Book industry before Frankfurt Book Fair: Decline in sales and falling reader numbers
Quick Look
- Before the Frankfurt Book Fair, the book industry in Germany recorded a decline in sales of 2.7 percent to 9.62 billion euros in 2025.
- The sharp decline in young readers is particularly alarming: the number fell by over 30 percent for 10 to 15 year olds and by almost 18 percent for 20 to 29 year olds.
- While fiction, young adult and new adult books are increasing slightly, sales in non-fiction books, guides and travel books are falling.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The book industry in Germany has been facing structural challenges for years due to digital media competition and changing reading habits. Before the Frankfurt Book Fair 2026, current sales and readership figures will be presented, which show a further decline, especially among younger readers.
The mood in the book industry is rather gloomy before the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair. Young people in particular are reading less, the number of new publications and translations is falling, as are sales and turnover. The most important numbers at a glance:
Sales in the book industry in 2025 were 9.62 billion euros, 2.7 percent below those in 2024. After the first eight months of 2026, the value fell even further and is now 3.0 percent below the same period last year.
The number of book buyers is shrinking - by almost five percent from 2024 to 2025. Alarming: The number of readers between the ages of 10 and 15 fell by over 30 percent compared to the previous year, and by almost 18 percent for 20 to 29 year olds.
What is read more and what less?
Interest is falling in most subject areas: travel books minus 11.6 percent, guides minus 8.1 percent, non-fiction books minus 4.6 percent, children's and young adult books minus 2.4 percent.
Sales only increased in these subject areas: fiction plus 1.2 percent, young adult plus 4.8 percent, new adult plus 9.6 percent.
What about e-books and online retail?
The number of first editions is falling: 52,644 new titles were published in 2025 - almost ten percent less than in 2024. The number of translations into German also fell.
While online business remained stable, stationary bookselling fell by 3.7 percent in 2025. Business with e-books settled at a stable level. Sales of audio books increased by more than 13 percent.
What are the reasons for the development?
On the one hand: reading skills decrease. Around 20 percent of adults - 10.6 million people - between the ages of 16 and 65 in Germany can only read and write poorly. This was the result of a special analysis on the development of reading and writing skills in adults, which was pointed out by the Reading Foundation.
The latest Pisa study also shows this for students. One in three 15-year-olds lacks “basic reading skills,” according to the head of the study. “Declining book purchases among young people and the weak PISA results on reading skills are parallel developments,” says the head of the German Book Trade Association, Sebastian Guggolz.
How do you awaken a love of reading?
What can you do about it? That is the question par excellence at the book fair. Trade fair boss Juergen Boos hopes that the trade fair itself will help to awaken a new love of reading. The lever: create an emotional connection to the author or the topic. “The reception is different today,” says Boos. “We see a development from reader to fan.”
So that as many visitors as possible can “read about being a fan,” the trade fair is changing. The number of “events” increases from year to year. In the “Meet the Author” area, fans line up for hours for selfies or autographs. New this time are “Experience Worlds” with opportunities to participate, for example for crime thriller fans, podcast listeners or comic book lovers.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Frankfurt Book Fair will attract more visitors through increased events and experience worlds and increase interest in reading in the short term.
Likely · Within weeks
The audio book market will continue to grow, while the stationary book trade will continue to decline without structural changes.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- How effective are the new 'experience worlds' at the book fair in increasing reader numbers in the long term?
- What specific measures is the industry planning to improve reading skills among adults and young people?
- Why are the young-adult and new-adult segments growing despite a general decline?
- How will the audio book market develop in the long term compared to classic book formats?
