The European book market statistics were presented by FEP Deputy Director Enrico Turrin, with introductory remarks by FEP Vice-President Phaedon Kidoniatis.
Key Highlights from the 2024-25 European Book Market Statistics
- Turnover: The European book market reached its highest-ever nominal turnover in 2024 at €24.9 billion, surpassing the previous 2007 peak. However, inflation-adjusted figures tell a different story, with real turnover down to €15.5 billion, compared to €22.2 billion in 2007.
- Price and inflation gap: Book prices have risen only 38.3% over the past 20 years, far below general inflation (64.1%), putting sustained pressure on publisher margins.
- Turnover by format: Print books still dominate (82.9% of total turnover), but audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment, reaching 4.2% of sales in 2024.
- Turnover by distribution channel: Physical bookstores account for 48.2% of turnover; online book sales decreased to 23.5%.
- Turnover by destination: Book exports increased to 20.3%, though still below pre-2015 levels.
The FEP report on the European book market also highlighted a worrying trend in reading engagement:
- 47.2% of Europeans aged 16 and over are non-readers (source: Eurostat).
- The main reason is lack of interest, not affordability.
The full presentation is available from FEP’s website here. The recording of the session is available on the Frankfurter Buchmesse media library.
Photo credit: FEP.