A snapshot of the sector: figures, trends and prospects
In terms of turnover and titles published it occupies seventh position in the world and fifth in Europe. Notwithstanding this, the statistics relating to the Italian publishing industry in 2008 are marked by the minus sign: turnover of 3.5 billion euros (-3%), about 59 thousand titles published (2 thousand fewer than last year) and 235 million copies (-12%). However, to provide an accurate picture of the sector, it is necessary to take into account two positive elements: in 2008 reading in Italy began to grow again (today 44% of Italians read at least one book per year) and, of fundamental importance, the effects of the slowdown in the global market proved to have less impact on the books sector compared to other forms of cultural consumption. The merit for this is attributable to those 14% of Italians who are strong purchasers of books, the hard core of the book market in Italy, who alone generate 41% of sales and who have in a certain sense "protected" the sector in a time of crisis.The book market in 2006? Slight growth although it remains the most important component of the content industry. Growth in copies and titles.
- 3.5 billion euros turnover (-3%): children's sector doing well, slowdown in schoolbooks
- Bookstore chains on the increase, the bookshop as sales channel is "holding up"
- Other sales channels: growth online (+26.8%) and at newsstands (+2.7%)
- Reading starts growing again: readers of at least one book in 2008 were 24 million (+0.9% over 2007). But readers of one book per month are only 3.2 million
- Production: over 59 thousand titles (62% of which new books), 235 million copies
- Translations and sales of rights abroad: increase in sales of Italian titles, decrease in translations. Exports grow by 0.9%
- Active publishers in Italy number 2,600; those employed 38 thousand
- And the beginning of 2009? In the first six months -2.2% in value, -4.2% in volume.
More infos available on this page.