This is the definitive statistical resource on global book publishing covering topics from total titles published and market revenue to author earnings, format trends, and the forces reshaping reading worldwide.
$151B
Global book market
4M+
Books published in the US (2025)
26.2%
Audiobook compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
3,783
US indie bookstores
In 2026, the global publishing industry is larger, more complex, and more dynamic than at any point in history. With over $151 billion in global book market revenue, 4 million titles published in the United States alone in 2025, and audiobooks growing at a staggering 26% annually, the numbers tell a story of an industry in profound transformation.
Drawing on data from the Association of American Publishers (AAP), R.R. Bowker, Nielsen BookData, Pew Research Center, and leading market research firms, this report synthesizes the most frequently cited, most searched-for statistics in publishing into a single authoritative resource.
The clearest story in the data: self-publishing has gone from a footnote to a force. In 2025, self-published titles outnumbered traditionally published books by more than 5-to-1 in the United States. At the same time, audiobooks have decisively surpassed e-books in US market share.
And independent bookstores, once written off as casualties of the digital age, are opening at record rates, with ABA membership up 19% in 2025 alone.
This is the definitive resource for journalists, researchers, authors, and publishing professionals seeking current and citable data on the state of books.
Table of Contents
Key Findings at a Glance
Here are five statistics that define publishing in 2026 that every industry observer should know.
4M+
Books were published in the United States in 2025. That’s a 32.5% jump over 2024, driven overwhelmingly by self-published titles (3.5 million).
$151B
The global book market's total value in 2024, projected to reach $192 billion by 2030 at a 4.2% CAGR, proving books are a resilient, growing industry worldwide.
26.2%
The projected annual growth rate of the global audiobook market through 2030. This is the single fastest-growing segment in all of publishing, now surpassing e-books in US market share.
59M
Print books sold in the US in 2024 that were directly influenced by TikTok's #BookTok community, generating an estimated $760M+ in US revenue tied to social media discovery.
+87%
Increase in independent bookstore openings in 2025 over 2024, with 605 new stores opening and only 65 closing. This is a stunning revival for a channel many had declared dead.
Why This Data Matters
Publishing sits at the intersection of culture, technology, commerce, and education. The data in this report has direct implications for authors, educators, investors, retailers, journalists, and policymakers.
- Authors making decisions about whether to self-publish or seek traditional deals need accurate royalty, earnings, and sales data
- Investors and entrepreneurs evaluating opportunities in edtech, audio, or retail need reliable market-size benchmarks
- Educators and literacy advocates need reading habit data to understand and address participation gaps
- Journalists covering books, media, and tech regularly need citable, up-to-date statistics
- Publishers and booksellers need genre and demographic breakdowns to make editorial and stocking decisions
This report aggregates data from the industry's most authoritative sources, updated annually, so that anyone who needs a number can find it here.
The Publishing Landscape: How Many Books?
The US published 4,172,222 ISBN-registered titles in 2025. That’s one of the largest single-year surges in publishing history.
To put that in context: that's more than 11,000 new books every single day.
According to R.R. Bowker, the official ISBN agency for the United States, this represents a 32.5% jump over 2024. Globally, UNESCO data puts total annual output at approximately 2.2 to 2.4 million new books across all countries, with the US, China, UK, and India leading by volume.
The driving force behind the surge is unambiguous: self-publishing.
Self-published titles grew 38.7% year over year, from 2.5 million in 2024 to more than 3.5 million in 2025. Traditionally published titles, by contrast, rose a comparatively modest 6.6% to 642,242. When you do that math, self-published books now outnumber traditionally published books in the US by more than 5 to 1.
From 2022 to 2025, self-published book output grew by 43.5%. Traditionally published output grew by 10% over the same period.
That gap isn't closing.
Within traditionally published categories, adult fiction led at 39,681 titles in 2025, followed by juvenile fiction (24,768), juvenile nonfiction (21,283), business and economics (18,105), and religion (16,095).
A note on AI-generated content: Publishers Weekly and Bowker have flagged a growing volume of AI-generated titles as a significant and still-unmeasured portion of the self-published surge. The Authors Guild has launched a human-authored certification program in response, and the debate over AI disclosure in ISBN registration will shape publishing infrastructure for years to come. What this means practically for readers: discoverability and trust are becoming more valuable, not less.
US Books Published by Category (2025)
Self-Published - 3.5M+
Traditionally Published - 642,242
+43.5%
Growth in self-published books from 2022 to 2025
+10%
Growth in traditionally published books from 2022 to 2025
~170M
Estimated total unique books in existence worldwide as of 2024
Within traditionally published categories, adult fiction leads at 39,681 titles in 2025, followed by juvenile fiction (24,768), juvenile nonfiction (21,283), business and economics (18,105), and religion (16,095).
A notable and controversial factor in the 2025 surge is the growing volume of AI-generated titles, a trend Publishers Weekly and Bowker have flagged as a significant and still-unmeasured portion of self-published output.
"The book marketplace has become terribly oversaturated. Not only were 4.2 million new titles published in 2025 in the U.S., most titles published in recent decades are still available for sale on Amazon."
Publishers Weekly / BookScan Analysis, 2026
The Global Book Market
Books are a $151 billion global industry. And that industry is growing.
Despite predictions of digital disruption, the total market has expanded consistently over the past decade.
The global book market was valued at approximately $151 billion in 2024, with projections from Grand View Research pointing to $192.1 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 4.2%. Within that total, approximately 2.2 billion books are sold annually worldwide.
Global Book Market Revenue by Country (2024 Share)
| Country | 2024 Market Share |
|---|---|
| United States | 24.7% |
| China | 19.4% |
| Germany | 9.2% |
| Japan | 8.7% |
| United Kingdom | 3.5% |
Source: Expert Market Research, 2025
North America dominates global revenues, accounting for approximately 33.2% of the total market, which was equivalent to $49.8 billion in 2024.
Within North America, the United States alone generated $24.77 billion in book revenue in 2025, making it the single largest national book market in the world.
The Asia-Pacific region generated 36.66% of global revenue in 2025, anchored by China, where digital readership has reached 38%.
India is the fastest-growing major book market, with fiction sales surging 30.7% in 2024 alone.
| Market / Segment | 2024 Value | Projected 2030 | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Book Market (Total) | $151.0B | $192.1B | 4.2% |
| US Book Market Revenue | $32.5B (AAP) | ~$40B est. | ~3.5% |
| North America (Regional) | $49.8B | — | — |
| UK Consumer Publishing | £2.5B (~$3.1B) | — | — |
| Children's Books (Global) | $10.4B | $15.5B | 5.88% |
| Self-Publishing Market | $1.85B | $6.16B | 16.7% |
Format Breakdown: Print vs. eBook vs. Audio
Print still dominates the publishing industry by volume and revenue, but audiobooks have quietly overtaken e-books in US market share, marking a historic shift in how Americans consume books.
In 2025, the format breakdown of US trade book sales told a clear story: print books commanded approximately 78.5% of revenue, e-books accounted for 10%, and digital audio (audiobooks) hit 11.5%, surpassing e-books.
In terms of units, the picture is even more print-dominant: approximately 762.4 million print books were sold in the US in 2025, growing 23% over the prior decade.
US Trade Book Revenue by Format
Print Books 78.5% - $18.7B est.
Digital Audio (Audiobooks) 11.5% - $2.2B
eBooks 10.0% - $2.1B
Source: Association of American Publishers (AAP) StatShot, 2025
762M
Print books sold in the US in 2025 (slight increase of 0.3% over 2024)
$14.9B
Projected global eBook market revenue in 2025
67%
US adults who say they prefer the feel and experience of a physical book
Globally, print books accounted for approximately 78% of total book revenue in 2025, a figure that has remained remarkably stable despite years of predictions about a "digital takeover." In fact, the global physical book market is expected to grow at 0.37% CAGR through 2029, reaching $70.75 billion.
Meanwhile, the global eBook market was valued at approximately $22.45 billion in 2024 and is forecast to exceed $36.57 billion by 2034.
eBook user penetration stands at 13.7% globally in 2025, up steadily year over year. However, in the US, the e-book share of trade revenue has actually remained flat or declined slightly since its 2014 peak, settling at around 10% of trade revenue.
Where Books Are Sold
Amazon's dominance in book retail is profound, but physical bookstores are staging a comeback, and the online vs. in-store balance is shifting in interesting ways.
Amazon has transformed the book retail landscape since its founding in 1994. Today, Amazon accounts for roughly 60–70% of all online book sales in the United States across print and e-books combined.
In the e-book market specifically, Amazon's Kindle holds approximately 67% of the US e-book market as of 2025, down from a peak of around 83% as competitors like Apple Books and Kobo have gained ground.
Amazon's Audible subsidiary controls roughly 63.4% of the US audiobook market.
US Book Sales Revenue by Channel
| Channel | 2024 Revenue |
|---|---|
| Online Retailers | ~$17B est. |
| Physical Retail | $4.71B |
| Wholesalers/Libraries | $3.73B |
| Export Sales | $957M |
Source: Association of American Publishers / Publishers Weekly, 2025
Physical retail, primarily bookstores, generated $4.71 billion in 2024, growing 4.3%, though at a slower pace than online competitors. These physical stores remain vital to the book ecosystem. Over 43,000 bookstore outlets operate across the US, employing approximately 218,000 people.
Globally, online book sales are set to nearly double by 2034. The global online book services market was valued at $23.38 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $32.45 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.6%.
Genre by Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction & Children's
Fiction is surging, nonfiction is struggling, and romance has become the industry's defining growth engine, while a new hybrid genre called "romantasy" is rewriting bestseller lists.
According to the AAP's 2024 full-year data, adult fiction led all categories with a 10.4% revenue increase, reaching $6.84 billion.
Adult nonfiction declined 4%, to $5.93 billion.
Children's/YA fiction grew 3.1% to $5.33 billion, while children's/YA nonfiction slipped 2.9% to $1.03 billion.
Religious press titles saw the largest surge of any category, rising 22.8% to $2.01 billion.
US Publishing Revenue by Segment (2024, Full Year)
| Segment | 2024 Revenue |
|---|---|
| Adult Fiction | $6.84B |
| Children's/YA Fiction | $5.33B |
| Adult Nonfiction | $5.93B |
| Higher Education | $4.35B |
| Religious Presses | $2.01B |
| Professional Books | $1.35B |
Source: Association of American Publishers, 2025
Romance has become the defining growth story of contemporary publishing. US print romance sold approximately 51 million units in the latest 12-month period, up 24% year-to-date in 2025. The volume has more than doubled compared to four years ago. Romance generates over $1.4–1.5 billion annually in the US alone and is widely described as "recession-proof." The fastest-growing romance subgenres include romantasy (triple-digit growth), sports romance, and suspense romance.
Science fiction and fantasy book sales increased by 41.3% from 2023 to 2024, with "romantasy” playing a central role. In 2024, one in four bestsellers on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List were romantasy titles. Rebecca Yarros's Onyx Storm set a record as the fastest-selling adult title in BookScan's history, selling over 1 million copies in its first week.
Children's books represent a critical segment, comprising roughly 32.8% of the overall US book market. Children's fiction accounted for over 184 million copies sold in 2022, or approximately 1 in 4 books sold in the United States. The global children's book market was estimated at $10.4 billion in 2025, projected to reach $15.52 billion by 2032.
The Self-Publishing Revolution
Self-publishing is no longer an alternative to traditional publishing. For millions of authors, it has become the primary path to readers.
The transformation of self-publishing over the past decade is one of the defining stories in modern media.
In 2025, self-published titles outnumbered traditionally published books in the US by more than 5 to 1. The global self-publishing market reached approximately $1.85 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $6.16 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 16.7%.
3.5M+
Self-published titles in the US in 2025, up 38.7% from 2024
51%
Share of overall US e-book unit sales captured by self-published authors
34%
Share of e-book retail revenue earned by self-published authors
In the digital realm, self-publishing has achieved dominance. Self-published authors captured 51% of overall e-book unit sales and more than 34% of e-book retail revenue.
Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is the dominant platform; 31% of all e-books sold on Amazon in 2025 were self-published.
The royalty economics explain the appeal. Self-published authors typically earn 40–70% royalties on retail price (compared to 10–15% for traditionally published authors), and retain full creative control and speed to market, which is a critical advantage in fast-moving genres like romance.
North America commands 38.4% of global self-publishing revenue, approximately $1.46 billion, anchored by the US market's mature e-commerce infrastructure and dominant platforms including Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, and Draft2Digital.
The Author Economy: What Writers Actually Earn
The economics of authorship are changing faster than at any point in the modern publishing era. The honest picture of author income is one of extreme inequality, with a small number of high-earning authors pulling average figures dramatically upward.
A 2023 survey by the Alliance of Independent Authors found that the median income for self-published authors was $12,749, significantly higher than the median for traditionally published authors, which the 2018 Authors Guild survey placed at $6,080.
However, nearly a quarter of self-published respondents hadn't yet earned anything from their writing.
| Publishing Path | Typical Advance | Royalty Rate | Median Annual Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Five Traditional | $10,000–$15,000 (debut) | 10–15% of retail | ~$6,080 |
| Small/Mid Traditional Press | $1,000–$5,000 | 8–12% of retail | Varies widely |
| Self-Published (eBook) | None (no advance) | 35–70% of retail | ~$12,749 (median) |
| Hybrid Publisher | None (author invests $5K–$20K) | 50%+ of retail | Varies |
The reality of book sales amplifies these income challenges: the average traditionally published book sells approximately 300–500 print copies over its lifetime in US retail channels.
Fewer than 34% of titles from major publishers sell more than 1,000 copies in their first year, and only 25,000 titles sell more than 5,000 copies annually.
Books selling more than 100,000 copies represent just 0.01% of total publications.
The roughly 25% of self-published authors surveyed by ALLi who earn more than $10,000 annually typically share a profile: multiple titles published (over half had published more than 10 books), strong presence in popular genres like romance or thriller, and effective use of platforms like Amazon Kindle Unlimited and direct sales channels.
Who's Reading: US & Global Habits
Three-quarters of American adults read at least one book per year, but the median reader finished only two books in 2025, and deep reading divides fall sharply along lines of education, gender, and age.
According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2025, 75% of US adults say they have read all or part of at least one book in the past 12 months. However, a December 2025 YouGov survey of 2,203 adults found a somewhat lower figure of 59% who say they read at least one complete book in 2025. The discrepancy reflects different methodologies. Pew counts partial reading; YouGov counts completed books.
How Many Books Did Americans Read in 2025?
| Books Read | % of Americans |
|---|---|
| None | 40% |
| 1–4 books | 27% |
| 5–9 books | 13% |
| 10–19 books | 9% |
| 20–49 books | 6% |
| 50+ books | 4% |
Source: YouGov Survey, December 2025
The median American read just two books in 2025. The mean average is eight, pulled upward by heavy readers who comprise just 19% of the population but account for the majority of books consumed. I, for example, read over 100 books a year, so I'm definitely skewing results.
College-educated adults are significantly more likely to read: 92% read at least one book in the past year, compared to 56% of adults with a high school degree or less.
75%
US adults who read at least part of one book in the past year (Pew, Oct. 2025)
2
Median books completed by Americans in 2025 (YouGov)
65%
Americans who read a print book in the past year vs. 30% who read an eBook
Women read more than men across nearly every measure: 56% of women identify as regular readers versus 42% of men. Women are also more likely to participate in book clubs (10% vs. 5% of men).
Format preferences show print's enduring strength: 65% of Americans read a print book in the past year, compared to 30% who read an e-book and 23% who listened to an audiobook.
The Rise of Audiobooks
Audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment in publishing by a wide margin, projected to grow 26% annually through 2030, with the US market alone generating $2.22 billion in 2024.
The audiobook market has undergone a fundamental transformation in just a few years. The global audiobook market was estimated at $8.70 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $35.47 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 26.2%.
In the US market alone, 2024 revenue hit $2.22 billion, up 13% year-over-year. And interest is still building: 18% of Americans in 2025 said they were "very interested" in audiobooks, up from 10% in 2024.
Global Audiobook Market Revenue (2022–2030 Projected, USD Billions)
| Year | Revenue (USD) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $4.2B |
| 2024 | $6.5B–$8.7B |
| 2025 (est.) | $8.6B–$10.3B |
| 2030 (proj.) | $24.1B–$35.5B |
Source: Multiple market research firms, compiled 2025–2026
The audiobook market is dominated by Amazon's Audible, which controlled roughly 63.4% of US revenue in 2024.
Spotify has emerged as a significant competitor, with its audiobook catalog tripling to 400,000+ titles since 2023. In September 2025, Spotify teamed up with TikTok to create "Big on BookTok," a dedicated page featuring audiobook selections inspired by viral book content. The fiction segment dominates audiobook consumption, with over 64% market share in 2024.
Importantly, audiobooks aren't cannibalizing print or e-book sales, they're capturing entirely new listening opportunities. For publishers who added audio distribution in 2024, overall royalties increased by more than 50% compared to print/e-book-only publishers.
The UK market offers a preview of where the US is heading: UK audiobook revenue reached £268 million in 2024, surging 31%, and audiobooks are now the fastest-growing book format in the country.
51%
US adults who have listened to an audiobook at some point
63%
Audiobook listeners in 2024 who subscribed to at least one audiobook service
30%
Share of US publishers' audiobook sales coming from outside the US (PublishDrive, 2024)
Bookstores: A Surprising Revival
Independent bookstores are opening at their fastest rate in decades. The American Booksellers Association membership has nearly doubled since 2020, from 1,916 locations to 3,783.
In 2020, at the pandemic's lowest point, there were approximately 1,916 independent bookstore locations affiliated with the ABA. By 2025, that number had grown to 3,783 member locations, a 70% increase in five years.
In 2025 alone, 605 new bookstore businesses opened, while only 65 closed. The number of stores opening was up 87% over the number that opened in 2024. This is not a slow recovery. It's an acceleration.
What happened? The "community hub" model is the closest thing to an explanation.
An ABA/Civic Economics study found that approximately 29% of independent bookstore revenue stays locally, creating a 405% greater economic impact than Amazon purchases. ABA CEO Allison Hill described it as a "flywheel effect" of sales robustness, community support, and new store growth feeding each other. Bookstores have repositioned from retail outlets to cultural gathering spaces: author events, book clubs, staff picks, local identity. That's a product Amazon cannot replicate.
ABA Member Bookstore Locations (Selected Years)
| Year | ABA Member Locations |
|---|---|
| 1994 (Amazon founded) | ~7,000 |
| 2020 (pandemic low) | 1,916 |
| 2024 | 3,281 |
| 2025 | 3,783 |
Source: American Booksellers Association Annual Reports
Barnes & Noble has also contributed to the physical retail revival, reportedly opening more new stores in 2025 than it opened collectively from 2009 to 2019. After being purchased by Elliott Investment Management in 2019, the chain opened more than 50 new locations in 2024 and planned 60 more in 2025.
Trends Shaping Publishing’s Future
Five forces are reshaping publishing in 2026, and every author, publisher, and bookseller needs to understand them.
1. BookTok Has Become a Revenue Channel
TikTok's #BookTok community has surpassed 370 billion total views as of 2025, with more than 52–63 million videos created under the hashtag. In 2024 alone, BookTok-driven demand generated 59 million print book sales in the US, contributing to an estimated $760+ million in US revenue.
The scale in Europe is equally significant. More than 50 million books recommended by BookTok were sold in Europe in 2025, generating €800 million in revenue across key markets. In Germany specifically, 28 million TikTok-recommended books were sold in 2025, which is more than double the 12 million sold in 2023.
BookTok works because it collapses the distance between a reader's emotional response to a book and their ability to act on it. A 60-second video from a reader who loved your book can outperform a traditional marketing campaign at a fraction of the cost. For self-published authors without publicists or marketing budgets, it's the most significant distribution equalizer in a generation.
2. AI Is Flooding the Marketplace
The 32.5% surge in US book publications in 2025 is widely attributed in part to AI-generated titles flooding self-publishing platforms. Bowker's product marketing manager cited AI as a likely factor in the rebound of self-published titles.
This has real implications for authors. A marketplace with 4+ million annual titles is a discoverability problem. The Authors Guild's human-authored certification program and industry calls for AI disclosure fields in ISBN registration reflect a deeper question the industry hasn't resolved: how do readers distinguish signal from noise? For authors publishing with genuine craft and expertise, the answer is increasingly E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust.
3. Romantasy Is Rewriting the Bestseller Economics
Five of the top-10 best-selling titles of 2024 were written by just two authors, Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros. The romantasy genre (romance + fantasy) grew to the point where romance-focused bookstores are expanding into spaces "10 times the size" to meet demand.
For authors considering what to write: the market is not neutral. Genre alignment, specifically, understanding which subgenres are growing and why, is a strategic decision with real financial consequences.
4. Direct-to-Consumer Is Maturing
Authors are increasingly selling books directly from their own websites, through Kickstarter campaigns, and via subscription platforms. Author surveys now treat direct sales as a real revenue channel, not a niche strategy. The advantage of direct sales is margin: no retailer cut, higher per-unit revenue, and direct relationship with the reader.
This is a more sophisticated version of what self-publishing started: giving authors control of the economics. The infrastructure is maturing fast.
5. India Is Publishing's Next Major Market
With fiction sales surging 30.7% in 2024 and a rapidly expanding middle class, India is expected to register the highest book market CAGR of any country from 2025 to 2030. Rising literacy, increasing disposable income, and expanding digital infrastructure make it the most closely watched emerging book market in the world.
For authors publishing in English, the addressable global audience is larger than it has ever been.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, And Neither Does the Opportunity
Here's what the data is actually telling authors in 2026: the window to publish your book has never been wider, and the audience for it has never been more engaged.
Print is holding strong. Audiobooks are exploding. Independent bookstores are opening at record rates. Romance readers are buying faster than publishers can print. BookTok is driving tens of millions of sales for authors who had no publicist, no agent, and no marketing budget, just a book that resonated.
And self-publishing sits at the center of all of it.
Self-published authors now outnumber traditionally published authors 5-to-1. They're capturing the majority of e-book unit sales. They're earning higher royalties, moving faster, and keeping creative control.
The $1.85 billion self-publishing market is projected to reach $6.16 billion by 2033, and that growth isn't driven by luck. It's driven by authors who decided not to wait for permission.
The most important statistic in this entire report isn't the $151 billion global market size or the 4 million titles published last year. It's this: the average self-published author who earns more than $10,000 annually has published more than 10 books. The path to real author income isn't mysterious. It's volume, consistency, and strategy.
That's exactly what selfpublishing.com was built for.
Whether you're writing your first book or your fifth, the infrastructure to publish, distribute, and sell your work at a professional level has never been more accessible. The readers are out there. The platforms are ready. The only thing missing is your book.
If you're ready to stop sitting on your story and actually get it into the world, book a free strategy call with our team. We've helped thousands of authors navigate exactly what these numbers represent, not as statistics, but as a real path to readers, royalties, and impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are published each year in the US? In 2025, 4,172,222 ISBN-registered titles were published in the United States, a 32.5% increase over 2024. Of those, more than 3.5 million were self-published and 642,242 were traditionally published.
Is self-publishing or traditional publishing more profitable for authors? By median income, self-publishing outperforms. The median self-published author earned $12,749 annually versus $6,080 for traditionally published authors. Self-published authors also earn 35–70% royalties on retail price compared to 10–15% for traditionally published authors.
What is the fastest-growing book format? Audiobooks, by a significant margin. The global audiobook market is growing at 26.2% annually and is projected to reach $35.47 billion by 2030. In the US, audiobooks have now surpassed e-books in revenue market share.
Is the book market growing or shrinking? Growing. The global book market was valued at $151 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $192.1 billion by 2030 at a 4.2% CAGR. Print books remain dominant at approximately 78% of revenue.
Are independent bookstores dying? The opposite. ABA membership grew 70% from 2020 to 2025. In 2025 alone, 605 new independent bookstores opened while only 65 closed. This is an 87% increase in openings over the previous year.
What genres are growing the fastest? Romance (particularly romantasy) is the dominant growth story. Science fiction and fantasy combined grew 41.3% from 2023 to 2024. Religious press titles surged 22.8%. Adult nonfiction was the one major category that declined in 2024.
Sources
01. R.R. Bowker / Publishers Weekly — "Book Output Topped Four Million in 2025," March 2026
02. Association of American Publishers (AAP) — StatShot Reports, 2024–2025
03. Association of American Publishers — "Publishing Industry Sales Saw Modest Gains in 2024," Publishers Weekly, August 2025
04. Pew Research Center — "Americans Still Opt for Print Books Over Digital or Audio Versions," April 2026
05. YouGov — US Book Reading Habits Survey, December 2025 (n=2,203)
06. Grand View Research — Global Books Market Report, 2025; Global Audiobooks Market Report, 2024
07. Expert Market Research — Global Books Market Growth 2025–2034
08. American Booksellers Association (ABA) — 2024 Annual Report, May 2025; ICv2 / ABA 2025 Annual Report, 2026
09. Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) — Author Income Survey, 2023 (commissioned by Publishers Weekly)
10. Circana BookScan — Romance Market Report, June 2025
11. TikTok / NielsenIQ BookData / Media Control — #BookTok Bestseller Analysis, March 2026
12. ISBNDB Blog — "Self-Publishing Is Changing the Book Industry," May 2026
13. PublishDrive — "The Audiobook Surge in 2025," October 2025
14. GfK Entertainment / NielsenIQ BookData — Fiction Sales Grow, Nonfiction Declines (18 Territories), March 2025
15. Statista / Booketic / Booketic.com — Ebook Market Share Statistics 2026; Reading Statistics 2026
16. Mordor Intelligence — Audiobook Market Report, 2025–2026
17. PublishersWeekly.com — Survey Finds Self-Published Authors Making Gains, April 2023
18. BookRiot / YouGov — "40% of Americans Did Not Read a Single Book in 2025," January 2026
19. UNESCO — Global Book Production Data
20. WriteStats — "BookTok for Authors: How TikTok Is Driving 59 Million Book Sales," 2026
21. Newprint.com — "20 Book Sales Statistics and Trends for 2025," December 2025
22. eReadersForum.com — "Global Audiobook Sales Statistics 2024–2025," June 2025
23. Authors Guild — Author Income Surveys, 2018
24. Circana / NPD BookScan — US Print Book Sales Data, 2024–2025
