In its latest report on the graphic communications markets published in November, which takes into account 2019 data just before the health crisis, the Institut de développement et d'expertise du plurimédia (Idep) provides a quantified portrait of the book printing market in France.
The Idep indicates that after the decline recorded in 2018, the number of copies produced fell by 2.3% in 2019 to 516.9 million. In ten years, the number of copies produced has fallen by 18%.
Increase in reprints
On the other hand, the number of new titles and the number of reprints increased by 3.2 per cent and 1 per cent respectively," says the Idep. The average print run is also up, especially for new titles, by 3.9%.
In ten years, the number of new releases has increased by 12% while the number of reprints has increased by 59%.
With regard to foreign trade, imports of books fell by 3% and exports increased by about 2%. The IEP notes that imports are evolving in a contrasted way with an increase in imports from Italy, but a decrease in those from Spain, Germany, China and Poland.
2019, a good year for the book
Overall, the Idep indicates that 2019 was a good year for the book. According to the Syndicat national de l'édition (SNE), 435 million copies were sold, 3.8% more than in 2018, and publishers' turnover (2.8 billion euros for book sales and proceeds from rights assignments) rose by 5%. These figures for 2019 do not take into account the situation since the beginning of the health crisis.
