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Canada leading book genres 2018, by share of sales
Book consumption in Canada – additional information
Despite the advance in web publishing and e-readers’ increasing popularity worldwide, the Canadian book publishing industry is still dominated by physical books. The majority of Canadian book readers have stated to be only interested in printed books. Another survey confirms this trend and shows Canadians still prefer hardcover and paperback books over e-books. In the first half of 2015, nearly 55 percent of book buyers in Canada stated a preference for paperbacks, and about 25 percent affirmed buying hardcover books. E-books accounted for about 17 percent of all book purchases in Canada in 2015. The majority of book publishing sales are generated in Ontario, Canada’s main market.
The increasing popularity of online shopping is also apparent among Canadian readers. It was found in 2015 that about 36 percent of Canadian consumers preferred to purchase their books online, while only 8.8 percent chose to go to bookstores to buy a book. Audiobooks are a particular niche of the book e-commerce market in Canada, accounting for two percent of book sales in Canada in 2015. Audiobooks are popular amongst Canadians between the ages of 25 and 34 years old – 34 percent of audiobook users in Canada fit in this age category – and Canadians aged between 35 and 44 years old.
In terms of genre, juvenile fiction books are the best sellers in Canada, accounting for 31 percent of book sales in the country. Also known as young-adult fiction, juvenile fiction books usually appeal to 12 to 18 years old readers, and are centered on issues of the targeted audience. Examples of juvenile fiction books include Harry Potter novels and “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Romance is the second most popular book genre in Canada with seven percent of the share, followed by the suspense and thriller genre with five percent.