Booksellers made €9.6m Exchequer contribution in 2021, report finds

The bookselling sector contributed €9.6 million to the Exchequer in 2021, a record year for Irish book sales in terms of revenue, according to an estimate by economist Jim Power.

A report by Mr Power, presented to the annual conference of Bookselling Ireland on Friday, found this economic contribution had increased 45 per cent on 2017, with the surge attributed to a rise in sales during the pandemic as readers rediscovered the joy of books.

Previously published Nielsen BookScan figures show the value of domestic book sales reached €165.9 million in 2021, up 2.7 per cent on 2020 and was a massive 56 per cent higher than 2013 when annual sales fell to just over €106 million.

Some 13.3 million units were sold last year, the third highest volume of sales on record after 2008 and 2010.

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The strong recovery in book sales in the Irish market has occurred despite challenges posed by lockdown closures and competition from overseas online players, dominated by Amazon.

Children’s sales

It was deemed "particularly encouraging" because it includes a record €47 million sales in the children's book market, with Julia Donaldson the top author.

Bookselling Ireland, which has 224 members, heard the sector supports 3,145 jobs through direct, indirect and induced employment effects, while about six in every 10 Irish bookshops are independents.

“Looking ahead, it is vital that consumers support local bookshops wherever possible and that official support for a sector that makes such a significant social and economic contribution is as strong as possible,” it said.

The organisation’s in-person conference took place on a day when the much-loved Chapters bookshop, which closed in January, reopened in Dublin city centre under new ownership.