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Book Publishing in Germany Industry Data and Analysis
The companies in this sector publish both printed books and books in the form of e-books and audiobooks, which means that increasing digitalisation presents both risks and opportunities for industry players. In the period from 2020 to 2025, industry sales fell by an average of 1.6% per year. Although book publishers are bringing more and more digital editions onto the market in the form of e-books and audiobooks, the declining demand for print products is still reflected in a downward trend in industry sales. Digitalisation is increasing the demand for digital content, but also for competing entertainment offerings. More and more consumers are using services from providers such as Netflix or Amazon, which allow them to watch series and films on demand. In the current year, turnover for book publishers is expected to increase slightly by 0.4% to 6.4 billion euros.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Book Publishing industry in Germany includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released September 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Book Publishing industry in Germany operates under the WZ industry code J58.11DE. This sector comprises the publishing of printed books, e-books and reference books. In addition to fiction, non-fiction and illustrated books, the books published by companies in this sector also include school books, dictionaries and atlases. This does not include the publishing of advertising materials, sheet music or the production of globes. Related terms covered in the Book Publishing industry in Germany include remittende, coates exemplar, fixed book prices and selfpublishing.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Book Publishing industry in Germany include Specialist literature, Popular literature and Educational literature.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Book Publishing industry in Germany include Ernst Klett AG, Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG and Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe GmbH.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Book Publishing industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Book Publishing industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Book Publishing industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Book Publishing industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Book Publishing industry in Germany. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Book Publishing industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Book Publishing industry in Germany. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Book Publishing industry in Germany.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Book Publishing industry in Germany in 2026?
The market size of the Book Publishing industry in Germany is €6.4bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Book Publishing industry in Germany in 2025?
There are 1,837 businesses in the Book Publishing industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 4.3 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Book Publishing industry in Germany?
The Book Publishing industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Book Publishing industry in Germany?
The Book Publishing industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Book Publishing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Book Publishing industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 1.6 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Book Publishing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Book Publishing industry in Germany is expected to decline.
What are the biggest companies in the Book Publishing industry in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Book Publishing industry in Germany are Ernst Klett AG, Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG and Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe GmbH
What does the Book Publishing industry in Germany include?
Specialist literature and Popular literature are part of the Book Publishing industry in Germany.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Book Publishing industry in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in the Book Publishing industry in Germany is Ernst Klett AG.
How competitive is the Book Publishing industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Book Publishing industry in Germany.
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