How is book printing doing in France? Idep provides a numerical portrait of the sector in its annual report "Regards sur les marchés de la communication graphique" published last November.
euros from 2018 data, the Institute reports that print production of books decreased by 3.6% compared to 2017. Between 2017 and 2016, the decline had been smaller (-1.5%).
As for foreign trade, imports (0%) and exports (+0.7%) remained stable. According to Eurostat data, imports represent 65% of French domestic demand, according to Idep
Trade with trading partners is changing
In recent years, imports from China have been declining. "The steady increase in the average wage (it would be equal to the Bulgarian wage today) would lead to an increase in manufacturing prices of about 5-10% per year" the report states.
The share of imports from Eastern and Central European countries also decreased in 2018 from 15% to 11.5%.
On the other hand, imports from Spain and Germany have increased significantly: "+ 26.5% for Spain, which now takes first place in the ranking, and + 18.4% for Germany, which is very present on the black book market, whose flows now exceed those of Belgium, China and Poland."
As far as exports are concerned, the main partners are French-speaking countries.
More titles published, but fewer copies printed
Idep explains that publishers are focusing their efforts on reducing storage and distribution costs by adjusting production to demand. "The gap between the number of copies produced and the number of copies sold has narrowed by another 7% compared to last year. In five years, it has decreased by 40 percent."
According to figures from the Syndicat National de l'Édition, 505.4 million copies were printed in 2018, down 3.3 percent from the previous year.
However, in the space of ten years the number of new titles has increased by 17% and the number of reprints by 70%.
