German book industry faces declining revenue and readership

The German book industry is facing a downturn ahead of the Frankfurt Book Fair. In 2025, industry revenue fell by 2.7 percent to 9.62 billion euros, with a further 3.0 percent decline reported in the first eight months of 2026.

There is a significant decline in readers among younger demographics. The number of readers aged 10 to 15 dropped by over 30 percent compared to the previous year, while the 20 to 29 age group saw an 18 percent decrease. Overall, the number of book buyers fell by nearly five percent between 2024 and 2025.

While most genres saw declining interest—including travel books, advice books, and non-fiction—sales grew in fiction, Young Adult, and New Adult categories. Audiobooks experienced a notable increase in revenue of more than 13 percent. Additionally, the number of new titles published in 2025 fell by nearly ten percent compared to 2024.

Experts attribute these trends partly to declining literacy levels. Data indicates that approximately 20 percent of adults in Germany, totaling 10.6 million people, struggle with reading and writing.