Amy Watson
Research expert covering news and publishing
Book industry in Spain - statistics & facts
Spain is the birthplace of distinguished authors with renowned works that have crossed national borders. The book industry is one of the largest cultural sectors in Spain, representing a strong growth engine for the national economy. This is partly due to the importance of book exports from Spain to other countries, which registered positive results. France, Spain’s largest import partner in the book industry, traded books from Spain at a value of over 180 million euros during 2018. Imports of books in Spain from other countries are also on the rise since 2006.
Translated works of literature are one of the main features of the Spanish book industry as well as a key factor of the sector’s international success. However, not all languages are equally relevant, with English, French and Spanish being the most translated, despite the surge of other languages such as German or Japanese.
Even though the 2008 financial crisis dramatically affected the revenues generated from the book industry during subsequent years, the sector saw a growth in 2014 that paved the way to a brighter future. One of the reasons of this increase were most likely digital books, with turnover in 2018 more than double that of 2008. However, Spaniards still prefer to read in print formats, with around 40 percent of the population using only this more traditional method to enjoy their narrative.
Translated works of literature are one of the main features of the Spanish book industry as well as a key factor of the sector’s international success. However, not all languages are equally relevant, with English, French and Spanish being the most translated, despite the surge of other languages such as German or Japanese.
Even though the 2008 financial crisis dramatically affected the revenues generated from the book industry during subsequent years, the sector saw a growth in 2014 that paved the way to a brighter future. One of the reasons of this increase were most likely digital books, with turnover in 2018 more than double that of 2008. However, Spaniards still prefer to read in print formats, with around 40 percent of the population using only this more traditional method to enjoy their narrative.
