Industry Edge 26 April 2019
Nation of readers! Books live on as directories, guides and fashion publications collapse
Australians remain voracious readers. Latest data showing Australia’s imports of printed material that the national love affair with the printed word continues – so long as it is in book form.
Total imports of printed books declined 1.7% in 2018, falling to an annual value of AUD470.1 million (books only). That relatively modest decline was book-ended by steep falls in the value of imports for Dictionaries and timetables (-35.6%) and Fashion books (-25.7%) on the one side and by softer declines for Paperbacks (-2.1%) and Hardbacks (-0.1%), on the other side.
