UK Books, E-books and Audiobooks Market Report 2026
2026-06-25T22:01:13+00:00
REP0EDD0A8D_8719_496F_9D0A_8D8719496F37
2195
194429
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Report
en_GB
Over half of book buyers would be interested in digital books that come with collectible cards. These would include cover art images, or even offer limited edition artwork from book…
UK
Books, Magazines and Newspapers
simple
UK Books, E-books and Audiobooks Market Report 2026
"Digital books continue to grow, driven by convenience, lower cost, and for many, a lack of space in the home. Print will still dominate sales, but readers are seeking the flexibility of multi-format options."
Over half of book buyers would be interested in digital books that come with collectible cards. These would include cover art images, or even offer limited edition artwork from book series, or author-signed editions. Such an innovation would boost the digital proposition, bring sales in store and boost the gifting market, while being perfectly suited to the BookTok community.
The main threat to the industry comes from rising costs in terms of production and supply chains, which has led to rising prices for print books. Demand has remained strong, although revenues have been supported by inflation rather than volume sales, with more people looking to the secondhand market or switching to digital formats. For independent bookshops, margins are being squeezed, and there is a need to find new revenues streams. Local events, classes and even bringing digital books in store can help stores thrive.
There is strong opportunity to capitalise on the demand for multi-format reading. This could be through bundles of formats at discounted rates or including digital download codes with hardback releases. More flexible audiobook subscriptions can also help cater to this demand. While users will want to avoid buying an audiobook they already own in print or e-book, a range of price points for inclusive listening hours will allow them to switch format as they please.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Market size and five-year forecast for consumer books, with print still dominating sales despite stronger growth in the digital segment
Consumer reading format preferences, with over half reading print books, and e-book reading taking place across a range of devices
Book purchasing habits, where print fiction paperbacks lead the way, but younger demographics are just as likely to buy hardbacks
Purchase locations both in store and online, with Waterstones still the main high street brand, but just as many utilising supermarkets and charity shops for lower prices
The most frequently bought fiction genres and the popularity of romantasy books among younger readers
The impact of social media and book reading platforms on search and recommendations, with TikTok continuing to drive industry trends
Collapse All
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for books, e-books and audiobooks
Opportunities
Offer readers a seamless experience with format flexibility
Collectible cards can transform the digital books market
Pairing digital books with a tangible product can bring sales in store and boost the gift market
Reading brands must work together to take on Amazon
THE MARKET
Snapshot – market size and forecast
Market size
Consumer book revenues continue to grow, although inflation is playing a role
Graph 1: domestic sales of consumer books (excluding exports), 2019-26
Cost, convenience and space will see digital’s share of the market continue to grow
Graph 2: digital share of domestic consumer books sales, 2017-26
Market forecast
Total domestic consumer book sales will reach a new high and pass the £1.7 billion mark
Graph 3: total value sales of consumer books (excluding exports), 2021-31
Print will continue to dominate the market, with rising prices driving modest growth
Graph 4: value sales of consumer print books (excluding exports), 2021-31
Digital sales will play a larger role in the books market, but growth will begin to slow
Graph 5: value sales of consumer digital books (excluding exports), 2021-31
Market background
Reading is a regular habit for most Brits
Waterstones continues to expand its store network
The UK is sustaining a high number of independent bookshops
The Housemaid series success highlights the power of TikTok for book sales
Popularity of thrillers and adaptations reflected in the 2025 Amazon bestsellers
Market drivers
Inflation is impacting the market for books, but reading remains a fairly low-cost leisure activity
Graph 6: CPI inflation rate, 2021-26
Reading is among the most popular at-home leisure activities for Brits
Graph 7: frequency of reading books at home (%), 2025
BookTok influence cannot be underestimated, but the social media ban will limit its impact on under-16s
Graph 8: Google searches for the word “booktok”, 2020-26
National Year of Reading 2026 looks to address declining passion for reading among children
Unauthorised use of books by AI coming under increased scrutiny as CMA announces new requirements
THE CONSUMER
Print versus digital
The lower cost and added convenience of e-books and audiobooks are helping digital to close the gap on print
Graph 9: reading activity in the last 12 months, 2026
Graph 10: reading activity in the last 12 months, NET, 2026
Young Brits are embracing digital formats, but flexibility is key
Print books are still driving sales despite growth in digital
Younger Brits are supplementing digital books with hardback purchases
Graph 11: books purchasing activity in the last 12 months, 2024 and 2026
Lack of space is shifting the emphasis from quantity to quality in the print market
Listening time subscriptions can help readers to seamlessly switch between formats
In-store and online purchase locations
Popularity of charity shops highlights the need to offer secondhand books
A higher proportion have bought print books in store than online
Graph 12: in-store print book purchase channels in the last 12 months, 2026
Graph 13: online print book purchase channels in the last 12 months, 2026
Waterstones is attracting young readers in store but should embrace digital formats online
Bookshop events are thriving with younger Brits, but miss the mark with older readers
Independent bookshops must become part of the local community to counter the threat of Amazon
Genre preferences
Thrillers and crime lead the way for most bought fiction
Crime retains major popularity but skews heavily towards older readers
Graph 14: fiction genre preferences, 2026
Publishers must consider older demographics when it comes to thrillers
Graph 15: fiction buyers preference for thrillers, by generation, 2026
Romantasy is now as important as more established genres to younger readers
Motivations to buy print
Readers are still keen to buy print editions from their favourite authors
Graph 16: motivations to buy a print book, 2026
Book aesthetics are key for younger readers’ collections
Bring digital books in store through collectible trading cards
Social media and book recommendations
BookTok is shaping industry trends, but readers are using a variety of platforms to find recommendations
Graph 17: readers who have looked for book recommendations on the platform in the last 12 months, 2026
BookTok continues to grow, but publishers must anticipate changing tastes over time
Goodreads is nearly as popular as BookTok and attracts a wider demographic range
Graph 18: readers who have looked for book recommendations on Goodreads and StoryGraph in the last 12 months, by generation, 2026
Younger Brits expect engagement with authors online
Graph 19: preference for authors who engage with fans on social media, 2026
The rise of adaptations
From book to screen, to book
Book data is key for film and TV studios
Graph 20: proportion reading books due to film adaptations, by generation, 2026
Streamers’ need for original content will see book adaptations continue to grow
INNOVATION AND MARKETING
TikTok launches BookTok bestsellers list in the UK
Bookshop.org looks for growth with the launch of e-book sales
Spotify launches Page Match and partners with Bookshop.org
Spotify continues to add tools to boost its audiobooks proposition
Bloomsbury will be boosted by highly anticipated Sarah J Maas releases
Tech companies are increasing AI integration in books apps
Rising competition sees Audible introduce new membership tiers
Penguin marks 90th anniversary with refreshed brand illustrations
Rakuten Kobo partners with StoryGraph to boost its proposition
Start-up Everand looks to challenge Amazon’s dominance in digital books
APPENDIX
The market
Forecast methodology
Forecast methodology – fan chart
Market forecast and prediction intervals (total)
Market forecast and prediction intervals (print books)
Market forecast and prediction intervals (digital books)
The consumer
Consumer research methodology
Consumer research questions
UK generation groups
Abbreviations and terms
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