Adult coloring books - unit sales in the U.S. 2014-2015
Adult coloring books in the U.S. – additional information
The use of adult coloring books as a form of therapy and relaxation is a growing trend in the U.S. According to adults who engage in this practice, coloring books can help them with their anxiety, stress, pain and even depression. It is also considered by many as a type of meditation or mindfulness technique.
As this trend grows, publishers seize the market opportunity. The number of published adult coloring books in the U.S. increased from 300 in 2014 to more than two thousand in 2015. Sales have also grew during that particular year, as the number of adults coloring books sold in the U.S. jumped from one million in 2014 to 12 million in 2015. Sales of adult coloring books in the U.S. peaked in December 2015, when about three million units were sold. Women account for about 70 percent of sales of coloring books in the U.S., while it was found that around 30 percent of adult coloring book buyers were men.
Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford is the author of the top two ranked adult coloring books in terms of sales. More than 450,000 copies of Basford’s book “Secret Garden” were sold in 2015, while sales of the “Enchanted Forest” book totaled about 350,000 that year. American fine artist Marjorie Sarnat is the author of the third most sold adult coloring book in the U.S., called “Creative Cats”. “Stress Relieving Patterns” by Blue Star Coloring ranked fourth, while “Color Me Calm” by Lacy Mucklow ranked fifth.