Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.3 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $151.9bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
Disruptions cause issues for smaller publishers
- During the pandemic, many bricks-and-mortar book publishers were forced to close their offices or operate at limited capacity, severely hindering production. Many popular titles were pushed back as supply chain disruptions caused a delay in print runs.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Untapped markets provide a spark
- In emerging markets, per capita spending on books is set to spike amid rising income levels, education, literacy and the surging availability of less expensive digital publications.
Biggest companies in the Global Book Publishing
| Company | Market Share (%)
2024 | Revenue ($m)
2024 | Profit ($m)
2024 | Profit Margin (%)
2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA | 4,635.1 | N/A | N/A | |
Pearson Education Inc. | 2,383.8 | N/A | N/A | |
Thomson Reuters Corporation | 662.2 | N/A | N/A |
To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Educational books, Academic and professional texts and Consumer nonfiction. Educational books is the largest segment of the Global Book Publishing.
Trends and Insights
Fiction books dominate the market
- More than a quarter of revenue is generated from adult and young adult fiction books. This segment continues to thrive as fiction is adored by readers worldwide.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
This industry comprises enterprises, known as book publishers, that carry out the design, editing and marketing activities necessary for producing and distributing books. These enterprises may publish books in print, electronic or audio form.
What's included in this industry?
Almanac publishingAtlas and map publishingBook publishingDictionary publishingEncyclopedia publishingGlobe cover publishingPamphlet publishingTechnical manual publishingTravel guide publishingCompanies
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaAPearson Education Inc.Thomson Reuters CorporationPurchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
IMPRINTCOPYRIGHTLICENSINGTRADE BOOK PUBLISHINGNEWLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIESEMERGING MARKETSDEVELOPED COUNTRIESE-BOOKE-TAILERPerformance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
As countries enhance their education systems, new publishers emerge to meet their needs. Government funding is a crucial catalyst, increasing textbook sales and fostering a r...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Fiction and nonfiction books continue to make up the bulk of industry revenue. The growth of social media continues to bring certain books into the limelight, essentially act...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
North Asia has a long and rich history of literature. Readers in these countries consume a plethora of fiction and nonfiction texts. They also purchase translation materials ...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Business Locations Charts
- Share of global output by region in 2024
- Share of population compared to output in each region in 2024
- Data tables
- Share of global output by region in 2024
- Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Global, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Smaller publishers can carve out a place in the industry but take significant risks. They must pay more for printing and materials since they have not established economies o...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Bertelsmann sought further expansion by acquiring global publisher Simon & Schuster. The deal collapsed as the US Department of Justice stated it violated antitrust laws. Sim...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Pearson Education Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Thomson Reuters Corporation's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Pearson Education Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Thomson Reuters Corporation, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Government assistance helps fund many book publishers globally. Many schools offer textbooks and other educational reference materials to students for free, as their governme...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Profit continues to dwindle as other forms of media make their mark. Publishers have also suffered as the price of paper has continued to swell, eating into profit.
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Global Book Publishing industry in Global in 2024?
The market size of the Global Book Publishing industry in Global is $151.9bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Global Book Publishing industry in 2024?
There are 16,644 businesses in the Global Book Publishing industry in Global, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.2 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Global Book Publishing industry in Global grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Global Book Publishing industry in Global has been growing at a CAGR of 0.3 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Global Book Publishing industry in Global over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Global Book Publishing industry in Global is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Global Book Publishing market in Global?
The biggest companies operating in the Global Book Publishing market in Global are Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, Pearson Education Inc. and Thomson Reuters Corporation
What does the Global Book Publishing in Global include?
Almanac publishing and Atlas and map publishing are part of the Global Book Publishing industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Global Book Publishing in Global?
The company holding the most market share in Global is Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA.
How competitive is the Global Book Publishing industry in Global?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Global Book Publishing industry in Global.
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Competitors
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Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
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Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources globally include:
- United Nations Comtrade
- Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development
- World Bank
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
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