The UK Publishers Association has revealed that the sales of print and digital books as well as journals increased by 7 percent to close at £4.8 billion in 2016, the highest figure recorded since 2007 when the sales of digital books were included for the first time within the UK’s annual statistics.
Book exports registered a 6 percent growth at £2.6 billion, accounting for 54% of total sales, while digital sales witnessed a 6 percent spike closing at £1.7 billion. Although e-books plummeted 3 percent, Europe, which accounted for 35% of the British book exports, remains the biggest market for the British publishing exports.
Children’s books exports soared 34 percent to reach £116 million. Journals have shown a 10 percent increase since last year, and driven by higher electronic subscriptions, closed at to £1.2 billion. Academic and professional publications made sales worth £2.4 billion, recording a 10 percent bump.