E-Books Still No Match for Printed Books

Happy World Book and Copyright Day! While UNESCO's General Conference probably thought of ink on paper when it first celebrated the event in 1995, some 21st century book lovers have moved onto enjoying the pastime in the electronic form. In the following chart, we compare just how popular e-books are versus those in print.

According to data from Statista’s Market Insights, e-book penetration still trails that of printed books in the vast majority of countries around the world. In the United States for example, around 21 percent of the population are estimated to have purchased an e-book last year, compared to 30 percent who bought a printed book. China is the only country of the 10 countries included here that saw the opposite trend, with only 24 percent of the population estimated to have purchased a printed book compared to around 27 percent who bought an e-book in that time frame.

Looking at forecasts for the global book market, Statista analysts predict that while e-books have grown in popularity, they will not be the final nail in the coffin of printed books, but rather a complementary product that should ultimately benefit the publishing industry.