Evolution of ebook sales in 2023
Total market growth
The ebook market grew by 8,6% in revenue in 2023.
- Last year's increase exceeds the 5.7% increase recorded in 2022.
Breakdown of growth by sales regions
* Growth in units is more relevant, but the fluctuation of the exchange rate of Latin American currencies and inflation have a downward effect on the evolution of turnover.
Mexico* was the region that led the growth of the Spanish-language ebook market, with an increase of 12% over the previous year.
Latin America* experienced an increase of 9% in the ebook market.
In Spain, the ebook market increased by 8%.
The United States market is more static, with growth of 2% mainly driven by the consumption of Spanish-language content on library platforms.
Specific analysis of ebook sales in Spanish-language markets
Libraries go digital
In 2023 eBiblio's investment in license purchases for its libraries grew by 39.68%.
- This increase only affects Spanish publishers.
- In Latin America, library investment in ebooks is decreasing, while in Mexico it increased by a modest 3.34%.
We like to buy ebooks
Unit sales remain the main source of revenue, with subscription slowing its growth to stabilise at 6%.
- The rebranding of Scribd to Everand has fuelled the subscription slowdown; the most affected publishers are those in Latin America with non-fiction and technical catalogues.
- Unit sales revenues rose in all regions: las Mexican publishers lead the ranking.
Which catalogues are most profitable in subscription?
These platforms have established themselves as key points of reference for readers of certain literary genres.
Romance literature
According to our market knowledge and experience, this is the standard distribution per business model for a romance literature publisher:
Technical books
The subscription yield of publishers with this profile usually exceeds 10% of their total turnover.
Literary fiction
Users of subscription platforms are increasingly choosing literary fiction as their reding choices for the month.
What trends do we predict?
Subscription platform readers are increasingly opting for works in three literary genres, the consumption of which rose in 2023 and we predict will continue to rise throughout 2024.
adult literature
fiction
enterprise
Breakdown of Latin American publishers’ ebook sales by region
El 82% of Latin American publishers' ebook sales are made in the American Continent only 17% are generated in Spain.
Ebook sales by price bands of Spanish publishers
| Price range | Sales in 2023 | Sales in 2022 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0,00 - 2,99 EUR | 2,67% | 2,79% | -0,12% |
| 003 - 4,99 EUR | 5,87% | 6,46% | -0,59% |
| 005 - 7,99 EUR | 27,97% | 28,82% | -0,85% |
| 008 - 9,99 EUR | 21,64% | 22,62% | -0,98% |
| 010 - 12,99 EUR | 21,36% | 19,98% | 1,38% |
| 013 - 14,99 EUR | 8,22% | 7,11% | 1,11% |
| 015 - 20,99 EUR | 6,45% | 6,20% | 0,25% |
| > 20 EUR | 5,83% | 6,01% | -0,18% |
The ebooks that sold the most in 2023 were worth between €5 and €12.99.
70,97%of the titles bought last year were priced in this range.
The fastest growing price ranges are: between €10 and €12.99 and between €13 and €14.99.
Ebook sales by price bands of Latin American publishers
| Price range | Sales in 2023 | Sales in 2022 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0,00 - 2,99 EUR | 4,27% | 3,46% | 0,81% |
| 003 - 4,99 EUR | 7,10% | 8,28% | -1,18% |
| 005 - 7,99 EUR | 22,67% | 24,36% | -1,69% |
| 008 - 9,99 EUR | 19,55% | 22,09% | -2,54% |
| 010 - 12,99 EUR | 18,41% | 18,09% | 0,32% |
| 013 - 14,99 EUR | 6,93% | 8,38% | -1,45% |
| 015 - 20,99 EUR | 15,72% | 12,00% | 3,72% |
| > 20 EUR | 5,35% | 3,35% | 2,00% |
The ebooks that sold the most in 2023 were worth between €5 and €12.99.
El 60,63% dof the titles bought last year were priced in this range.
The fastest growing price ranges are: between €10 and €12.99 and between €13 and €14.99.
Evolution of the average price of ebooks
The average price of an ebook in 2023 was €7.66.
- 43 cents above the 2022 average price: €7.23
* The average price of ebooks in Latin America has experienced a spectacular rise of €1.14 (+17,43%), which is strongly influenced by exchange rate fluctuations against the euro.