E-Books (Global Market)

2024: E-book reader sales up 5.5% year over year to reach $10.67 billion

In 2024, the global market for e-book readers (readers) amounted to $10.67 billion. For comparison, a year earlier, sales of such gadgets were estimated at $10.11 billion. Thus, an increase of about 5.5% was recorded. Industry trends are addressed in the Goodereader survey, which TAdviser reviewed at the end of July 2025.

Analysts note that the market is showing steady positive dynamics. This is due to the development of e-learning, the advent of multifunctional readers and the availability of free digital materials. A significant impact on the industry was made by a pandemic that COVID-19 provoked a massive transition to distance learning technologies. In self-isolation, schoolchildren and students around the world needed additional devices to access the Internet and work with educational materials in electronic format, which provoked an increase in demand for readers. Even after the lifting of severe restrictions imposed in the context of the spread of the coronavirus, the popularity of e-learning remained high. This format provides a number of advantages over traditional face-to-face visits to educational institutions, including the ability to gain knowledge from anywhere in the world with access to the Internet, saving money and time (including due to the lack of transport costs), scalability and the availability of additional digital tools for tracking progress.

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Фото: Freepik

Technological advances are also having a positive impact on sales of e-book readers. Developers are constantly improving the characteristics of such gadgets and expanding their functionality. For readers with E-Ink technology, the screen is as close as possible to the paper page, which reduces eye strain and increases comfort during long-term work. At the same time, the display reads well in bright sunlight, and energy is spent only at the time of redrawing the image, which ensures a long battery life. Modern devices are also equipped with a backlight, a dust and moisture-proof case, a touch panel and a large amount of memory for storing a library of books, documents, digital scientific materials, etc. Individual models are equipped with a color display and a cellular modem, which allows you to connect to the Internet wherever there is mobile network coverage.

At the same time, the authors of the study highlight a number of restraining factors. One of them is the growing penetration of smartphones that compete with readers. In addition, some e-book readers come at a high price, which deters potential buyers. In certain regions, sales are constrained by a lack of consumer awareness of e-book technology.

By screen type, analysts segment the market into E-Ink and LCD panel models. In 2024, the first type of device dominated. In terms of size, gadgets with a display diagonal of 6 to 8 inches, which are convenient to carry, are the most popular. Geographically, according to Fortune Business Insights, North America is leading, with substantial growth rates recorded in the Asia-Pacific region. Globally, the list of significant industry players includes:

• Ectaco;
• Bookeen;
• Amazon;
• Sony;
• News Corporation;
• Barnes & Noble;
• Hanvon Technology;
• Rakuten Kobo;
• Onyx International;
• Arta Tech;
• iFlytek;
• Plastic Logic Limited;
• PocketBook International.^[1]

2023: Reader sales in the world for the year exceeded $10 billion

In 2023, sales of e-book readers on a global scale reached $10.11 billion. The market is showing steady positive momentum, driven by growing demand for digital content and online learning. Industry trends are addressed in the Market Research Future survey, which TAdviser reviewed in mid-December 2024.

Most readers, it is noted, use electronic ink technology, which reduces eye strain and provides sensations comparable to reading a regular paper book. In addition, in such gadgets, energy is spent only at the time of redrawing the image, which ensures a long battery life on a single battery charge. Readers provide the opportunity to carry thousands of books and all kinds of documents, which attracts both reading lovers and students who require various materials to study.

An important driver of the industry is technological advances. Manufacturers are constantly improving the characteristics of their devices, increasing the display resolution, increasing battery life, etc. Readers are overgrown with additional functions, including touch control, protection against moisture and dust, built-in backlight. This allows them to be used in a variety of conditions, including in the dark or in low light. Some models, along with wireless Wi-Fi , offer support for cellular connections.

Many e-reading platforms provide additional services to connect with other people and like-minded people, such as online book clubs and forums. Most readers can play audio formats such as MP3 files: this allows you to listen to audio books or simply enjoy music. In general, the expanding functionality of reading devices is attracting more and more buyers.

By display type, readers are divided into electronic ink (E-Ink) models and LCD solutions. Devices of the first type dominate due to their excellent readability in bright sunlight and energy efficiency. In terms of panel size, options with a diagonal of 6-8 inches are most popular, which is explained by the optimal balance between portability and ease of reading. Among the significant market players named:

• Ectacto;
• Amazon;
• Sony;
• News Corporation;
• Barnes & Noble;
• Hanvon Technology;
• Rakuten Kobo;
• Onyx International;
• Arta Tech;
• Bookeen;
• PocketBook International.

Geographically, North America is leading, helped by several factors. The region boasts a high level of digital literacy and a wide penetration of the Internet, which stimulates demand for all kinds of gadgets, including e-book readers. In addition, many major developers of such products are concentrated here, including Amazon with its Kindle series. In price terms, the largest share is occupied by the middle segment: consumers often look for readers that offer the optimal ratio of cost and quality, and medium-priced gadgets usually meet these requirements.

At the end of 2024, revenue in the reader segment is estimated at $10.67 billion. Market Research Future analysts believe that in the future, the CAGR (average annual growth rate in complex percentages) will be 6.82%. As a result, by 2032, costs on a global scale could increase to $18.1 billion.^[2]

2013

In 2013, the e-book market increased by 37% compared to 2012, and in 2013-2014, the market is expected to grow by about 28%, and its volume will reach $11 billion, according to the World Newsmedia Network.

According to The Global eBook Report, at the beginning of 2014, the United States remained the largest player in the book market in the world, occupying 26% of the global market. The second largest market in terms of volume is the Chinese book market - 12% of the world market. The TOP-6 largest markets - the USA, China, Germany, Japan, France, Great Britain - account for almost 60% of the world market volume.

Characteristics of the e-book market by country

USA

In the United States, the e-books market is actively developing. Popular newspapers such as the New York Times and USA Today began to include e-book sales on their bestseller lists starting in the first quarter of 2011. The largest American publishers have revenues from e-book sales of 30 to 40%, according to The Global eBook Report. Under the influence of the rapid distribution of devices such as the Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad, e-book sales have grown and are likely to maintain growth rates in the future. Barnes & Noble also saw the largest holiday sales ever, with most of it coming from sales through their online retailer Nook.

Great Britain

One in four UK book purchases came from a book digitally in 2013, while in 2012 only one in five were from an e-book, suggesting an increase in e-book penetration.

Japan

The main income in the e-book segment of Japan comes from comics that are easy to read on small mobile phone displays. In Japan, comics exist everywhere, they are read by young and old. There are various genres: from fiction to archeology, cooking, preschool and business comics. Mobile manga comics have created the Japanese e-book market and continue to dominate the content of other genres: fiction, science, etc. The growth of the e-book market will be facilitated by lower prices for readers and the widespread use of smartphones in Japan.

1922: Bradley Fiske Reading Machine

In 1922, Rear Admiral Bradley Fiske invented the world's first "Reading Machine." Thanks to the technology of microphone copying of ordinary printed text, the admiral was able to fit Mark Twain's book "Simpletons Abroad" of 93,000 characters on only 13 pages measuring 12 cm.

See also

• E-books (Russian market)

Notes