Submitted: Kathi Rowzie August 31, 2021

With the proliferation of electronic devices in recent years, one might assume that grabbing a book, finding a comfy spot and settling in for an entertaining read was a thing of the past. But recent data from Statista tells a different story. It seems that consumers in the United States – and all around the globe – still prefer ink on paper over e-books.

According to Statista’s Advertising & Media Outlook, the popularity of e-books continues to trail printed books by a wide margin, with only 23% of Americans purchasing an e-book in 2020 compared to 45% who bought a printed book. Statistics from other countries show similar trends. Germans show the strongest preference for printed books, with 58% purchasing a printed book compared to only 10% who purchased an e-book.

These findings suggest that rather than signaling the demise of printed books, e-books are a complementary product that should ultimately benefit the publishing industry. People may grab a tablet or e-reader when they head to the beach or commute to work, but as far as the reading experience goes, there’s nothing like the real thing!

Share this story