Books young Ukrainians buy as part of the eBook program

As part of the “eBook” program, eighteen-year-old Ukrainians spent nearly UAH 68 million on book purchases.  Under the program, 65% of the buyers were women, while 35% were men. Users of the program showed a preference for online bookstores rather than physical stores, with 67% opting for the former and 33% for the latter.

In total, 214,978 copies of books were purchased through the program, including 3,135 ebooks.

Chain bookstores where books were bought most frequently were:

• Yakaboo (28,30%);
• “Ye” Bookstore (25,41%);
• Book Club “Family Leisure Club” (KSD) (24,06%);
• Readeat (5,90%);
• Knigoland (4,02%).

Books from these publishers were purchased most frequently:

• Book Club “Family Leisure Club” (KSD) (20,86% / 44 854);
• Vivat (14,36% / 30 876);
• BookChef (13,10% / 28 171);
• Ranok (5,88% / 12 650);
• The Old Lion Publishing House (3,71% / 7 982).

The majority of the most popular books are written by foreign authors (88%), with romantic and young adult literature dominating among several genres. Among Ukrainian authors, there are bestsellers by authors like Volodymyr Stanchyshyn, Illarion Pavliuk, and Andriy Semyankiv.

The Ukrainian Book Institute (UBI) noted that young people are particularly interested in books on psychology, especially those addressing mental health topics. There is also a high demand for book series, with many bestsellers being parts of larger cycles. 

The ten books young people bought most often:

• “Leave If You Love” by Colleen Hoover (Vivat) — 3093 copies;
• “Haunting Adeline” by H. D. Carlton (volume 1) (BookChef) — 2459 copies;
• “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid (volume 1) (ArtBooks) — 1979 copies;
• “The Mountain Is You” by Brianna Wiest (BookChef) — 1749 copies;
• “Go where it’s scary” by Jim Lawless (BookChef) — 1698 copies;
• “Haunting Adeline” by H. D. Carlton (volume 2) (BookChef) — 1580 copies;
• “Punk 57” by Penelope Douglas (KSD) — 1523 copies;
• “Stay If You Love” by Colleen Hoover (Vivat) — 1500 copies;
• “Walls In My Head” by Volodymyr Stanchyshyn (Vikhola) — 1436 copies;
• “If He Had Been With Me” by Laura Nowlin (Ridna Mova Publishing) — 1425 copies.

Tetiana Petrenko, the head of the public relations department at the UBI, explained to Chytomo that the preferences of young people align with global book trends, where the majority are translated works.

“We expected a higher percentage of e-book purchases, particularly from 18-year-old Ukrainians abroad, for whom e-books remain more accessible than paper ones,” Petrenko said. “Having UAH 908, one can buy two or three books. At the same time, the process of choosing stimulates interest: people want to see what is currently available on the market and get to know the world of books better. Today, young people have numerous entertainment options — many turn to TikTok and other quick content, which often includes materials from representatives of the aggressor country. Our task is to offer a quality alternative, highlight the advantages of Ukrainian books, and provide access to them,” she added.

Representatives of the UBI also noted that UAH 23 million in state funds remain unused in the accounts of recipients. “Based on data received from banks participating in the ‘eBook’ program, 14,168 recipients have not spent the financial aid provided for book purchases at all,” the institution told Interfax-Ukraine in response to an inquiry.

eBook is a state program under which young Ukrainians who have turned 18 can receive government assistance for purchasing books within a year. The amount of this assistance is UAH 908. The funds can be used within three months exclusively to buy printed, electronic, or audiobooks in the Ukrainian language from bookstores and publishers participating in the program.

RELATED: eBook program for young people launched in Ukraine

Main image (representative): Oleh Pereviersiev/Book Arsenal

Copy editing: Joy Tataryn