27 April 2017
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Publishers' Association graphic
Fiction sales also down, according to Publishing Association figures
Book and journal sales in 2016 reached £4.8bn, the highest ever level, with print sales increased by 8%, according to the latest Publishing Association figures.
Consumer publishing sales rose by 5% to £1.8bn. Within this figure, children's books increased by 16% to account for £365m. Non-fiction sales rose by 9% to £884m. Fiction sales, though, declined by 7% to £525m. SInce 2012, fiction sales have declined by 23%.
Physical sales of all books and journals including education and trade acccounted for £3bn – the highest level since 2012. Physical sales of fiction in 2016 were £360m (in 2015, £367m). Physical sales of non-fiction were £838m (in 2015, £759m)
Digital sales increased by 6% (to £1.7bn, 35% of total revenues) but ebook sales were down 3% to £538million. Part of this decline was accounted for by a 17% decline in sales of consumer ebooks to £204m. Digital fiction sales in 2016 were £165m (in 2015, £196m). Digital sales of non-fiction in 2016 were £46m (in 2015, £50m). The overall increase is fuelled by journals, educational, professional, academic and English language teaching sales.
Sales in the UK accounted for £356m of fiction and ££620m of non-fiction in 2016.
And after all those stats, which come from the Publishers' Association PA Publishing Yearbook 2016, published today, here are a few fun facts:
• In 2016, the fastest selling colouring book in the UK was The Harry Potter Colouring Book!
• The fastest-selling book this decade is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!
• And Lean in 15, by Joe Wicks, is the bestselling diet book since records began.
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