Despite a challenging economy, the German book industry recorded positive results overall last year, with sales up 1.8% compared to 2023, the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (the German book trade association) reported. Total sales in 2024 were €9.88 billion (about $11.5 billion).
Compared to 2023, revenue from physical stores rose 0.6%, to €4.08 billion (about $4.8 billion), giving the retail book trade (excluding e-commerce) a 41.3% share of total industry sales. The online book trade, around half of which is attributable to the online efforts of bricks-and-mortar bookshops, rose 4.4%, to €2.51 billion (about $2.9 billion). The online book trade accounted for 25.4% of sales in the overall market in 2024.
Among other 2024 highlights:
- 57% of books sold were backlist titles, a share has grown in recent years (in 2014 it was 48%).
- E-book sales were unchanged at 6.1% in the consumer market.
- Audiobook sales rose 2.2% over 2023, but were up 49.6% compared to 2019.
- The number of people buying books declined in 2024 by 2%, except for consumers in the 16-19 age group (up 9.6%) and the 20-29 age bracket (up 7.7%).
For the first six months of 2025, sales remain "subdued," according to the Börsenverein, which noted that turnover in the central sales channels is down by 3.3%, with the exception of fiction, "which continues to perform strongly" with a 0.9% increase thus far.
The Börsenverein also noted that the book trade remains concerned about the precarious situation regarding reading literacy, inadequate attempts at regulation in the field of generative AI, and needed measures to reduce bureaucracy.
Börsenverein chairwoman Karin Schmidt-Friderichs said the book market "is holding its own in tough times. From novels and nonfiction to books for children and teens or textbooks, the book industry provides reliable content and compelling narratives that offer orientation, context and perspective in an increasingly challenging and complex world."
Peter Kraus vom Cleff, managing director of the Börsenverein, observed that "the economic impact of global turmoil, from wars to crises, is also being felt in the book industry. Consumer confidence remains low and the tendency to save money is high. This is also reflected in the subdued half-year results for 2025. However, the traditionally strong second half of the year is still ahead of us."
---
Applications are now open for the RISE Booksellers Exchange Program, through which selected participants spend three days in a bookshop abroad, gaining first-hand insight into the daily realities of bookselling in another country. Interested booksellers should check the Frequently Asked Questions on the RISE website for details about the eligibility criteria, financial support and selection process. The deadline for applications is August 20. Apply here.
The RISE Booksellers Exchange Program also offers the opportunity to welcome a visiting bookseller into your store for a few days, "helping to foster international collaboration, exchange valuable know-how, and strengthen the European bookselling community. Hosts offer their time, insight, and everyday expertise--while gaining fresh perspectives and building lasting connections in return."
---
Banned Books Week U.K., which ran for a couple of years prior to the Covid pandemic before going on hiatus, is returning this fall (October 5-11). The Bookseller reported that the project, coordinated by Index on Censorship in partnership with the International Publishers Association, encourages bookshops, libraries, writers and readers to plan activities "in celebration of our right to read freely."
Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship, said, "Book bans are not just on the rise in the U.S., which has been well-documented. We have research showing they're on the rise here too, and that librarians and booksellers in the U.K. are increasingly under pressure.... For Banned Books Week 2025 we will therefore be looking at what is happening in the U.K. But we will place conversations in a broader context. What can we learn from the experiences of authors who have had their books challenged or banned around the world? What other threats do writers and readers face? What can we do to support a vibrant publishing industry?" --Robert Gray