The FINANCIAL -- Nuremberg. In spite of living in a digital age of computers and television, the reading of books remains one of the most popular leisure activities. The latest analysis from GfK Panel Services shows that some 36 million Germans bought books last year.

And they did not stop at just one. Over the course of the year, every customer purchased 11 books on average, spending approximately EUR 110 in total. This does not include schoolbooks or specialist literature.

Good news for the publishing industry in the run-up to the Leipzig book fair: in 2009, the year of the crisis, Germans purchased in the region of 400 million books, which is 2% more than in 2008. Enthusiasm for books remains unshaken and the trend is actually growing, with the number of people buying books increasing by 2% last year. Germans are also quite willing to pay for their reading pleasure, spending almost EUR 4 billion on books last year, which is around 3% more overall than in 2008. In addition to this, considerable sales result from public sector institutions such as libraries, from educational and specialist literature and book purchases by foreign residents.

Books also interesting for young people

The younger generation’s desire to read has not subsided in recent years. Bestsellers like Harry Potter and the recent vampire series, Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer boost interest in books. An age-based analysis of book sales over the last five years also confirms this. Those aged 10 to 19 are consistently responsible for 4% of book purchases, and the 20-29 age group has also maintained a constant 11% share over the same time period.

Significantly fewer books are bought by 30-39 year olds. In 2005, their share was 20%, but they currently only buy 16% of all books. At the same time, the demand for electronic media such as games and films is rising among this age group, though not necessarily for personal consumption but as gifts for their children.

In contrast, Germans aged over 50 are acquiring more reading material than they used to. The considerable share of books for children and young people in their purchases is striking. While parents are increasingly giving their children electronic media, grandparents counterbalance this by buying children’s books. Across all ages it is clear that Germans continue to regard books as the ideal gift. Almost a quarter of books purchased are given as presents.

Books dominate entertainment market

In comparison to other areas of the entertainment market, such as cinema, music, computer games and buying or renting films, Germans have spent the lion’s share (approximately 40%) of their entertainment budget on books for many years. The entertaining aspect of book content is increasingly moving to the forefront. In 1999, 54% of book sales stemmed from infotainment, i.e. informative literature, but the corresponding figure is now only 38%. In terms of value, the share of books with entertainment content increased by 43% over this time period, while infotainment sales volume declined by 24%. More and more, actual information is now acquired over the Internet by Germans, where it is free of charge.

Browsing in bookshops, targeted purchases online

At the same time, the Internet is becoming an increasingly important distribution channel for publishers. Last year 21% of book sales were attributable to online acquisitions, which is 7 percentage points more than in 2005. Although a large proportion of buying decisions are made as a result of browsing in book shops, Germans search the Internet for specific titles. More than two out of three books obtained over the Internet are targeted purchases. 

The analysis

The analysis is based on the GfK Book Market Panel of GfK Panel Services Germany. The panel consists of 20,000 individuals and is representative of the German population aged 10 plus. The analysis only includes individuals living in private households. Individuals living in public institutions, such as care homes, and foreign residents are not taken into account. GfK’s Book Market Panel only records book purchases by private individuals, not including books sales from public sector institutions like libraries and schools.

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