Nielsen BookData: 2025’s bestsellers are the Bible and trivia books

13.03.2026

Olha Mukha

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NielsenIQ BookData analysts describe the 2025 performance of the UK and Irish book markets as “steady, though slightly weaker,” with grounds for cautious optimism despite a decline in print book sales. Suzy Warnock, Senior Analytic Account Manager at NielsenIQ BookData, addressed this during the opening of the London Book Fair.

A presentation examining trends in the British and international book markets was held on the Tech Theatre stage, one of the main events on the fair’s first day.

In 2025, according to NielsenIQ BookData, spending on printed books in the United Kingdom fell by 0.5%, whereas in Ireland it increased by 1.5%. At the same time, the number of copies purchased declined in both countries: by 2.5% in the UK and by 0.4% in Ireland.

Different market drivers

The two countries’ markets developed in different directions. The main driver in the UK was adult fiction — spending in this segment rose 5%, while sales volume remained virtually unchanged (+0.2%).

In contrast, the adult nonfiction market in the UK declined — down 5% in revenue and 6% in copies sold. As a result, spending on books in this segment fell to approximately £791 million, with sales dropping to about 59 million copies.

Analysts observed a clear shift toward digital formats in the nonfiction sector. Print books fell below 75% of market sales for the first time, while audiobook revenue has nearly doubled over the past five years.

The Irish book market differs: adult nonfiction became the most successful segment, up 4% in revenue with a 0.3% increase in copies sold. Meanwhile, fiction registered a decline in both revenue and sales. Warnock emphasized that this was a matter of demand redistribution across genres and formats rather than a systemic crisis.

Global markets: Growth driven by prices

The performance of international book markets was uneven but generally steady. Market value grew in 11 of the 19 regions analyzed, according to NielsenIQ BookData.

The main growth came from India, Latin America, and Southern Europe. However, revenue increased primarily due to higher average prices rather than an increase in the number of books sold. For example, in Italy, book sales fell by 3%.

India recorded the highest growth, with both revenue and the number of books sold rising by over 25%. Brazil followed, recording growth of around 10%.

Two big markets — France and the United Kingdom — reported a slight decline in revenue (approximately 1%), which is viewed as a fluctuation within a stable range.

Popular genres

Genre fiction continues to dominate the charts — particularly crime novels, science fiction, fantasy, and romance boosted by BookTok — and remains the main driver of growth. Non-fiction showed weaker momentum, despite the dominance of several “evergreen” and breakthrough global bestsellers in many countries’ 2025 sales rankings, including “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and “Sunrise on the Reaping” by Suzanne Collins. In 2025, science fiction, fantasy, horror, ghost stories, Westerns, and graphic novels (manga and superhero comics) all hit record sales figures in both countries.

The Nonfiction paradox: Bibles and trivia quizzes

Against the backdrop of declining print nonfiction sales (the lowest level since 2014), an unexpected trend was noted: 2025 was the most successful year on record (since 1998) for trivia books, with sales rising by 25%. Furthermore, Bibles and religious publications achieved their highest sales figures since the late 1990s, their revenue in the UK and Ireland reaching £6.3 million.

Most read books and authors

In fiction, the British bestseller list was topped by Richard Osman’s “The Impossible Fortune,” part of the “Thursday Murder Club” series about a group of retired detectives whose witty and heartwarming crime investigations consistently captivate readers. The novel sold approximately 478,000 copies and topped the bestseller lists. In Ireland (and beyond), the non-fiction category saw a massive hit with the motivational book “The Let Them Theory” by Mel and Sawyer Robbins, which focuses on personal boundaries and the art of releasing what cannot be controlled.

The combined bestseller lists for the British and Irish markets are dominated primarily by children’s and YA authors.

Among them are:

Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo);
Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants, Dog Man);
Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid);
Jamie Smart (the Bunny vs Monkey comic series);
Psychological thriller by Freida McFadden (The Housemaid);
One of the most popular contemporary fantasy authors, Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, Crescent City), whose books are actively supported by the BookTok community.

In conclusion, representatives of the NielsenIQ BookData note that despite the decline in print book sales, the market gives reason for cautious optimism.

In 2024, the European book market reached its highest nominal turnover on record — €24.9 billion — surpassing the previous record set in 2007. According to reports, the net profit of publishers in the EU rose by 1.6% in 2023.

Copyediting: Terra King