With the introduction of ereaders back in 2007, the landscape of book sales has undergone a significant transformation. Readers and authors often wonder which book format is more popular, print books or ebooks? And which format sells the most? Let’s dive into Amazon’s book sales statistics and trends to gain some insights into recent book sales figures.
Print book sales volume on Amazon
1. Amazon is the largest bookseller in the print book market, selling more than 300 million print books annually in the United States and 106 million copies yearly in the UK.
2. According to Wordsrated, Amazon commands 40% of the print book sales in the US and a staggering 50% in the UK.
3. As reported by Wordsrated, projections suggest that by 2025, Amazon could potentially dominate over 70% of the US print book market.
eBook sales volume on Amazon
When it comes to ebooks, Amazon’s dominance is even more pronounced. The company sells over 487 million ebooks annually through Kindle, establishing itself as the ebook market leader.
Amazon’s market share in ebook sales stands at least 67%, rising to 83% when considering Kindle Unlimited subscriptions. In the UK, Amazon is estimated to control over 88% of yearly ebook sales.
Does Amazon sell more print books or ebooks
From the numbers above you might conclude that Amazon sells more eBooks than print books. But that’s not technically true. While Amazon sold 487 million ebooks in the past year, a decent percentage of those were free books and another big percentage were “sold” via Kindle Unlimited which is an all-you-can-read monthly subscription. So when it comes to a customer paying money to own a book, Amazon sold more print books last year. When it comes to a customer acquiring a book to read by any means then more ebooks were downloaded than print books were sold.
Note that Amazon does not disclose book sales numbers, so the figures above are estimations from various sources. According to The Small Business Blog, Amazon’s print book sales have increased significantly since 2022, with the ratio reaching three times more print books sold than ebooks by the end of 2023. This trend may be linked to changing customer behavior and preferences for physical rather than electronic reading.
Amazon’s influence on the book industry, both in print and ebook sales, is undeniable. Recent trends indicate a resurgence of print books over ebooks. Whether you prefer the tactile experience of flipping through pages or the convenience of digital reading, Amazon continues to shape the way we consume literature in the digital age. Toner Buzz reports that print books are here to stay because they “don’t cause the eye strain inherent to e-readers. Reading on an e-reader before bed disrupts sleep and impacts overall health” and that print books offer a unique reading experience.
