New Titles Up 1.3%... Study Guides Rise 30% While Literature Drops 6%

Korea Publishers Association Releases "2025 Publishing Production Statistics"

64,991 New Titles, 73.03 Million Copies Published

General Reading Categories See More Titles but Fewer Copies

The variety of books has not decreased. Last year, 64,991 new titles were published in Korea, which is actually higher than the 63,476 titles in 2018. However, the number of copies printed fell from 101.74 million to 73.03 million over the same period. In seven years, 28.71 million copies, or 28.2%, have disappeared. The problem in the Korean publishing market is not about fewer books being produced, but rather that the books published are not selling or being read as much as before.

A student is looking at a study book at Kyobo Bookstore in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 27th, ahead of the new semester opening. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the "2025 Korea Publishing Production Statistics" released by the Korea Publishers Association on May 29, the number of new titles published last year was 64,991, up 1.1% from the previous year. The number of copies published also increased by 1.3% to 73.0285 million. The average cover price was 19,897 won, a 1.9% increase from the previous year.

On the surface, production indicators appear to have rebounded, as both the number of new titles and the number of copies published increased. However, the growth was driven not by the general single-volume book market, but by the study guide sector. Last year, the number of study guide titles published jumped 94.9% from the previous year, and the number of copies published increased by 30.2%. While study guides accounted for only 4.5% of all new titles, they made up 23.8% of the total copies published, the highest share among all categories.

In contrast, a different trend was observed in the fields that make up the general reading market. Literature accounted for the highest share of new titles published last year at 22.4%, but only 12.4% of the total copies published. Although the number of literature titles increased by 3.3% compared to the previous year, the number of copies published decreased by 6.0%. In the children's category, the number of titles rose by 3.1%, but the number of copies fell by 5.8%. In philosophy, the number of titles increased by 4.3%, yet the number of copies dropped by 13.7%. Social sciences saw a 0.9% increase in titles, but a 0.1% decrease in copies published.

In short, while the "variety" of books has been maintained, the market size that each title can support has become smaller. This means that publishers are solidifying a structure in which they publish more types of books for a smaller readership. Since 2016, the number of new titles has hovered around 60,000. Meanwhile, the number of copies published has been on the decline since 2018, with a small rebound last year driven by growth in the study guide sector. Rather than a recovery of the entire publishing output, it is a specific sector that has boosted the overall numbers.

Despite the decline in adult reading rates, the number of new publications and print volumes showed a slight rebound; however, this appeared as an optical illusion due to a surge in educational reference books. While the general single-volume book market, including literature and children's books, contracted and major publishers' sales decreased, the preference for e-books became pronounced, especially among people in their twenties (59.4%), deepening the structural polarization of the publishing market. Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea Publishers Association

Demand indicators for reading point in the same direction. According to the "2025 National Reading Habits Survey" released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in March, the overall adult reading rate was 38.5%. This means that more than six out of ten adults did not read or listen to even a single general book in a year. The average number of books read by adults annually was 2.4, down 1.5 books from the 2023 survey. The average daily reading time on weekdays was just 18.2 minutes.

The decline in reading rates puts even greater pressure on the paper book market. The adult paper book reading rate was 28.8%. However, a different pattern was observed among those in their twenties. For people aged 19 to 29, the overall reading rate was 75.3%, with the e-book reading rate at 59.4%, surpassing the paper book reading rate of 45.1%. Rather than readers disappearing, it is the reading media and consumption methods that are changing.

This shift is also evident in the sales structure of the publishing market. According to the "2025 Publishing Market Statistics" from the Korea Publishers Association, the total sales of the top 72 publishing companies last year were approximately 4.853 trillion won, down 1.3% from the previous year. Total operating profit was approximately 137 billion won, a decrease of 13.4%. In the single-volume book sector, sales fell by 6.9% and operating profit by 11.9%. In the educational book sector, sales dropped by 1.2% and operating profit by 29.5%.

By contrast, e-publishing platforms saw an increase in sales. In 2025, the combined sales of the 12 major e-publishing platform companies amounted to about 1.5656 trillion won, a 3.0% increase from the previous year. However, operating profit swung from a surplus of about 50.3 billion won in 2024 to a deficit of about 30.3 billion won last year. While digital reading and web-based content consumption have expanded, platform growth has not immediately translated into stable profitability.

The decrease in translated books is another signal for the publishing market. Last year, 9,663 translated titles were published, down 5.8% from the previous year. Compared to 12,314 titles in 2019, this is a 21.5% decrease. By category, comics led with 2,693 titles, followed by literature at 1,810 titles and children’s books at 1,332 titles. Translated books are a sector where copyright fees, production costs, and expected sales must all be considered. The decline in the number of translated titles shows that publishers are taking a more conservative approach to importing overseas content than before.

The cost burden has also increased. Last year, the average cover price for new books was 19,897 won, nearly 20,000 won. Compared to 17,007 won in 2016, this is a 17.0% increase. By category, the highest average prices were in technology and science (27,346 won), social sciences (25,732 won), natural sciences (24,796 won), and study guides (24,424 won). In particular, the average price for study guides jumped 54.8% from the previous year. The rise in book prices is due to higher production, paper, and labor costs, but with falling reading rates, it also acts as a barrier to purchase.

The overall reading rate for ages 19 to 29 was 75.3%, with the e-book reading rate at 59.4%, surpassing the paper book reading rate of 45.1%. Rather than readers disappearing, the reading media and consumption methods are changing. Photo by Crema, an e-book reader.

An increase in the number of publishing companies does not necessarily mean a more vibrant market. Last year, there were 85,689 domestic publishers registered as operating in the publisher and printer search system, up from 81,161 the previous year. However, only 5,766 publishers actually submitted publications to the Korea Publishers Association for 2025. While the number of registered publishers increased, only a portion were actively involved in new book production.

Ultimately, the key point in last year's publishing production statistics is not "how many books were published," but rather "which books supported the market." Both the number of new titles and copies published increased, but the growth in copies was driven by study guides. In literature, children’s books, philosophy, and social sciences, the number of titles increased but the number of copies decreased. Major publishing companies saw declines in sales and operating profit, and adult reading rates also dropped. While the general reading market centered on paper books is shrinking, the structure in which study guides and digital content support the appearance of the publishing industry from different directions has become more pronounced.

The Korea Publishers Association plans to include these statistics in its annual "Korean Publishing Yearbook." The statistics are based on data submitted to the association and cover the number of new titles published, number of copies published, average price, number of translated titles, number of publishers, and other analyses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.