E-books vs. Print books popularity: current scenario

Cite: E-books vs. Print books popularity: current scenario - LibCognizance

With AI technology driving the digital age, print books are still in demand and account for about half of readers, or even up to 60–85 percent of the total readership in some regions. Industry watchers predicted that print book sales would decline over time as e-reader usage grew quickly in early 2000s. Let's examine a few figures compiled from various sources to determine the prevailing patterns.

When e-readers like the Amazon Kindle burst onto the scene, showing up next to menorahs and under Christmas trees in the early 2000s, they were predicted to bring about the death of the print book — and maybe the independent bookstore too.
(Brandie Weikle · CBC Radio · Posted: Dec 17, 2023 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: December 17, 2023)

According to global trends in a Printed Books vs eBooks Statistics, Trends and Facts [2023] - Toner Buzz (1), print book readers are expected to reach up to 1.87 billion readers by 2027, while e-book readers are expected to reach up to 1.2 billion.

The most recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center (February 2021) (2) on book formats, print is still the most popular reading format in America and the most popular e-reader on the market is Amazon’s Kindle covering 72% of the e-reader market.

Chart: E-Books Still No Match for Printed Books | Statista

From the data from Statista’s Advertising & Media Outlook (3), it is obvious that except in China, where the gap between the percentage of e-book readers and print book readers is less, in countries like US, UK, and Japan, there is about a 50–50% market for both print and e-books, and in countries like Australia, Spain, South Korea, Germany, France, and India, there are much more print book readers than e-books.

Global scenario : market Share by Region

Region	E-books (%)	Print Books (%)	Reference
North America	35	65	Statista, 2022
Europe	45	55	Gitnux, 2023
Asia	15	85	Toner Buzz, 2023
Latin America	30	70	International Publishers Association, 2022

Indian scenario

According to a website statista.com, in India the eBooks market is increasing rapidly because of government's digital literacy policy and increasing availability of affordable smartphones. By the end of 2024, The eBooks market in India is projected to reach a revenue of ₹US$236.40m and by 2028 eBooks market is expected to reach 138.7 million readers.

Print and e-book reading experiences

After a hike in e-book reading that reached a certain level, the majority of readers have now experienced the physiological, geographical, cognitive and economic differences of reading both types of books. That could be the reason that some readers are getting back to the prints again in countries like US, UK and Japan. An article by Team Leverage Edu (4) states some differences based on prints and electronics.

E-books vs Printed Books: At a Glance

Criteria	Ebooks	Printed Books
Portability	More portable	Less Portable
Storage	Takes less space	Takes more space
Features	Has multiple features	Doesn’t have features
Cost of books	Less expensive	More expensive
Connectivity	Required	Not required
Focus	Has distractions in the form of links	More focused
Eye-strain	More strain	Less Strain
Initial Cost	More expensive	Less Expensive
Charging	Necessary Requirement frequently	Not a necessary requirement
Available	Easily available anytime	Not so easily available anytime

Some key figures

Global Market:

73% of adults prefer print for leisure reading. (Gitnux, 2023)
Print books generated over 75% of revenue for trade publishers in the US in 2022, compared to 10.5% for e-books. (Statista, 2022)
The global paper books market is expected to encompass around 1.87 billion readers by 2027, while e-reader users are expected to reach 1.2 billion
Print books continue to dominate the global book market, generating over $64.35 billion in revenue in 2023
E-books have been growing globally by 3.52% annually on average since 2017 and are projected to generate over $13.72 billion in 2023

Sales Trends:

Print books out-sell e-books 4 to 1
In January 2023, e-book sales in the US experienced a 3.7% increase vs. January 2022, resulting in $85 million of generated revenue
Printed book sales amounted to 788.7 million units in 2022
Print book sales have increased 13.2% between 2020 and 2021, and 21% between 2019 and 2021
E-book sales grew by 22% in 2020 but decreased 8% in 2021

Reader Preferences:

These statistics suggest that while e-books are growing in popularity, print books continue to hold a significant share of the market. According to Tony Hoffman in his blog "The preference for one format over the other often depends on factors such as convenience, cost, usability, and the tactile experience of reading a physical book" (5).

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