Book Market 2024: Stable business in challenging economic times

The book industry presents an initial assessment of the year 2024. Turnover in the book industry is slightly higher than in the previous year, but the situation in many companies remains tense. Turnover across the central sales channels (retail bookstores, e-commerce incl. Amazon, railway station bookstores, department stores, electrical goods stores and drugstores) rose by 0.8 percent compared to the overall positive results in 2023. Nevertheless, the number of books sold fell by 1.7 percent over the same period. Prices paid rose by an average of 2.6 percent, thus ensuring the positive turnover result. Local bookstores on their own closed with a slight increase in turnover of 0.9 percent and a drop in sales of 2.2 percent compared to 2023. These are the findings of the industry monitor BUCH report, which is published today.

“As we see in the economy as a whole, the situation in the book market remains extremely tense. In these difficult times, the book industry has been able to maintain the previous year's level of turnover. This is a positive signal, as facts, knowledge and inspiring stories are essential tools for understanding and coping with a complex and crisis-ridden reality. Books are still a particularly popular medium among young people. For many publishing houses, bookstores and book logistics companies, 2024 was a challenging year: the industry continues to feel the effects of the general uncertainty of consumers and their reluctance to spend, while cost pressure and increasing bureaucracy continue unabated.”, says Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, Chairwoman of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers & Booksellers Association).

Among the individual product groups, fiction again saw a significant increase in turnover in 2024 of 4.1 percent. Books for children and young adults ended the year with a slight turnover increase of 0.5 percent. The two categories include the currently very popular Young and New Adult genres. Turnover of non-fiction books also increased last year, by as much as 7.7 percent – due in part to the commercial success of the book “Freedom” by Angela Merkel and Beate Baumann. Turnover for companions (-4.1 percent) and travel books (-8.4 percent) were unable to match the previous year's level.

According to Media Control, the best-selling book of 2024 (hardback) across all product groups was “Altern” by Elke Heidenreich. “Das Kalendermädchen” by Sebastian Fitzek ranked in second place followed by “Freedom” by Angela Merkel and Beate Baumann in third place.

The published data for the following sales channels: retail book trade, e-commerce incl. Amazon, railway station bookstores, department stores, as well as electrical goods and drugstores, provide an initial indication of the trend for the development of the book market in 2024. Comprehensive book market figures, including all other sales channels (direct from publishers, mail-order book trade, other sales outlets, book clubs) plus business from books ordered by the public from physical bookstores, will be available in the summer of 2025.

The industry monitor BUCH is published monthly by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels. It is based on data from the Media Control retail panel.