Physical bookshops had to close in the face of pandemic lockdown challenges, but sales of e-books increased significantly. This change in reading preferences increased sales of e-books and greatly increased revenue.

Examine the revolutionary effects of digital reading in our analysis of the most recent statistics, from improved portability to changing consumer behavior.

Market Size and Growth

1. The global e-commerce market for books is anticipated to grow rapidly in the upcoming years, with a projected value of $129.1 billion by 2024. From 2024 to 2028, the market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4%. ECDB
2. With 87.2% of the total books, eBooks, and audiobook market, e-commerce accounts for a sizeable share of the market. eBooks and audiobooks make up the other market segments. ECDB
3. By 2024, the global eBook market is projected to bring in US$14.61 billion in revenue. Statista
4. According to this projection, the market will grow at a rate of 1.62% per year (CAGR 2024–2027), with a projected volume of US$15.33 billion by 2027. Statista
5. It is anticipated that the average revenue per user (ARPU) will be USD 14.18. Statista
6. The segment with the least growth, eMagazines, is projected to have 0.3 million users by 2027. Statista
7. Global eBook sales are predicted to approach $20 billion by 2026. WifiTalents
8. Regarding other e-publishing formats, e-papers are anticipated to increase by 25% since 2017 to account for 27.24% of all e-publishing revenue. WordsRated
9. Only 54% of all e-publishing is expected to come from e-books by 2927; e-papers and e-magazines will make up 28.4% and 17% of all e-publishing, respectively. WordsRated
10. The 'eBooks' segment of the global digital media market was expected to see a steady increase in users between 2024 and 2027, reaching a total of 92.9 million users (+9.02 percent). Statista
11. In the United States of America, paperback books accounted for 35.7% of all book sales as of 2022, with hardback books coming in second with 35.5%. EnterpriseApp
12. In the US market, digital books accounted for 11% of total sales, according to eBooks Statistics. EnterpriseApp
13. Physical audio (0.2%), mass market books (2%), other (4.2%), and downloaded audio (9.2%) were the other formats purchased. EnterpriseApp
14. Global sales of ebooks average 15.92 million per month, or 3.67 million per week. EnterpriseApp
    According to additional estimates from eBook statistics, 524.72 digital books are sold every day, and 21.86 thousand books are sold every hour. EnterpriseApp

Consumer Behavior and Demographics

1. By 2027, it's expected that there will be 1.1 billion eBook readers worldwide. Statista
2. By 2027, the user penetration rate is predicted to reach 14.1%, up from an estimated 13.3% in 2024. Statista
3. Early in 2021, a survey of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 found that 42% of them had read an e-book in the previous three months, making them the most likely age group to have done so. In comparison, only 18% of adults 65 years of age or older reported having read an e-book during that same time frame. Statista
4. According to a U.S. survey conducted from September to November 2020, women are more likely than men to multitask while reading digital books. More specifically, 73.4% of women and 66.1% of men multitask while listening to audiobooks. In a similar vein, women read e-books and multitask more than men do. Statista
5. Across all generations, 61% of readers favor fiction over non-fiction. EnterpriseApp
6. 88% of college graduates reported reading a book in the previous year, with 39% reading an e-book, 32% listening to an audiobook, and 80% reading a print book. Toner Buzz
7. 51% of recent high school graduates and those with less education read a book last year, while 17% read an e-book and 13% listened to an audiobook. The total reading time for these individuals was 59%.Toner Buzz
8. In younger age groups, print books were preferred over e-books by 62% of 16 to 24-year-olds and 68% of 18 to 29-year-olds. Furthermore, just 4% of children's books were released in digital formats in 2021. Toner Buzz
9. Paper agendas and memos are preferred over digital communication, according to 64% of employees. Toner Buzz
10. According to 66% of readers, reading printed books is a more fulfilling and unique experience than reading e-books. Toner Buzz
11. When compared to before they started using an e-reader, 45% of e-book users claim to have read more books. Gitnux
12. Only one or two hours a week are read by 40% of e-book readers. Gitnux
13. Adult readers prefer print books over e-books by 73%, especially when reading for pleasure. Gitnux
14. 17% of e-book readers read on a smartphone, compared to 69% who use an iPad or tablet. Gitnux
15. Compared to e-books, print books have a smaller environmental impact when read for longer than two hours each day. Gitnux
16. Readers between the ages of 18 and 29 have the highest adoption rates for e-books; half of them have read an e-book in the previous 12 months. Gitnux

Top Regions and Markets

1. When compared globally, the United States is anticipated to produce the greatest revenue, with US$5,336.00 million in 2024. Statista
2. Nearly 70% of American respondents stated that they had purchased e-books from Amazon in 2020, making it the most popular online retailer for e-book purchases. Statista
3. Online booksellers were most frequently used by German consumers, while 18% of respondents in the US said they had used iTunes and the Apple eBooks Store. Statista
4. In comparison, less than 15% of study participants worldwide purchased e-books straight from the publisher's website. Statista
5. Print books accounted for 73% of purchases made by Canadian consumers, eBooks for 17%, and audiobooks for 6%. Toner Buzz
6. eBooks make up around 12% of the whole book market in Europe. WifiTalents
7. Early in 2020, eBook downloads in India increased threefold over the prior year. WifiTalents
8. In the United States, Amazon Kindle accounts for 80–85% of eBook sales. As of 2020, the most popular eBook genres are romance and mystery/thriller. WifiTalents
9. "Power Buyers" make up 20% of eBook buyers in the USA; they account for more than 50% of all eBook sales. WifiTalents
10. By 2025, it is anticipated that the US eBook market will have grown to exceed $8.69 billion. WifiTalents
11. By 2022, ebook sales will have generated 6.94% of the US publishing industry's total revenue. WordsRated
12. This represents a decrease from 7.27% in 2021 and a much greater decrease from 8.59% in 2020. WordsRated
13. With 365 million readers and a 26.1% contribution to digital reading, China led the world in ebook adoption the year before. EnterpriseApp
14. As of 2022, readers in China, India, and Thailand read for the longest periods of time each week—10 hours and 42 minutes, 09 hours and 24 minutes, and 08 hours, respectively. EnterpriseApp
15. Taiwan, Japan, and Korea have the lowest percentage of readers who spend 5 hours, 4 hours, and 6 minutes, and 3 hours and 6 minutes, respectively, with books. EnterpriseApp
16. The market for eBooks in Europe is expected to reach $2.63 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.26% by 2027. EnterpriseApp
17. According to eBooks Statistics, there will be 0.72 billion readers in the Asian market by 2027, growing at a rate of 13.8% in 2023 and 15.5% by that time. EnterpriseApp
18. According to eBooks Statistics for the African region, 147.30 million readers will have used them overall by 2027. EnterpriseApp
19. By 2027, the eBook market in Africa is expected to have grown to $201.30 million, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.76%. According to projections, the percentage of users in 2023 and 2027 will be 9.4% and 10.7%, respectively. EnterpriseApp

Sales Channels and Distribution

1. Currently, 12.6% of the global retail book market is made up of the online segment. By 2028, this share should have increased by 15.9% at an average annual rate of 5.9%. ECDB
2. With more than 80% of the eBook market, Amazon's Kindle is the industry leader. WifiTalents
3. In July 2020, Kindle Unlimited customers of Amazon read more than 3.4 billion pages. WifiTalents
4. Rakuten owns Kobo, which accounts for 11% of the worldwide eBook market. WifiTalents
5. 42 percent of eBook sales on Amazon are made up of self-published books. WifiTalents
6. On Project Gutenberg, 3.33 eBooks are downloaded on average every second. WifiTalents
7. In America, 72% of bookworms use the Amazon Kindle to read digital books. EnterpriseApp
8. 10% of Americans, however, use the Barnes & Noble Corner platform to read. EnterpriseApp
9. Merely 18% of e-book readers utilize various apps for digital books. EnterpriseApp

Product Categories and Genres

1. With an average sale of $1.44 billion, the romance/erotica genre is the most lucrative ebook category on Amazon. EnterpriseApp
2. Moreover, the following are ranked: Horror ($79.6 million), Science Fiction/Fantasy ($590.2 million), Religious/Inspirational ($720 million), and Crime/Mystery ($728.2 million). EnterpriseApp

Digital Books and Audiobooks

1. Listening to digital books is becoming more popular; between 2018 and 2020, the average annual number of audiobooks listened to increased. The US audiobook market generated $1.3 billion in sales in 2020. Statista
2. Sales of e-books have increased recently, with 191 million expected in 2020. Since sales by independent authors are not included in this figure, the true market size is probably much higher. Statista
3. In 2023, trade e-books brought in one billion dollars. According to the source, revenue from e-book sales increased by a meager 0.6 percent between 2022 and 2023, while revenue from digital audio increased by nearly 15 percent. Statista

Printed Books vs E-books Statistics

1. Global sales of paper books are predicted to reach 1.87 billion by 2027, while e-reader sales are predicted to reach 1.2 billion. Toner Buzz
2. With 788.7 million copies sold in 2022, the American market demonstrated its continued strong preference for print books. Toner Buzz
3. Despite growing digitization, 68% of American readers between the ages of 18 and 29 said in a 2021 survey that they still preferred print books. Toner Buzz
4. The United States is seeing a steady increase in eBook sales; in January 2023, sales increased by 3.7% over the previous year, bringing in $85 million. Toner Buzz
5. With a commanding 72% market share, Amazon's Kindle dominates the e-reader industry. Toner Buzz
6. The average price difference between hardcovers and eBooks on Amazon grew by 75% between 2021 and 2023, favoring eBooks. Toner Buzz
7. 75% of American adults reported reading a book in the previous year in one of the following formats: 32% only read print books, 33% read both print and e-books, and 9% read-only e-books. Toner Buzz
8. With 191 million eBooks sold in the US in 2020, print books outsold eBooks by a ratio of 4 to 1. Toner Buzz
9. While eBook sales increased by 22% in 2020, printed book sales reached 788.7 million units in 2022. Toner Buzz
10. It is estimated that Amazon sells about 300 million print books and over 487 million e-books annually. wordsrated
11. Amazon holds a minimum of 40% of the US printbook market, and its estimated share of the US e-book market is approximately 67%. wordsrated
12. At least 5 million e-books and 20 million distinct print titles are reportedly available on Amazon.com. wordsrated

E-book Key Player Statistics

1. With millions of Kindle users worldwide, Amazon offers eBooks, paperback, hardback, and audiobooks at no cost to publishers, and a 70% royalty payout for books priced between $2.99 and $9.99. Books can be published in as little as 24 hours. EnterpriseApp
2. With a 90% approval rate for audiobooks, Apple iBooks is available in more than 50 countries and offers a 70% royalty payout. It also supports eBooks and audiobooks with certain requirements. EnterpriseApp
3. For Android users, Google Play Books is available in more than 50 countries and provides eBooks and audiobooks with a 70% royalty payout. EnterpriseApp
4. In the US, Barnes & Noble provides eBooks and audiobooks at a 55% royalty for paperbacks and a 70% royalty for eBooks. EnterpriseApp
5. A $10 monthly subscription library system is available for Kindle users. The library has over 3 million titles available. EnterpriseApp
6. Top publishing houses like HarperCollins, Hachette, and Macmillan, as well as over a thousand publishers, are accessible through Scribd. With over a million books available, it offers a vast selection. EnterpriseApp
7. Books at 24Symbols are available for less than $9 a month. It possesses The platform has over 12 million titles available. EnterpriseApp
8. The library on Kobo contains more than 1.3 million titles. EnterpriseApp

Future Outlook

1. E-book sales are predicted to increase from $5.91 billion in 2019 to $7.78 billion in 2025. Toner Buzz
2. Simultaneously, projected sales of e-readers are expected to increase from $77.94 million in 2019 to $98.95 million in 2025. Toner Buzz
3. The ebook segment is predicted to reach 1.1 billion users and a new peak in 2027 following the fifth year of increases. Statista