Evolution of Ebook Sales in 2025

The Spanish-language ebook market has grown by 1.5% in revenue in 2025. 

This 1.5 percentage point increase reflects a clear stabilization of the market following several years of sustained and significant growth, such as that recorded in 2024 (10.4%) and 2023 (8.6%). The pandemic year, when digital content consumption skyrocketed, continues to hold the all-time record, with 113% growth.

In a year marked by the stabilization of ebook sales, non-Spanish-speaking territories (“Rest of the World”) have experienced a phenomenon uncommon in the Spanish-language sector: a 5% increase in ebook consumption. This is primarily driven by European countries, where eBook revenue has risen by five percentage points compared to the previous year. 

Spain and Latin America have also recorded increases in revenue, both of around 3%. 

In contrast, the ebook market in Mexico experienced a 1% decline in 2025. Lastly, the 5% decline in revenue in the United States is due to two combined factors: a slight drop in sales in dollars, exacerbated by the unfavorable dollar-euro exchange rate during 2025, and a reduction in library acquisitions of titles in non-English languages, within a political context marked by the policies of the Trump administration.

Subscription Remains an Opportunity for Independent Publishing

• Small and medium-sized publishers which participate more actively in subscription platforms have found their readership through these channels. We’re talking about platforms like Nextory or Kobo Plus, where genres such as romance and thriller are among the most popular.
   

Libraries: Stability with a Seasonal Component

• The slight growth of platforms supplying Spanish-language ebooks and audiobooks to libraries is largely due to license procurement tenders launched by public administrations in 2025.
   

Three Business Models Strengthening Their Positions

• The revenue breakdown between single-copy sales, subscriptions, and libraries has remained remarkably stable for over five years. In this context, the DTO (Download to Own) model continues to solidify its position as the preferred option among readers.
   

The End of Some Myths

• “Subscriptions take away from single-copy sales”:
  The profile of the subscription reader and that of the ebook buyer are not the same. The evolution of both models shows that consumption on platforms like Nextory or Kobo Plus does not reduce single-copy sales. In fact, in environments that combine both models, such as Kobo (Kobo Plus) or Amazon (Kindle Unlimited), single-copy sales can be boosted when a title achieves high readership levels in their subscription programs.

• “It is more profitable to delay the release of the ebook to libraries”:
  Postponing the availability of a title on library platforms primarily results in reduced consumption through these channels, as the momentum of the launch and associated marketing efforts are lost.

• “The best strategy is to publish first in print, then release the ebook, and finally the audiobook”:
  The market has shown that the most effective strategy in terms of profitability is a multi-format launch. Simultaneously publishing the print, digital, and audio editions of the same title helps increase revenue across all three formats. Furthermore, platforms offering multiple formats tend to prioritize titles available in all versions from day one.
   

85.20% of ebook sales by Latin American publishers took place in the Americas, 2.1% more than in 2023.

The best-selling ebooks in 2025 were priced between €5 and €12.99 > 72.86% of the titles purchased fall within this range.

• This segment grew by 9.20% compared to 2024, when it accounted for 63.66% of sales.
• Ebooks priced above 15 euros are declining, as the market views this figure as a barrier; higher prices apply almost exclusively to specialized catalogs (technical, academic, etc.).
• The most popular price range remains between 5 and 7.99 euros.

The best-selling Ebooks from Latin American publishers in 2025 were priced between 5 and 12.99 euros> 56.57% of sales fell within this range, 6.24 percentage points less than in 2024, when it stood at 62.81%.

• Prices set by Latin American publishers show great stability: The proportion of titles priced between 15 and 20.99 euros declined only slightly (3%), a figure similar to that of books priced above 20 euros.

The average price of ebooks in 2025 was 7.37 euros.

• This is 24 cents less (-3.15%) than in 2024, when it stood at 7.61 euros.

• Ebooks maintain a price barrier that is clearly lower than that of printed books: GfK determined that the average price of a paperback book in 2025 was 16.25 euros, 3.6% higher than in 2024 (15.69 euros).

• The average price of ebooks published in the United States and Mexico has been driven down by currency volatility. In Spain and Latin America, prices have seen moderate increases of 6.88% and 2.72%, respectively.

Fiction reinforces its dominance in the Spanish market and has been increasing its share for two years: from 74% in 2023 and 76% in 2024, it reaches 77% in 2025.

The genre with the largest increase in revenue in 2025 was:

• Thriller > from 15% to 17% of the total

• The popularity of certain platforms and subscription plans favors specific genres such as thriller and crime novels.
   

In contrast, romance literature declines by 1% and science fiction drops by 1%.

In nonfiction:

• Practical books saw a 1 percentage point drop in revenue, while general nonfiction maintained its 14% share of the total.

The Mexican market maintains its characteristic balance: fiction (52%) and nonfiction (48%), with general nonfiction accounting for 26% of total sales.

The best-sellingand most-read genres are:

• general fiction

• nonfiction

• practical guide
   

Changes compared to 2024 are minimal:

• General fiction is up 1% and children’s and young adult literature is up 2%

• Romance, science fiction, and practical guides are down 1%

• Thriller and general nonfiction remain stable

In Latin America, nonfiction continues to grow, rising from 53% in 2024 to 55% in 2025. Fiction declines to 45%, with children’s and young adult literature as the only genre on the rise.

The best-selling and most-read genres are:

• nonfiction

• practical guide

• general fiction
   

The changes in market share can be explained as follows:

• General nonfiction (+3%) and children’s and young adult literature (+1%) are up.

• General fiction (-1%), romance (-1%), science fiction (-1%), and practical books (-1%) are down.

• Thriller remains stable.

Fiction also dominates in the United States, accounting for 59% of total revenue.

The best-selling and most-read genres are::

• general fiction

• nonfiction

• practical guide
   

Fiction is driving the sector’s growth:

• Thriller (+3%), children’s and young adult literature (+2%), and science fiction (+1%) are on the rise.

• Nonfiction (-3%), general fiction (-1%), and romance (-1%) are down.