Demographics of Book Buying

April 28th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

The latest figures from the US Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract indicate that the average consumer unit spends $126 annually on reading material. This represents a steady decline from 1995 when the amount spent was $165 annually. Who is most likely to purchase books and how should publishers target this demographic? The results of a recent Harris Interactive poll sheds light on who is most likely to purchase more than 10 books a year:

  • Ages 18-31 37%
  • 32-43 30%
  • 44-62 24%
  • 63+ 31%
  • Men 22%
  • Women 32%

Most popular genres of nonfiction (percentage of consumers who have read at least one book a year in the genre):

  • History 35%
  • Biography 31%
  • Religious/Spirituality 28%

Most popular genres of fiction (percentage of consumers who have read at least one book a year in the genre):

  • Mystery/Thriller/Crime 48%
  • Literature 27%
  • Science Fiction 25%

Share this data with your publishing clients as you develop marketing campaigns to sell more books.

Sources:

Harris Interactive Poll #37, April 2008

US Census Bureau Statistical Abstract, 2008, Table 1205

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