Declining reading skills, falling sales: The German book trade is sounding the alarm

The reading crisis has now also reached the book market, the statement points out, and “the ever-deteriorating state of reading skills in Germany” is now also “clearly reflected in book purchases for the first time.”

Boom-Genre Romantasy

In numbers: 10-15 year olds bought 30 percent fewer books in 2025 compared to the previous year, and spending in this age group fell by almost 24 percent. Among 20-29 year olds it is almost 18 percent less, overall it is 4.9 percent. The only outliers are the 16 to 19 year old readers, who actually bought 7.7 percent more books. This has to do with the booming genres of romance, new adult and young adult.

Overall industry sales in 2025 were almost three percent lower compared to the previous year. While the online business remained stable, the stationary book trade suffered a loss of four percent.

Wake-up call to politicians

Sebastian Guggolz, the head of the Stock Exchange Association, finds clear words for these figures and appeals to politicians: “Decades of failures in education policy have led to a progressive deterioration in reading skills – the result can now be seen directly in the market figures.”

These numbers, Guggolz continued, “should also be a wake-up call to politicians. Consistent measures are needed immediately to improve education and reading skills. This must become the top priority for the federal, state and local governments.”

While Peter Kraus vom Cleff, general manager of the Börsenverein, blames the weak economy and “high consumer uncertainty” for the decline in sales in addition to declining reading skills, Guggolz warns against underestimating the public in the digital space: “The ability to read becomes an even more important prerequisite for democratic participation and self-assertion.”

The half-year balance sheet for 2026 also shows a further decline in sales of 4.5 percent compared to 2025.