(Finance) – La Replacement of the 18app with the Culture and merit cards, together with the failure to finance 30 million euros to libraries, He contributed to the decline in the market of the books of Varia for adults and children in the trade channels in 2024. Without these changes, the sector would have recorded one 2.5% growth instead of a flex of 1.5%.
According to a data -based analysis Nielseniq-gfkpresented on January 31 by the President of theItalian Editori Association (AIE) Innocenzo Cipolletta During the final day of the XLII School of the School for Librai Umberto and Elisabetta Mauri of Venice, the book market suffered one estimated loss of 62.7 million euros due to the reduction of support measures to the application. Consequentially, The total value of the sector in 2024 stood at 1,533.8 million euros, instead of reaching 1,596.5 million, recording a drop compared to 1,557 million euros in 2023.
“The analysis of the measures to support the application for books in our country from 2017 to today – explained Cipolletta – two things tells us: the first is that these measures have had a multiplier effect over the years, helping to create new readers and new buyers. Raise on a higher sales level and a higher turnovernecessary to support the process of growth and evolution of companies and the supply chain. When these measures fail, the damage is therefore double. Well, therefore, the restoration of the fund for libraries for 2025 and the start of a comparison path with the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli “.
In 2024 in Italy the Sale of books of various adults and children on the trade market was 103.987 million copiesfalling by 2.3% compared to the previous year, equal to 2.458 million copies bought less. In value, the flexion is 1.5%, equal to 23.2 million euros in minors sales compared to a total market of 1,533.8 million euros. The -1.5%of Italy in value places the country in the queue compared to the major European publishing: Germany grows by 0.9%, the United Kingdom falls by 0.6%, France falls by 0.3%, Spain grows by 9.8%. There flexion of the market is dysomogeneous Compared to the size of the publishers: the groups and the publishing houses with sales above 5 million euros are down by 0.1%, publishers from one million to 5 million sold dropped by 9.3%, those under the million of 2.5%.
In the 12 months, the online channels have sold 26.3 million euros less than books than 2023, there are 6.7 million euros the lesser sales of large retailers. The bookcases, independent and chain, instead grew up by 8.8 million euros, but they have not been able to completely intercept the lower sales made by e-commerce.
At the level of genres, Only narrative, Italian (3.2%) and foreign (0.9%) grows. The children and teenagers sector is flexed by 0.8%, the general non -fiction of 2%, the manuals of 4.1%, the specialist nonsense of 5.1%, the comics of 5.5%. These are numbers that are reflected in the top 10: seven titles of Italian authors present, of which six novels. But the best -selling book in 2024 is an essay (released in September).
To the printed book market are added Sales in digital equal in 2024 to 114.2 million euros. Sales referring to audiobooks (subscriptions) are equal to 30 million euros, up 7.1% compared to the previous year, eBook sales 84.2 million euros, growing by 4%.
“In 2024 the market was influenced, in addition to the different demand support policies, also by decrease in e-commerce – he then explained Cipolletta -. The policies adopted by the largest online sales player are structurally changing the market: the weight of the catalog on total sales and the specific one of small publishers is reduced, while bookcases struggle to cover market segments on which e-commerce disintegrates “.