In the second year of the pandemic, trade publishing (print fiction and non-fiction books sold in physical bookshops, online and through major retail chains) reaches €1.701 billion in sales at cover price, with 115.6 million copies (18 million more than in 2020), up 16% and 18% respectively compared to the previous year. Italian publishing still ranks sixth in the world (after the USA, China, Germany, the UK and France) and fourth in Europe. The 16% growth of the Italian market (trade) is second in Europe, ahead of Germany and the United Kingdom, and behind only France, recovering after the drop in 2020, and Spain. In 2021, there were 85,551 new print releases, up 22.9% compared to the previous year.
The data were presented on the final day of the XXXIX Specialisation Seminar at the Scuola per Librai Umberto ed Elisabetta Mauri.