EU book publishers earned over €20 billion in 2021

In 2021 the total revenue of European Union book publishers from sales was 23.6 billion euros. This is stated in the report of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP).

According to the survey conducted by FEP, the annual income from book sales increased in 2021. If in 2020 it was 22.2 billion euros, in 2021 it reached 23 billion. The previous drop in profits was due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The largest markets in terms of publishers’ turnover in Europe were Germany, the UK, France, Spain and Italy. Total market value is estimated at 36-38 billion euros.

A total of about 575,000 new titles were issued by publishers in 2021, a decrease compared to 2020, mostly due to the reduction of activity caused by the pandemic, but also, as the FEP suggests, due to an attempt at rationalizing title production. Among the countries with the most new titles are the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain.

According to the estimates of the Federation of European Publishers, more than half a million people work in the EU book publishing industry.

Looking at long-term trends, FEP notes that the pandemic has pushed up digital sales. Overall, 2021 was a year of “an impressive – though uneven – recovery, was also the year in which a paper crisis began that will have an impact on the sector for the years to come.”

The final survey, initiated by FEP to summarize the results of 2021, involved 29 national associations of publishers from the European Union and the European Economic Area Member States.

Recall that due to sanctions in spring, the cost of books in Russia increased by 60%.

Featured photo: Harry George