Ebooks Statistics By Revenue, Sales, Region, Popularity, Demographics and Websites

Introduction

Ebooks Statistics: Ebooks are digital files that contain images and texts suitable for dispersing electronically and exhibiting on–screen in the same pattern as a printed physical book. They can be made by transforming a printer’s files to layouts optimized for simple downloading and on-screen reading, or they can be drawn from a constituent or a set of text files that were not made individually for print. Ebooks can be enjoyed on dedicated e-readers such as Kindle, Kobo, and Nook, which are designed specifically for reading. They also work on computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

These devices use screens that can be adjusted for comfortable viewing and support various digital formats like ePub or PDF. This makes ebooks accessible to many people, regardless of the device they prefer to use. We shall shed more light on “ebook statistics.”

Editor’s Choice

• The global market size for e-readers is projected to reach approximately USD 46.94 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 15.3% from 2021 to 2031.
• The Asia Pacific region is expected to see significant growth in e-reader adoption, with a projected 31% increase from 2022 to 2027. Globally, the number of e-readers is anticipated to reach 1.12 billion by 2027.
• Amazon, Kobo, and Sony are the leading players in the e-reader market, collectively holding an 88% market share.
• In the United States, more than 75% of the population is expected to use e-readers by 2023. As of September 2023, approximately 11% of American e-readers are aged between 18 and 29.
• In 2023, 72% of American e-readers are expected to read various genres on Amazon Kindle.
• Amazon sold over 900,000 Kindle e-readers in the United States in 2023. The estimated market value of e-readers worldwide was USD 20 billion in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 5%.
• China is anticipated to have the largest market share in e-readers, reaching 70% in 2023.
• 75% of adults in the United States reported reading a book in any form over the past year.
• It’s estimated to grow at an annual rate of 1.62% from 2024 to 2027, reaching USD 15.33 billion by 2027.
• The United Kingdom has 152.08K e-reader users, comprising 17.43% of the total. Of these users, 42.61% use desktops, and 57.39% read on mobile devices.
• The United Kingdom contributed 5.38% of the traffic but saw a decline of 11.86%. Canada and Germany had 4.07% and 2.85% of the traffic, respectively, with drops of 22.8% and 23.21%.
• The market value is expected to grow to USD 15.39 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 2.01%.

What is an Ebook?

An electronic book, or ebook, is a digital format book available online. Ebooks cover all kinds of topics and can be read on laptops, smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Amazon developed the Kindle, a dedicated e-reader about the size of an iPad, specifically for buying and reading books. Unlike the iPad, the Kindle is focused on reading and doesn’t have other tablet features.

Today, there are many websites where you can easily publish your books and earn money passively. Ebooks are sold globally at affordable prices and can be downloaded easily.

Ways of Reading an Ebook

Ebooks can be read on many devices that have the right software to show their file formats. Common formats like Amazon’s mobi, open PDF, and EPUB are widely used, but some software may not open files with proprietary DRM systems. Devices that can read ebooks include personal computers, tablets, game consoles, dedicated e-readers, powerful smartphones, and consoles connected to T.V.s or other screens.

Ongoing improvements in screen technology, processing power, miniaturization of components, and wireless Internet are constantly expanding the capabilities and options for e-reading devices.

General-Ebooks Statistics

• Almost 331 million digital books were landed worldwide as of 2022
• Digital books are valued between USD 2,99 to USD 9.99, and that gives a double royalty to the publishers.
• The United States is expected to generate the highest revenue in the global eBooks market, reaching USD 5.336 billion in 2024. The U.S. leads globally due to its large number of eBook readers and strong digital infrastructure.
• It’s estimated to grow at an annual rate of 1.62% from 2024 to 2027, reaching USD 15.33 billion by 2027.
• Till 2025, the cost of a magazine is estimated to be USD 1,77.1 million in the United States.
• The United States’ most popular ebook distributor is Amazon, as of 2022.
• According to Ebook statistics, more than 6 million online books are accessible on Amazon Kindle, while 7,500 books are published worldwide each day.
• On a median, eBooks have a lower percentage of sales than paperbacks, with a ratio of 1:4.
• Nearly 7% of the American population just read books that are available online in a digital format.
• Roughly 28% of readers in the United States say they read books in print and eBook format.
• Each day, during vacation season, the number of Kindle or tablet owners grows rapidly.
• In 2022, in the United States, the trade eBook sales cost was 1 billion.
• According to ebook statistics, the global ebooks market is expected to make USD 14.61 billion in revenue by 2024.
• The number of eBook readers worldwide is predicted to reach 1.1 billion by 2027.
• The user penetration rate is expected to be 13.3% in 2024 and 14.1% by 2027.
• Each user is projected to generate an average revenue of USD 14.18.

Ebooks Sales Statistics

• Around 75% of worldwide online on, Apple, and Amazon.
• Fiction titles account for around 75% of worldwide ebook sales, and almost 56.6% of the ebook sales in Germany were fiction titles.
• Ebook sales in Canada accounted for 18.6% of the entire book industry in 2020.
• In 2020, the self-publishing ebook industry share in the U.S. was predicted to be 42%.
• Nearly 54% of the United States owners of smartphones access ebooks through mobile applications.
• Roughly 72% of the ebooks that are globally sold were valued below USD 9.99 in past years.
• The ebook sales in France have grown by 5.5% and have accounted for 9.25 of the total sales of books.
• Almost 27% of the population in Germany will read ebooks by 2020.
• In 2021, 63.7% of the ebooks users from the United Kingdom read using a tablet in 2021.
• In 2022, ebook sales in the U.K. will reach 269 million GBP in 2024.
• Almost 7 out of 10 ebook readers in the United States use a tablet device to read ebooks.
• Ebook sales revenue is projected to reach USD 4.23 billion in 2023 in the U.S.
• In 2022, eBooks sales revenue amounted to USD 1.95 billion, showing an 8.5% decline from 2021.
• This revenue is now lower than before the pandemic, continuing a trend of decrease since the peak in 2020.
• It’s the first time in the past five years that ebook revenue has fallen below USD 2 billion for a year. Overall, since 2018, ebook revenue has decreased by 7.67%.

(Reference: wordsrated.com)

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• As of 2022, ebook revenue represents 6.94% of the total revenue in the U.S. publishing industry.
• This is down from 7.27% in 2021 and a larger decrease from 8.59% in 2020.
• According to ebook statistics, this is the first time in the past five years that ebooks have accounted for less than 7% of annual publishing revenue.
• Over this period, the ebook share of publishing revenue has declined by 16.51%.

Ebooks Statistics Region-wise

(Reference: payhip.com)

• In the above chart, we can see the Ebook Market size from 2017 to 2026.

Worldwide:

• eBook revenue is projected to reach USD 14.21 billion in 2023.
• User penetration is expected to be 12.8% in 2023, reaching USD 15.39 billion by 2027.
• As per ebook statistics, the average revenue per user is projected at USD 14.46.
• The global eBook market anticipates reaching 1.12 billion readers by 2027.
• The market value is expected to grow to USD 15.39 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 2.01%.
• Revenue growth for 2023 is estimated at 4.2%, with expected revenue of USD 14.41 billion.

(Source: technavio.com)

Americas:

• In the United States, the eBook market is projected to reach USD 5.86 billion in 2023 and grow at an annual rate of 0.82% until 2027.
• By 2027, it is expected that there will be 155.50 s eBook readers in the U.S.
• Ebook statistics state that user penetration is forecasted to be 14.1% in 2023 and 15% by 2027.
• The U.S. is anticipated to generate the highest eBook revenue globally in 2023, totaling USD 5.67 billion.
• The average revenue per user in the U.S. is projected at USD 39.61.
• Growth in eBook revenue for 2023 is estimated at 0.9%.

Europe:

• The European eBook market is expected to reach USD 2.63 billion by 2027, growing at an annual rate of 1.26%.
• Revenue in the European market is forecasted to be USD 2.50 billion in 2023.
• The average revenue per user in Europe is projected at USD 27.37.
• The number of eBook readers in Europe is expected to reach 96.99 million by 2027.
• Growth in revenue for Europe in 2023 is estimated at 8.9%.

Asia:

• The number of eBook readers in Asia is projected to reach 0.72 billion by 2027, with growth rates of 13.8% in 2023 and 15.5% by 2027.
• As per ebook statistics, the average revenue per user in Asia is estimated at USD 8.97 in 2023.
• The eBook market value in Asia is expected to reach USD 6.44 billion by 2027, growing at an annual rate of 3.49%.
• Revenue growth in Asia for 2023 is estimated at 5.9%, with total revenue reaching USD 5.61 billion.

Africa:

• The African eBook market is expected to generate USD 173.70 million in revenue in 2023.
• Revenue growth in the African market for 2023 is projected at 6.3%.
• Ebook statistics state that the average revenue per user in Africa is estimated at USD 1.47.
• By 2027, the number of eBook readers in Africa is expected to reach 147.30 million.
• The African eBook market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 3.76%, reaching USD 201.30 million by 2027.
• User penetration is expected to be 9.4% in 2023 and 10.7% by 2027.

Ebook Pricing Across the World

(Source: statista.com)

• Amazon’s first Kindle e-reader in 2007 sparked a rapid rise in the U.S. ebook market.
• From 2008 to 2015, ebook revenue soared from USD 270 million to over USD 5 billion, driven by better screen technology and growing interest in digital reading.
• However, the ebook market has slowed significantly recently. Statista’s Digital Market Outlook analysts predict a minimal 0.1% annual revenue growth over the next five years, with about 90 million ebook readers expected in the U.S.
• As per ebook statistics, this trend is similar in many European markets, where ebook sales never fully took off and are unlikely to see substantial growth soon.
• To revive growth in the ebook market, analysts suggest adjusting pricing to reflect the cost advantage ebooks have over printed books.
• As per ebook statistics, a comparison of current bestsellers in the U.S., Germany, and China shows differing ebook pricing strategies.
• In the U.S. and Germany, ebook editions of the top 10 bestsellers are about 20% cheaper than hardcover editions. In contrast, Chinese readers benefit from a much larger discount, with ebooks priced an average of 74% lower than printed books.

Ebook Reader’s Statistics By Demographics

• In 2023, ebook readers showed a strong preference for reading on tablets, which is 2.5 times more common than other devices.
• Among those who are internet-savvy, 56% read ebooks using dedicated e-reading devices.
• As of 2023, the global ebook readership consists of 56% women, 42% men, and 1% others.
• Additionally, 60% of ebook readers are under 45 years old, while nearly 66% have a college or postgraduate degree.
• Furthermore, 40% of ebook readers belong to households earning over USD 75,000 annually.

(Reference: similarweb.com)

• As of 2023, statistics on e-reader users by age group show that the largest group, accounting for 32.15% of users, falls between 25 and 34 years old.
• Users aged 35 to 44 make up 21.46% of the total.
• In addition, 72% of users are in the 45 to 54 age range, while 14.82% are between 15 and 24 years old.
• According to ebook statistics, those aged 55 to 64 years make up 3% of e-reader users, and individuals aged 65 and above account for 5.56%.

Ebooks Popularity Statistics

• As per e-book statistics, 75% of adults in the US started reading a book in any form over the previous year.
• From the people surveyed, 32% particularly read printed books, 33% read both printed books and eBooks, and 9% particularly read eBooks.
• Notably, 23% of participants indicated they did not read books at all.

(Reference: marketsplash.com)

• Print books states sell more than eBooks by a ratio of almost 4 to 1.
• In 2020, around 191 million eBooks were sold in the US

(Reference: marketsplash.com)

• In 2022, sales of printed books totaled 788.7 million units, showing a decline from the previous year but surpassing pre-2021 levels, indicating increased imports for printed books during this period.
• Sales of printed books increased notably by 13.2% between 2020 and 2021. Comparing sales figures from 2019 to 2021, there was a notable increase of 21%.
• As of 2020, 19% of adult readers owned e-readers, down from 32% reported in 2014.

Ebooks Revenue Statistics

• In 2017, ebooks accounted for over 65% of total e-publishing income. By 2023, this share is expected to decrease to 56%, representing a 15% decline in the ebooks’ share of overall e-publishing revenue over the six years.
• During this time, e-papers are projected to increase their share to 27.24% of total e-publishing revenue, marking a 25% growth since 2017.
• Looking forward to 2027, ebooks are predicted to make up 54% of all e-publishing revenue, while e-papers and e-magazines are expected to rise to 28.4% and 17%, respectively.

(Reference: wordsrated.com)

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Ebooks Readers Websites Statistics

• By December 2023, the United States accounted for 36.73% of the total traffic on goodereader.com, experiencing an 11.39% increase in website visitors.
• Honduras followed with 11.06% of the traffic, showing a growth of 14.83%.
• The United Kingdom contributed 5.38% of the traffic but saw a decline of 11.86%. Canada and Germany had 4.07% and 2.85% of the traffic, respectively, with drops of 22.8% and 23.21%.
• Meanwhile, other countries collectively represented about 39.92% of the website’s traffic.

• Around the world, 31.9% of e-reader users prefer desktops, while 68.1% use mobile devices.
• In the United States, which hosts 76% of global e-reader users totaling 320.72K, 32.35% use desktops, and 67.65% use mobile devices.
• The United Kingdom has 152.08K e-reader users, comprising 17.43% of the total. Of these users, 42.61% use desktops, and 57.39% read on mobile devices.
• Colombia contributes 8.34% of total e-reader users, amounting to 72.77K users, all of whom access e-readers via mobile devices.
• Canada and Australia have approximately 49.96K and 40.34K e-reader users, respectively, making up 5.73% and 4.62% of the total. In Canada, 36.9% of users use desktops and 63.9% use mobile devices, while in Australia, 14.32% use desktops and 85.68% read on mobile devices.
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(Reference: similarweb.com)

• According to e-reader statistics, most visitors to goodereader.com arrive through organic search, making up 59.32% of the total traffic. Direct traffic accounts for 13%, while social search contributes 4.26%.
• Additionally, other sources of traffic to goodereader.com include Referral (1.5%), paid search (1.45%), Mail (0.23%), and Display (0.12%).

Conclusion

E-readers provide users with a great reading experience, offering features like adjustable brightness and waterproofing. Some models also allow note-taking and physical page-turning. However, extended use may lead to eye strain and dry eyes. Despite these issues, the market is expected to grow positively in the future. This article discusses potential market trends and insights. In the above article, we shed enough light on the statistics of ebooks.

Saisuman Revankar

Saisuman is a professional content writer specializing in health, law, and space-related articles. Her experience includes designing featured articles for websites and newsletters, as well as conducting detailed research for medical professionals and researchers. Passionate about languages since childhood, Saisuman can read, write, and speak in five different languages. Her love for languages and reading inspired her to pursue a career in writing. Saisuman holds a Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources and has worked in a Human Resources firm for a year. She was previously associated with a French international company. In addition to writing, Saisuman enjoys traveling and singing classical songs in her leisure time.

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