Laura Carollo
Research expert covering cinema and film
Publishing houses in France - statistics & facts
The French publishing industry is flourishing – the post-pandemic landscape has been favorable to all publishing segments, due to 2021 being a particularly exceptional year. While general sales have somewhat slowed doing in subsequent years, French people read more than ever. This dynamic industry is supported by a wide range of publishing houses, which vary in size and scope. What role do publishing houses play in the French book industry today?
In recent years, French publishing houses have been hit by numerous mergers and acquisitions, continuously changing the French publishing landscape. Like many other media, the French publishing world is more concentrated as conglomerates keep inflating by sucking in smaller publishing houses. While Hachette Livre has been a part of Lagardère’s publishing segment since the 1980s, media giant Vivendi announced in November 2023 the acquisition of Lagardère. In doing so, Vivendi has strengthened its position in the publishing market, which has become one of its highest grossing segments.
A robust market
A total of 448.5 million books were sold in 2022, a slight decrease from the previous year, despite remaining above pre-pandemic levels. 2021 results can be partially explained by the several lockdown periods as many readers flocked to bookstores, which stayed open due to their status as essential businesses. That period played in favor of all segments, but most importantly comics and manga, which experienced an unprecedented increase in sales. While 22 million manga volumes were sold in 2020, that figure jumped to 47 million volumes in 2021 before dropping slightly in the following years. On the other hand, ebook sales have shown no sign of slowing down and reached their highest level yet in 2022.An industry run by a handful of giants
Book publishers’ revenue has followed a similar trajectory; while it has stayed relatively constant over the past decade, it skyrocketed to more than three billion euros in 2021 and dipped only a little to 2.9 billion euros the following year. The French publishing market is led by industry giants such as Hachette, Flammarion, and the Bayard Group, which are the driving forces behind many authors and books. Lagardère Publishing, the publishing branch of the French media group Lagardère, generated a total revenue of around 2.8 billion euros in 2023. Hachette Livre grossed about the same amount in 2022, making it one the largest book publishers in the world for that year. When it comes to comics, Panini held the highest number of titles available, before Urban Comics and Delcourt.In recent years, French publishing houses have been hit by numerous mergers and acquisitions, continuously changing the French publishing landscape. Like many other media, the French publishing world is more concentrated as conglomerates keep inflating by sucking in smaller publishing houses. While Hachette Livre has been a part of Lagardère’s publishing segment since the 1980s, media giant Vivendi announced in November 2023 the acquisition of Lagardère. In doing so, Vivendi has strengthened its position in the publishing market, which has become one of its highest grossing segments.
