China’s book sales were up by 12% last year, reaching 12 billion Yuan (USD 10 billion). With almost 1.4 billion people – almost a fifth of the world population – and an increasing emphasis on rural education, China is potentially one of the most lucrative markets in the publishing industry.
The Publishers’ Association of China claim children’s book sales increased by 28.84%, making it China’s largest niche market in 2016, and although online sales grew by 30%, sales in stores dropped by 2.33%.
China is a target destination for many neighbouring book markets such as India, Japan and South Korea, where Chinese demand contributes significantly to their overall income.
