London Book Fair: Nielsen and GfK on International Book Markets

Today at London Book Fair, Nielsen’s Steve Bohme walks attendees through international market points from 2024.

NielsenIQ BookData and GFK

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

Revenue Grew in Almost Half the Analyzed Territories

At 11:15 a.m. during London Book Fair’s opening today, NielsenIQ BookData’s Steve Bohme will present some of the 2014 statistics that the company and GfK Entertainment have reported out, the overall observation they’re stressing being that last year, “strong fiction and rising prices countered declining nonfiction.”

The analysis behind this report is based on physical point-of-sale data from 2024 for Australia, Belgium (Flanders/Wallonia), Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland (German-speaking and Romandy regions), and the UK.

As the representative data show, the research companies say, 16 of 18 territories analyzed were reporting significant revenue growth in fiction. India (+30.7 percent), Mexico (+20.7 percent), Brazil (+16.4 percent), Spain (+12.0 percent), and Portugal (+11.4 percent) even saw double-digit increases.

“By contrast, nonfiction books experienced growth in only six regions and, even there, mostly at a comparatively lower level,” according to statements shared with various news media in advance.

“Children’s and young adult books also had a mixed year, though they managed to achieve revenue gains in nine territories.

“Almost half the territories analyzed enjoyed increases in their revenues compared to the previous year,” the advance information says.

“The strongest growth was seen in India (+27.0 percent), Mexico (+12.6 percent), and Brazil (+10.4 percent); even though these markets still have a relatively moderate total volume.

“Spanish retailers enjoyed a substantial 9.8-percent increase, while figures in Wallonia (Belgium) stagnated at +0. percent. More significant declines were recorded in New Zealand (-6.6 percent), Ireland (-5.3 percent), and Australia (-3.1 percent).”

Revenues also were seen to fall slightly in France (-0.3 percent) and the UK (-0.6 percent), the two largest markets in the analysis. A major factor was declining sales: 315 million books were sold in France (-2.8 percent), while the UK recorded 195 million copies sold (-1.6 percent).”

On Rising Book Prices

NielsenIQ BookData and GFK

Although the number of sold books fell in many territories, the continued rise in prices had a compensatory effect.

“In South Africa, for example,” provided text tells us, “an increase in average selling prices of +8.0 percent helped revenues grow by 0.7 percent, despite a drop in unit sales by -6.8 percent.

“However, in many territories, price increases were often less pronounced than in the previous year.

“While book prices rose by +4.8 percent in France in 2023, they increased by only +2.6 percent in 2024, reaching an average price of €12.70. [US$13.80]. In the UK, the rate dropped significantly from +6.6 percent to +1.1 percent, whereas books in New Zealand were -3.6 percent cheaper year on year (average price of NZ$22.09).

BookTok Boosts Romance and Fantasy

NielsenIQ BookData and GFK

“The fiction genres with the strongest growth included romance and fantasy/science fiction,” advance information tells us. “Particularly noteworthy are authors such as Colleen Hoover (“It Ends with Us” series), who enjoy a large fan base within the TikTok community BookTok.

“Crime and thriller novels also performed well in many regions, with Freida McFadden (The Housemaid series) ranking in the Top 5 fiction books of the year in six different territories, including France, Portugal, and Wallonia.

In the nonfiction sector, James Clear’s Atomic Habits was the undisputed No. 1, the research indicates.

Originally published in 2018, the step-by-step manual is still “an absolute favorite” and made it into the annual Top 5 bestselling nonfiction books in ten regions, including Mexico and Spain. Other nonfiction categories experiencing high demand were religious books and political titles, while children’s/young adult books by YouTube stars also proved popular.

More from the research is available at the session during Day One here at London Book Fair.

A Programming Note

During London Book Fair, Publishing Perspectives has several Main Stage events to suggest for your consideration. We’re especially pleased with the caliber of speakers who will be with us, and we hope you’ll join us. Descriptive copy here is from the London Book Fair team’s listings.

Tuesday, March 11
1:45 to 2:30 p.m., Main Stage
The Future of Book Licensing and Distribution

Mark Searle, left, and José Manuel Anta

Licensing strategies can play a crucial role in the financial success of publishing ventures, and in the digital age, licensing and distribution have transformed, allowing for more seamless and widespread access to content. But challenges persist, as do opportunities, amid evolving consumer preferences and tech advances. By effectively navigating these changes, publishers can maximize their financial outcomes and remain competitive.

Speakers:

Mark Searle, managing director of DK
José Manuel Anta, managing director of Spain’s Federation of Publishers’ Guilds
Moderation by Publishing Perspectives

Tuesday, March 11
3 to 3:45 p.m., Main Stage
AI and Copyright: Policy Developments in the United Kingdom and United States

Maria A. Pallante and Dan Conway

AI is here to stay and so are the policy debates that will shape its development and deployment for years to come. In particular, many publishers around the world are watching developments in the UK and US, where regulators, legislators, and courts are weighing legal disputes that could have global ramifications for copyright laws: A British, American, and decidedly human discussion on the most important issue of the day.

Conway’s call from the creative industries of the UK that “The Great Copyright Heist Cannot Go Unchallenged” and Pallante’s background as a copyright attorney make them two of the most aptly positioned publishers’ association leaders for this moment.

Speakers:

Maria Pallante, president and CEO, Association of American Publishers (AAP)
Dan Conway, CEO, the Publishers Association
Moderation by Publishing Perspectives

Thursday, March 13
11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m., Main Stage
Turning the Page: Publishing’s Role in Keeping the Focus on Sustainability

Gvantsa Jobava and Mary Glenn

While the industry has embraced a wide range of initiatives such as expanding the list of titles that explore sustainability, engaging new voices and audiences, promoting diversity, advancing accessible publishing, supporting literacy, and adopting greener production methods, it can be difficult to gauge the true impact of these efforts.

This session explores the challenges of staying committed to sustainability in all aspects from acquisitions and marketing to distribution, measuring progress effectively, and making tangible strides on complex global issues—while showcasing what publishers have already accomplished and what more can be done.

Speakers:

Gvantsa Jobava, president, International Publishers Association (IPA)
Mary Glenn, chief of United Nations Publications, United Nations
Moderation by Publishing Perspectives

More from Publishing Perspectives on industry statistics is here, and more on London Book Fair is here.

About the Author

Porter Anderson

Porter Anderson has been named International Trade Press Journalist of the Year in London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards. He is Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives. He formerly was Associate Editor for The FutureBook at London's The Bookseller. Anderson was for more than a decade a senior producer and anchor with CNN.com, CNN International, and CNN USA. As an arts critic (Fellow, National Critics Institute), he was with The Village Voice, the Dallas Times Herald, and the Tampa Tribune, now the Tampa Bay Times. He co-founded The Hot Sheet, a newsletter for authors, which now is owned and operated by Jane Friedman.