Sales of children’s books have surged, propelling the genre to record highs in 2025. According to data from NielsenIQ BookData, spending on quiz books and bibles reached the highest levels since the 1990s. Spending on quiz books saw a notable increase of 24%, while bibles experienced a 19% rise, marking the highest sales figures since the firm began tracking data in 1998.
Despite the overall growth in specific categories, the non-fiction market faced challenges. Spending on non-fiction titles dipped to £791 million, down 5% year on year, with total volume sales declining by 6% to 59 million copies. In contrast, the adult fiction sector posted a 5% increase even as total print book sales in the UK fell slightly by 0.5%, bringing the total to £1.81 billion.
Market Insights and Trends
Philip Stone, head of publisher account management at NielsenIQ BookData, attributed these trends to a resilient book market. He stated, “NielsenIQ BookData’s 2025 findings reveal a resilient book market, with readers continuing to invest in stories despite a softer year overall.” Stone highlighted the strong performance of fiction, particularly in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and graphic novels. He also noted that children’s and young adult literature experienced encouraging growth in key areas.
The report also pointed out that the average price of a book hit a record £9.52, reflecting a 2% increase attributed to rising production costs and inflation. Meanwhile, audiobook sales rose by 6%, indicating a growing preference for audio content among readers.
2025 Bestsellers and Author Rankings
The rankings for bestselling books in 2025 featured notable names. Richard Osman topped the list with his release, The Impossible Fortune, which sold 478,000 copies since its launch in September. He was followed closely by Charlie Mackesy‘s Always Remember and Freida McFadden‘s The Housemaid.
In a remarkable achievement, Julia Donaldson, renowned for her work on children’s literature, emerged as the UK’s bestselling author for the year, with total sales reaching 3.3 million copies. She was followed by McFadden with 2.6 million copies sold, and Dav Pilkey, who secured 1.5 million copies.
Stone emphasized the ongoing success of these authors, stating, “With bestselling authors such as Richard Osman, Freida McFadden, Julia Donaldson, and Dav Pilkey leading another solid year, publishers, booksellers, and authors continue to keep the market energized, innovative, and full of opportunity.”
These statistics were revealed ahead of The London Book Fair, which will take place from March 10 to 12, 2025, at Olympia London. The event is expected to showcase the latest trends and innovations in the publishing industry, focusing on inspiring readers to embrace literature as a regular part of their lives.
