In 2024, the European book market achieved its highest recorded nominal turnover of €24.9 billion, surpassing the previous record set in 2007. This was stated in the annual report on the state of the European book market by the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) for 2024-2025, which was presented on the first day of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The FEP unites 31 national publishers’ associations, representing over 6,000 members and more than 80% of the European market. The report presents detailed figures for the book sector for 2024 and preliminary trends for 2025.
The overall market situation indicates nominal growth
According to the report, the 2024 European book market reached its highest nominal turnover in recorded history — €24.9 billion, exceeding the 2007 figure (€22.2 billion). However, when inflation is taken into account, real turnover is €15.5 billion.
The total market value (at retail prices) is estimated to be between €36–39 billion, and the growth in 2024 is 2.2%. However, the FEP emphasizes that this growth is due to price increases rather than an increase in sales volume.
In the last twenty years, book prices have risen by just 38.3%, while overall inflation in the EU reached 64.1%. This gap continues to strain the profitability of publishers. Among the main cost drivers are inflation and higher prices for paper, logistics, and energy.
In total, more than 2.5 billion books in all formats were sold in Europe in 2024, which is 5.1% less than in 2020 (approximately 95 million copies less). At the same time, the number of new titles is steadily growing. In 2024, 580,000 new books were printed, and the total active catalog of publishers includes 14.3 million titles (compared to 5.25 million in 2006).
The growing popularity of e-books and audiobooks
Printed books continue to be the main source of income, making up 82.9% of total turnover. E-books maintain a consistent 12.9% share, and audiobooks have grown in popularity, now comprising 4.2% of sales, up from 2.5% in 2021.
The audio books segment showed double-digit growth in most countries:
United Kingdom +16.2%
Germany +7.3%
Italy +7.1%
Sweden +8.2%
Finland −0.4%, Denmark −6.3%
E-books are also becoming more popular:
United Kingdom +13.3%
France +4%
Germany +2.2%
Italy +4%
Sweden +10.4%, Denmark −8.8%
After a decline during the pandemic period, physical bookstores remain the main sales channel, accounting for 48% of total turnover. The share of online sales fell to 23.5%, while sales by publishers themselves (including libraries and clubs) accounted for 17.3%. Sales through supermarkets and other stores account for 11.1%.
Countries with the highest sales
Germany, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are the leaders in book sales. The largest number of new titles in 2024 was published in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and Poland. Poland ranks sixth among European countries in terms of the number of titles for the second year in a row.
The most popular genres and types of books:
Fiction and non-fiction literature (trade books): 50.7% of the market.
Educational books: 17.9%.
Children’s books: 14.6% (trend toward slowing growth).
Academic and professional publications: 16.7%.
Book exports have partially recovered after the pandemic period and are 20.3% of total turnover (this figure is still lower than in 2015, when exports accounted for 22–23%). According to Eurostat, book prices have risen by only 38.3% over 20 years, while overall inflation has been 64.1%. The price gap reduces publishers’ profit margins and promotes the development of new revenue models, including subscriptions, the second-hand market, and reading books in their original language (primarily English). At the same time domestic market sales stabilized in 2024 , with 79.7% of books sold within their country of origin.
Decrease in readership
According to Eurostat, 47.2% of Europeans aged 16 and older do not read books at all.
The main reason is lack of interest (51.3%), while financial barriers play a minimal role (1.8%).
Among young people aged 16–29, the proportion of those who do not read books is 39.8%, while among people aged 65 and older, it is over 52%. Among men, 55.5% do not read, while among women, the figure is 39.5%. The level of education also plays its role: 67.6% of people without higher education don’t read, while this figure is 27.2% among university graduates. People with higher education read three times more often than those with only basic education.
City residents read more often than those who live in rural areas. 40.4% of city residents do not read books, compared to 60.1% of rural residents. Among people with below-average incomes, 60% do not read books, while the figure is 44.7% for those with higher incomes. In the first half of 2025, the overall market dynamics remain unchanged. Sales value increases by 4.1%, while the volume of books sold continues to decline. The only market with continuous growth over 12 years is Spain.
View the full presentation of data from the Federation of European Publishers here.
During 2022, against the backdrop of increased demand for online purchases, sales of publications in bookstores in the EU fell significantly.
As reported, according to preliminary reports, the net profit of publishers in the EU increased by 1.6% in 2023.
Images: Frankfurt Book Fair
Copy editing: Terra Friedman King