Online literature market in China exceeds US$7.3 billion in 2025

The scale of China’s online literature market reached approximately US$7.31 billion in 2025, an increase of 16.6 per cent compared with the previous year. This was reported by  Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS, citing the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

According to published statistics, revenue from online adaptations of literary works reached approximately US$51.1 billion, marking a 23.13 per cent year-on-year increase. Analysts note that market growth has been driven by the integration of literature with digital technologies, as well as state policy support aimed at promoting reading culture.

In 2025, the proportion of readers in the country rose to 82.3 per cent, up 0.2 percentage points year on year. A survey showed that adult citizens in China read an average of 8.39 books annually, in both print and digital formats, while minors averaged 11.72 books.

The share of adult readers using e-books reached 80.8 per cent, with total digital reading content exceeding 70 million titles.

In addition, demand for audiobooks and video-based literary reviews increased over the year, rising from 38.5 per cent and 5.7 per cent in 2024 to 38.7 per cent and 6.3 per cent in 2025 respectively.

Despite ongoing digitalisation, printed books continue to retain strong appeal, with 45.9 per cent of Chinese adults preferring traditional formats. In terms of content, fiction remains the most widely read genre.

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, adopted in March, emphasises the need to “promote the development of a reading society”. From 1 February 2026, the country introduced its first administrative regulation governing this sector – the Regulations on Promoting Nationwide Reading. The new framework establishes a National Reading Week, to be held annually in the fourth week of April starting this year.

The first edition of National Reading Week coincides with World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April. Across the country, the initiative includes lectures, book fairs, theatrical performances, book donations and other events aimed at encouraging reading among the population.

Experts point to a growing demand among citizens for deeper engagement with texts and learning through reading. According to Wu Shulin, Chairman of the China Publishers Association, in the digital era, thoughtful reading remains essential for personal development, professional success and moral education. He urged stakeholders in the online publishing sector to foster a culture of comprehension, encouraging readers to move from superficial browsing to in-depth reading.