More and more readers (and reading) in Italy

It seems that the upward trend in readership in Italy, recorded in 2020, is continuing with excellent results, with more readers.

The ‘virtuous circle’ caused by last year’s forced domestic stagnation has continued this year, with comforting data for the entire sector.

According to the latest report of the Italian Publishers’ Association, there was a consistent increase in the propensity to read and buy books in the period January-June.

In Italy, there was a 31% increase in readership, while 25% of readers said they were buying more books than before. The largest purchase of books was in the so-called trade channels, i.e. bookshops (also online) and large retailers, with the exception of scholastic books, audio books and eBooks.

The figures

The number of copies sold increased by 44% (+15 million), while sales grew by 42% (+207 million).

The figures are comforting even when referring to the pre-pandemic period, i.e. 2019, with an increase of 31% for copies sold and 28% for sales.

A trend that bodes well and that has certainly enjoyed a further boost, thanks to the Government’s rule that obliged libraries to purchase books in local bookshops.

In addition to these reassuring increases, it is also worth noting the consolidated dominant trend of the online market, which is now worth almost half of the market (47%), standing at EUR 327.9 million. For comparison, the online market in 2019 was worth ‘only’ EUR 184.6 million.

The genres

As for the genres most read by Italians, non-fiction is striking (+94%), but also biographies and autobiographies (+85%).

Games and leisure books were very positively affected by this particular year (+302%). Comics and graphic novels left their niche to become popular genres (+214%).

The hope is that these positive figures will be confirmed in the coming years. A small cultural change that our country needs more than ever.