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Book Publishing Germany Trade Opportunities Intellectual Property Rights

Germany Publishing

Introduction to Germany’s Publishing Market

For many publishing houses, bookstores and book logistics companies, 2024 was a challenging year: the industry continues to feel the effects of the general uncertainty of consumers and their reluctance to spend, while cost pressure and increasing bureaucracy continue unabated.”, says Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, Chairwoman of the Börsenverein des Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V. Nonetheless, the German book market, with sales exceeding USD 11.3 billion in 2024 (a slight increase compared to 2023), remains an important market for publishers and booksellers (Horizon Grand View Research, 2024).

Printed books have deep roots in the German culture and life. In 2024, the German book market generated a total revenue of USD 7.72 billion from print book sales, with additional revenue of USD 260 million from e-book sales and USD 350 million from audiobook sales (Statista). The German market serves as a role model in terms of quality and diversity of options. The superior quality and wide variety of available books to consumers is sustained by Germany’s system of fixed book prices which helps to support an extensive network of independent bookstores and promulgate books as essential cultural goods (Börsenverein, 2015). Market performance is stable overall. Along with English and Chinese, German is one of the most printed languages for book publishing. The German book market consists of approximately 21,000 companies including 15,000 publishers.

Finally, 67.467 new titles were published in 2023 (Börsenverein). Germany plays a dominant role in the Central European publishing market, particularly in Austria and Switzerland. In 2023, Austria imported USD 312 million worth of printed books and related materials from Germany, marking a 20 percent increase from the USD 260 million recorded in 2022 (trendeconomy). Switzerland also relies heavily on German print exports. In 2023, Germany was Switzerland’s leading supplier of printed books and related products, accounting for 53 percent of imports in this category, valued at USD 659 million (trendeconomy).

Current Market Trends

The German book market is projected to generate approximately USD 8.31 billion in revenue by 2025. However, market analysis indicates a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -1.38 percent from 2025 to 2030, with a forecasted market size of USD 7.76 billion by 2030 (Statista).  Furthermore, in 2025, the German publishing market continues to see diversified reader preferences across formats. Physical books remain the most widely consumed medium, with 26.1 million users. Audiobooks have gained significant traction, attracting 29 million users and outperforming both print and digital formats. Meanwhile, eBooks maintain a stable audience of 9.7 million users, reflecting a more niche but consistent segment of the market (Statista).

From 2019 to 2023, the online book trade experienced substantial growth, increasing by 29.5 percent, while the use of all-inclusive booksellers declined by 5.5 percent over the same period (Börsenverein, 2023). This trend, mirroring the growing use of general technology, reflects a growing consumer preference for purchasing books through digital platforms rather than traditional in-person stores. Bookstores and publishers in Germany, however, are managing this digital transformation successfully. Two-thirds of German bookshops also sell their books via online-shops.

Current Demand

A comparison of demand in April 2025 by Börsenverein reveals noteworthy trends in the German book market. That period saw a positive performance across key sales channels, primarily driven by the late timing of the Easter holiday in the previous year. Following trends have been observed:

• The brick-and-mortar book trade demonstrated particular strength in April. Revenues increased by 8.3 percent, with unit sales rising 7.9 percent and prices rising 0.5 percent. This stands in contrast to the year-to-date figures, which show a 1.6 percent decrease in revenue, a 5.3 percent decline in sales, and a 3.9 percent increase in prices. The price trend indicates sustained consumer interest in premium editions and curated in-store experiences.

• Furthermore, both hardcover and softcover formats experienced a 6.2 percent increase in total market revenue, with a particularly notable 10.5 percent gain in physical stores. Paperbacks saw a 1.0 percent uptick in April, though they remain 4.3 percent below last year’s figures. Calendar sales in bookshops increased by 16.6 percent year-to-date, while market-wide sales decreased by 1.0 percent. Maps and globes experienced a 14.5 percent overall decline across all channels, with a 16.4 percent decrease in store sales.

• Fiction continued to be a significant growth driver. Revenues increased by 8.0 percent in April, resulting in a cumulative growth of +3.3 percent across the market as a whole and +3.6 percent within bookshops. The children’s and young adult book market demonstrated a notable recovery in April, with a 30.4 percent increase, following a significant decline of –26.5 percent in March. However, year-to-date sales in this category remain 4.0 percent below last year’s figures, with a 5.3 percent decrease in store sales.

• Other genres continued to face challenges. Travel books saw a 12.5 percent decrease, while self-help, arts and humanities, sciences, and business titles all reported year-over-year declines ranging from -7.7 percent to -14.4 percent. Scientific and technical books experienced the most significant decline, reflecting reduced demand for academic and specialized literature.

Impact of Inflation 

According to the Joint Economic Forecast Spring 2025, released on April 10, Germany’s economy is expected to experience stagnation in 2025, with a projected growth of 0.1 percent. This is followed by a modest recovery, with an estimated growth of 1.3 percent in 2026. This indicates that disposable income and consumer confidence are experiencing challenges. This is likely to reduce spending on non-essential goods like books, magazines, and subscriptions, especially in the general retail and trade publishing segments.

In addition, geopolitical uncertainty and structural challenges are exacerbating the situation. German companies are facing heightened global competition, particularly from China, while domestic challenges persist, including labor shortages, demographic shifts, and cumbersome bureaucracy. Germany’s financial framework has been amended to allow EUR 24 billion (USD 26.64 billion) in debt-financed spending, with the goal of allocating funds to defense, climate, and infrastructure. However, it is unlikely that this stimulus will fully materialize in 2025. If implemented next year, it could contribute approximately 0.5 percentage points to GDP growth in 2026. While Germany is expanding its fiscal capacity, a significant portion of these resources is not allocated to the cultural or media sectors. This indicates that direct support for publishers is restricted, with the exception of those who can align their offerings with priority sectors, such as climate education (Joint Economic Forecast, 2025).

In January 2025, Germany’s inflation rate stood at 2.3 percent year-over-year, slightly down from 2.6 percent in December 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Office. On a month-to-month basis, consumer prices declined by 0.2 percent, signaling a modest easing of inflationary pressure. The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) increased by 2.8 percent compared to the previous year, but it also decreased by 0.2 percent from December. This inflation data carries several implications for the publishing industry. The decline in energy prices (-1.6 percent) offers some relief on printing and distribution costs, which are energy intensive. This may result in a potential decrease in overall production expenses for physical books and periodicals.

Meanwhile, the price of goods increased slightly (+0.9 percent), with durable goods like equipment and furnishings rising 0.5 percent, and some, like furniture, becoming more affordable (-1.2 percent), which could benefit publishers investing in office or retail infrastructure. However, service prices continued to rise above average, which may increase costs for publishing-related services such as editorial, design, IT, or logistics support. On the consumer side, although food inflation slowed, steep price hikes in non-essential goods like non-alcoholic beverages and tobacco (+5.8 percent) may strain discretionary household budgets, leaving less room for spending on books and magazines. The data indicates a nuanced outlook for publishers: while production costs may stabilize or experience a slight decrease, ongoing service cost inflation and pressure on consumer spending will likely contribute to cautious demand conditions. This underscores the importance of efficiency, digital expansion, and cost control in

In July 2025, German consumer sentiment showed a slight decline after several months of improvement. According to the GfK and NIM survey, the consumer climate index fell to –20.3 points, primarily due to a substantial increase in saving willingness—up 3.9 points to 13.9, the highest level in over a year. This suggests a continued focus on economic prudence, even as there are modest improvements in income and economic outlooks (Reuters, 2025). Despite an increase in income expectations (12.8 points, up from 10.4), attributable to advantageous wage agreements and moderate inflation, and economic expectations reaching their highest point since the onset of the Ukraine war (20.1 points), this optimism has not translated into increased spending. The “willingness to buy” index remained negative at –6.2, indicating that consumers continue to exercise caution when making discretionary purchases, including books (Reuters, 2025).

Export & Licensing Guidance

License sales increased by 2.2 percent in 2024, indicating a positive recovery after two consecutive years of decline in international rights trading. German publishers sold a total of 6,669 book rights abroad over the course of the year, marking an increase from 6,527 contracts in 2023. This recovery is indicative of a resurgence in international interest in German publishing, particularly from key markets such as China, Italy, and the Czech Republic, which have consistently been the most active buyers of German titles. In terms of genre, books for children and young adults continued to dominate the licensing landscape, accounting for 38.9 percent of all contracts signed. This was followed by fiction titles, which constituted 23.2 percent of licensed content. These figures underscore the enduring global demand for German-language children’s literature and highlight the ongoing relevance of fiction in the international rights market (Börsenverein, 2025).

Distributors 

Trade Barriers & Intellectual Property Rights

Most imported books and other print materials (TARIC Code, Section 10, Chapter 49) are free of import duties. Goods imported into Germany from non-EU countries are subject to an import sales tax, which is passed on to end-users as a value-added tax (VAT). The VAT levied on books, other print materials and e-books is 7 percent due to exemption in the EU tax law. We advise U.S. exporters to review relevant taxes and import duties with a tax consultant.

Main Competitors

According to TrendEconomy, from March to August of 2024, Germany imported $226 million worth of printed books, newspapers, manuscripts, and other printed products (HS Code 49). During this period, U.S. publishers accounted for approximately USD 17.3 million (7.65 percent) of these imports, placing the U.S. sixth among Germany’s top publishing trade partners.

The leading competitor was Poland, with USD 55 million in imports (24 percent), reflecting strong intra-EU printing ties, low-cost production, and proximity. The Czech Republic ranked third with 10.2 percent (USD 23 million), representing another significant EU-based producer. China, a global leader in bulk-printing, held a 9.36 percent share (USD 21 million), highlighting its expanding role in mass-market publishing imports. Competitors with the highest percentage of exports to the U.S. included the United Kingdom at 7.87 percent (USD 17.8 million) and the Netherlands at 7.85 percent (USD 17.7 million). Both countries had slightly higher values than the U.S. Other notable sources were Austria, France, and Italy, each contributing between 4–5 percent of imports.

This data underscores the intense competition that U.S. publishers face, not only from the UK, their closest English-language competitor, but also from EU-based print exporters and China, which enjoys logistical advantages and lower production costs. For U.S. publishers seeking to expand their operations in Germany, it is essential to differentiate through content quality, localization, and streamlined distribution.

Trade Associations & Government Agencies

•    Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels www.boersenverein.de/ (German only)
•    Ausstellungs- und Messe GmbH des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V. Frankfurter Buchmesse www.buchmesse.de/en 


Trade Events

Event: Frankfurt Book Fair, October 7-11, 2026
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Website: www.buchmesse.de/en 

Event: Leipzig Book Fair, March 19-22, 2026
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Website: www.leipziger-buchmesse.com/?language=en 

Additional Market Research & Other Resources

•    German Publisher and Bookseller Association (Börsenverein) www.boersenverein.de/english/ 
•    Fixed Book Price Agreement (Buchpreisbindungsgesetz) - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/buchprg/BJNR344810002.html 
•    Frankfurt Book Fair - www.buchmesse.de 
•    Börsenblatt - www.boersenblatt.net

 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION CONTACT INFORMATION

For additional Information, please contact:

Ulrike Riegeler
Commercial Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service
ulrike.riegeler@trade.gov
+49 69 7535 3157
Frankfurt, Germany