US Publishing Sales Hit $33.4B in 2025, Religion Books Lead Growth
According to the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the revenue for the industry in 2025 reached $33.4 billion, reflecting a 2.5% growth compared to 2024. Unit sales saw a slight increase of 0.4%, totaling 3.15 billion. Trade sales climbed by 2.7% to $21.7 billion, with religious publishers experiencing a significant rise of 9.3% to $2.2 billion. Adult fiction sales rose by 3.9% to $7.1 billion, while adult nonfiction increased by 1.6% to $6 billion. Higher education materials surged by 8.5% to $4.7 billion, but PreK-12 materials declined by 2.5% to $5.2 billion. Hardcover sales grew by 3.9% to $8 billion, and physical stores saw a 6% increase to $5 billion. Online retail sales reached $11.3 billion, up 2.9%. AAP highlighted a 17% rise in trade sales from 2021 to 2025.
Key facts
- Total 2025 publishing sales: $33.4 billion, up 2.5% from 2024
- Unit sales rose 0.4% to 3.15 billion
- Trade sales increased 2.7% to $21.7 billion
- Religious presses led with 9.3% sales increase to $2.2 billion
- Adult fiction sales up 3.9% to $7.1 billion
- Digital audio sales ($2.5B) exceeded e-books ($2.2B) for second year
- Physical store sales up 6% to $5 billion
- Online retail (Amazon) remained largest channel at $11.3 billion
- Baker & Taylor went out of business at end of 2025
- Trade sales grew 17% from 2021 to 2025
Entities
Institutions
- Association of American Publishers
- Industry Insights, Inc.
- Barnes & Noble
- Amazon
- Baker & Taylor