Global E-Books Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Platform (Smartphones and Tablets, PCs and Laptops, E-readers), By Type (Consumer E-Books, Educational E-Books), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2025 To 2030

E-Books Market Size:

The Global E-Books Market is expected to grow from USD 21.946 billion in 2025 to USD 27.708 billion in 2030, at a CAGR of 4.77%.

E-books, also known as electronic books, are referred to books that are published in digital form to be viewed or read on mobile devices such as smartphones, PCs and laptops, e-readers, and tablets, among others. These books consist of similar content available in printed textbooks, such as texts, images, and graphics, among others.

E-Books Market Trends:

The primary factors driving the e-books market growth include the rapid penetration of smartphones and other mobile devices, among others, across the various developed economies of the globe. Also, the ability of these books to offer similar satisfaction to the users is simply driving their adoption among a greater technologically equipped population, especially in developed economies.

Additionally, the growing focus of the governments of various countries on protecting the environment has been leading to many campaigns for saving trees, and reducing the use of paper is also propelling the opportunities for the market to grow in the near future.

The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease is also anticipated to be a key factor boosting the demand for e-books in the short run. Numerous government measures, such as lockdowns and social distancing in many countries to prevent the spread of this deadly virus, are projected to push the adoption of e-books among reading enthusiasts. The closure of public libraries and various retail booksellers will significantly augment the adoption of e-books and thereby positively impact the e-books market growth during the next eight to ten months.

E-Books Market Growth Drivers:

• Rising penetration of mobile devices and growing internet penetration are significantly driving the market growth

The growing penetration of mobile and portable computing devices like smartphones and tablet PCs is expected to spur the growth of the e-books market in the forecast period. The rapid adoption of smartphones and e-readers has been continuously increasing the demand for e-books as these can be stored and kept for longer periods, unlike printed books, which have to be purchased and, after their completion, remain of no use. According to the data from the World Bank, mobile penetration is highest in Europe and the Americas, followed by the Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and the African regions. This led to greater adoption of various online books in the North American and European regions.

The growth is fastest in the Asia Pacific, especially in China and India, where more and more people are gaining access to smartphones and mobile internet connectivity daily. The entry of Reliance Jio in India in the year 2016 disrupted the whole mobile internet connectivity market, reducing the prices heavily, which in turn, fuelled the demand for more smartphones and other mobile devices. Thus, the availability of cheaper and faster internet services in developing economies around the globe is further providing an impetus for the market to surge in the coming years.

Also, the primary factor that has led to the deep penetration of the internet among the general population is the rapid increase in the number of smartphone users, on account of growing smartphone shipments over the past decade, thus improving internet penetration rapidly, more specifically in developing economies. According to the World Bank, the population using the internet increased from 6.77% in 2000 to 49.723% in 2017. Simultaneously, the number of households with broadband access has increased significantly in both developed and developing economies. For instance, in the United States, fixed-broadband subscriptions reached 110,568,000 by 2018, from 84,552,000 in 2010. Similarly, in China, it increased from 126,337,000 in 2010 to 407,382,000 by 2018 (Source: The World Bank Group).

• Perception towards printed books

The effective adoption and use of e-books are hindered due to concerns regarding the satisfaction of printed books and the lack of knowledge regarding these books in many underdeveloped countries. Moreover, the perception regarding the lack of availability of the internet and the availability of platforms for these books in underdeveloped nations is further limiting the adoption of e-books. There is still a significant proportion of readers who favour traditional printed books over e-books due to the fact that they provide them with higher satisfaction.

Furthermore, the lack of awareness about various online platforms has hindered its demand. In many cases, digital books have only been subjected to reading through the usage of mobile devices and internet connectivity, especially in developing economies, and this has resulted in their adoption by a specific group that has these facilities.

The global e-books market has been segmented on the basis of platform, type, and geography. Based on the platform, the market has been segmented into smartphones and tablets, PCs and Laptops, and e-readers. On the basis of type, the segmentation has been done into consumer e-books and educational e-books. Geographically, the market has been classified into North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and the Asia Pacific.

E-Books Market Geographical Outlook:

• North America is expected to hold a significant market share

Geographically, the North American region is projected to hold a noteworthy share in the e-books market primarily on account of the early adoption of technology and well-established internet infrastructure in countries like the United States and Canada. Furthermore, the presence of key market players such as Amazon is also bolstering the significant share of this region in the global market. Also, the wide acceptance of digital reading methods in the region is driving the growth of the e-books market in the North American region.

E-Books Market Competitive Insights

Prominent key market players in the e-book market include Amazon, HarperCollins Publishers, and Rakuten Kobo Inc., among others. These companies hold a noteworthy share of the market on account of their good brand image and product Platforms.

Major players in the e-book market have been covered along with their relative competitive position and strategies. The report also mentions recent deals and investments of different market players over the last two years.

E-Books Market Segmentation:

• By Platform
  • Smartphones and Tablets
  • PCs and Laptops
  • E-readers
• By Type
  • Consumer E-Books
  • Educational E-Books
• By Pricing Model
  • Free
  • Subscription
  • One-Time Purchase
  • Freemium
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • United Kingdom
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Israel
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Others

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

2. MARKET SNAPSHOT

2.1. Market Overview

2.2. Market Definition

2.3. Scope of the Study

2.4. Market Segmentation

3. BUSINESS LANDSCAPE 

3.1. Market Drivers

3.2. Market Restraints

3.3. Market Opportunities 

3.4. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis

3.5. Industry Value Chain Analysis

3.6. Policies and Regulations 

3.7. Strategic Recommendations 

4. TECHNOLOGICAL OUTLOOK

5. GLOBAL E-BOOKS MARKET BY PLATFORM

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Smartphones and Tablets

5.3. PCs and Laptops

5.4. E-readers

6. GLOBAL E-BOOKS MARKET BY TYPE

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Consumer E-Books

6.3. Educational E-Books

7. GLOBAL E-BOOKS MARKET BY PRICING MODEL

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Free

7.3. Subscription

7.4. One-Time Purchase

7.5. Freemium

8. GLOBAL E-BOOKS MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

8.1. Introduction

8.2. North America

8.2.1. By Platform

8.2.2. By Type

8.2.3. By Pricing Model

8.2.4. By Country

8.2.4.1. USA

8.2.4.2. Canada

8.2.4.3. Mexico

8.3. South America

8.3.1. By Platform

8.3.2. By Type

8.3.3. By Pricing Model

8.3.4. By Country

8.3.4.1. Brazil

8.3.4.2. Argentina

8.3.4.3. Others

8.4. Europe

8.4.1. By Platform

8.4.2. By Type

8.4.3. By Pricing Model

8.4.4. By Country

8.4.4.1. United Kingdom

8.4.4.2. Germany

8.4.4.3. France

8.4.4.4. Spain

8.4.4.5. Others

8.5. Middle East and Africa

8.5.1. By Platform

8.5.2. By Type

8.5.3. By Pricing Model

8.5.4. By Country

8.5.4.1. Saudi Arabia

8.5.4.2. UAE

8.5.4.3. Others

8.6. Asia Pacific

8.6.1. By Platform

8.6.2. By Type

8.6.3. By Pricing Model

8.6.4. By Country

8.6.4.1. China

8.6.4.2. Japan

8.6.4.3. India

8.6.4.4. South Korea

8.6.4.5. Taiwan

8.6.4.6. Others

9. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

9.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

9.2. Market Share Analysis

9.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

9.4. Competitive Dashboard

10. COMPANY PROFILES

10.1. Amazon.com, Inc

10.2. HarperCollins Publishers

10.3. Google LLC

10.4. Smashwords, Inc.,

10.5. Scribd Inc.

10.6. Apple Inc.

10.7. Rakuten Kobo Inc.

10.8. Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc.

10.9. Macmillan Education Limited

10.10. Hachette Book Group

10.11. Lulu Press, Inc

11. APPENDIX

11.1. Currency 

11.2. Assumptions

11.3. Base and Forecast Years Timeline

11.4. Key benefits for the stakeholders

11.5. Research Methodology 

11.6. Abbreviations 

Amazon.com, Inc

HarperCollins Publishers

Google LLC

Smashwords, Inc.,

Scribd Inc.

Apple Inc.

Rakuten Kobo Inc.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc.

Macmillan Education Limited

Hachette Book Group

Lulu Press, Inc