educational e-book


Platform

  Smartphones
  Tablet and laptops
  Desktops
  Smart TVs


Business Model

  Pay-per-download
  Subscription-based
  Freemium
  Lending/Borrowing


Genre

  Fiction
  Non-fiction
  Young Adult
  Comics/Graphic Novels


Geography

  North America

    US
    Canada


  Europe

    France
    Germany
    Spain
    UK


  Middle East and Africa

    UAE


  APAC

    China
    India
    Japan
    South Korea


  South America

    Brazil


  Rest of World (ROW)

By Product Insights

The consumer e-book segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The market is witnessing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for digital content among individual consumers. E-books, which primarily include adult fiction and other genres, are bought predominantly by end-users. The popularity of e-books is on the rise due to evolving reading habits and the availability of compelling fictional stories. Young adult literature has gained considerable significance in recent years. European countries, such as Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium, generate substantial revenues from the sales of fiction e-books. Fiction books are broadly classified into two categories: literary fiction and commercial fiction. Consumer behavior indicates a preference for adjustable font sizes and search functionality in their reading exp

Throughout 2022, approximately *** million book copies were sold across Mexico. Out of the total, ** million were pieces related to basic education. Textbooks and children's literature (counted as a single genre) and books on learning the English language followed, selling ** million and ** million copies that year. Altogether, schools and universities accounted for around one-fifth of book sales revenue in Mexico in 2022.

In 2022, contemporary fiction was the best-selling e-book genre in Peru, accounting for almost ** percent of total e-book sales revenue. Self-help and personal development e-books ranked second with a share of *** percent. Overall, e-book sales revenue in Peru amounted to ** thousand euros in 2022.

Retail sales data for bookstores in the United States showed that the sales of U.S. book retailers amounted to 596 million U.S. dollars in November 2023, marking a decrease from the 618 million recorded in the same month of the previous year. Book formats in the United States Print books still generate the majority of book sales revenue in the United States, with hardback books alone pulling in 3.7 billion U.S. dollars of the 9.5 billion total in 2021. Meanwhile, e-book sales growth is sluggish. The number of e-books sold each year is notoriously difficult to track and results depend on the data provided by publishers, and official figures show that annual e-book revenue has yet to reach 1.5 billion U.S. dollars. When it comes to audiobooks, physical audiobook revenue has fallen consistently since 2017, whereas downloaded audio revenue is increasing. Audiobook consumption Audiobook sales revenue is climbing in tandem with the share of U.S. adults listening to audiobooks in general. One of the advantages of audiobooks is the ability to enjoy them whilst on the move, but data shows that more and more consumers have begun listening to them at home. Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased in-home media consumption, the home was already a popular location for audiobook listening prior to the outbreak, with a survey from 2019 revealing that the same share of respondents listened to audiobooks at home as those who did so in the car. Given their unique appeal, audiobooks will continue to gather ground. Print, however, is still the preferred book format, and new print books outperform used books in terms of popularity which is good news for the book market.

In 2022, contemporary fiction accounted for almost ********* of e-book sales in Colombia. The self-help and romantic genres followed, with shares of about *** and *** percent, respectively. Colombia's e-book sales revenue decreased by nearly ** percent in 2022.

The best-selling print book in the United States in 2023 ranked by unit sales was "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover, with a total of just over 1.29 million sales. Other successful books which sold well that year included two more by Hoover, including "It Starts With Us" and "Verity". The top 10 best-selling print books in 2023 were written mostly by women, with Rebecca Yarros also enjoying over one million unit sales of both her books "Fourth Wing" and "Iron Flames". Prince Harry's book "Spare" ranked third with 1.22 million units sold. Print book sales remain stable In 2023, adult nonfiction sales of print books in the U.S. amounted to over 280 million. Whilst this was the lowest recorded since 2017, the category remained the bestselling book category. Adult fiction sales on the other hand rose to over 190 million units, continuing the upward trend from previous years. Despite the growing prevalence of digital books, print remains a popular option. Print still accounts for the majority of U.S. book sales revenue According to the most recently available data, the size of the U.S. audiobook market was estimated at 1.8 billion U.S. dollars, and could soon surpass the two billion dollar mark if annual growth continues at the same rate. Whilst sales of digital books are generally more difficult to track and therefore prone to adjustments, data shows that print still accounts for the majority of U.S. books sales revenue, at roughly three times the amount generated by e-books and audiobooks combined. Print book sales in the U.S are overall higher than in the early 2000s, showing not only an ongoing interest in the format but even an uptick in book buying in recent years.

In 2023, around *** million children and youth books were sold in Sweden, as well as *** million books in the fiction category. Combined, the latter two categories, along with crime and suspense, accounted for the majority of all books sold in Sweden in 2022.

In 2022, contemporary fiction accounted for over one-fifth (**** percent) of e-book sales in Mexico. The self-help and personal development genre followed with a share of around **** percent. Mexico's e-book sales revenue increased by nearly ** percent in 2022.

In 2022, contemporary fiction accounted for over ** percent of e-book sales in Chile. The romantic and erotica genre followed, with a share of more than ** percent. Chile's e-book sales revenue declined by close to ** percent in 2022.

Over ** percent of revenue generated in 2023 was due to fiction sales, followed by children's and young adult books. Self-help books brought up the top three.

In the first eight months of 2022, electronic books accounted for ** percent of fiction book revenue of the Russian digital book provider LitRes. Thus, audiobooks occupied a share of ** percent. The share of audiobooks was higher in the revenue from non-fiction digital book sales, at ** percent.

According to the most recently available data, Spiegel & Gray, based in New York City, was the fastest growing independent book publisher in the United States based on sales growth with an increase of 292 percent between 2021 and 2023. The only other indie publisher to see sales growth of 100 percent or more during that time period was LA-based Tokyo Pop.

In 2022, contemporary fiction accounted for **** percent of e-book sales in Argentina, while the romantic novels and erotica genre held a share of **** percent. Argentina's e-book sales revenue plummeted by over ** percent in 2022.

Consumer expenditure on recreational books in the United States amounted to 29.32 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, up from just under 27.5 billion a year earlier. Americans tend to spend around 22 billion U.S. dollars on recreational books each year, but the years 2021 to 2023 saw the figure reach and then surpass levels last seen in the early 2000s.