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Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing in the UK - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2029)

Jonas Kao Jonas Kao London, United Kingdom Last Updated: July 2025 SIC UK-J581

Revenue

£102.5bn

2025-26

£102.4bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

£X.Xbn

Employees

793k

Businesses

103k

Wages

£XX.Xbn

Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing in the UK industry analysis

The declining demand for print in major European markets like the UK, Germany and France means newspaper publishers face shrinking revenue from both sales and printed advertisements. Publishers are adjusting by developing their digital presence, introducing subscription paywalls, subscriber-only newsletters, digital advertising initiatives and strategic media partnerships to support revenue as traditional print readership continues to slump. In the five years through 2025, Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing revenue is projected to drop at a compound annual rate of 4.6%, to reach €102.5 billion, including an estimated drop of 3.9% in 2025 when the average industry profit margin is expected to reach 9%.

Trends and Insights

  • Print readership is sliding fast in European publishing. With less demand for print, publishers lose revenue on both sales and lucrative print ads, so they're racing to replace the gap with digital subscriptions, paywalls, and online ad strategies.
  • US tariffs make UK and EU publishing exports less competitive. With 10% tariffs, prices rise, and US buyers will probably look elsewhere, so export volumes from European publishers could shrink, cutting directly into their revenues and overall market presence.
  • Sheer scale of the industry limits concentration. The vast array of newspaper, book and journal publications, both online and printed, limits the level of market concentration, despite the presence of many multinational companies.
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Top Questions Answered in this Report

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What is the market size of the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

The market size of the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom is £102.5bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom in 2025?

There are 103k businesses in the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.8 % between 2020 and 2025.

Has the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom has been declining at a CAGR of 2.8 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom is expected to grow.

What does the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom include?

Book publishing and Newspaper and magazine publishing are part of the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom.

How competitive is the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing industry in the United Kingdom.

Everything you need in one report

  • Reliable market estimates from 2015-2030
  • Competitive analysis, industry segmentation, financial benchmarks
  • Powerful SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and risk management frameworks
  • Online membership platform with PDF, Word, Excel and PPT exports

Table of Contents

External Environment

Highlights

Trends
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key Takeaways

Publishers are limited by copywrite. Publishers are limited by copywriting laws that forbid them from stealing the creative content of other rights holders. However, copywrite protections have a time limit and then enter the public domain.

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External Drivers

Analysis

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing in the UK industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Highlights

Trends
  • Profit Margin
  • Average Wage
  • Largest Cost

Key Takeaways

Surging printing prices impact publishing profit. Publishers faced escalating operating costs due to swelling wage demands and a hike in paper manufacturing prices.

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Cost Structure

Charts
  • Share of Economy vs. Investment Matrix
  • Industry Cost Structure Benchmarks:
    • Marketing
    • Depreciation
    • Profit
    • Purchases
    • Wages
    • Rent
    • Utilities
    • Other
Analysis

What trends impact cost in the Book, Newspaper & Magazine Publishing in the UK industry?


Key Ratios

Data tables
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)

Country Benchmarks

European Leaders & Laggards

Data Tables

Top and bottom five countries listed for each:

  • Revenue Growth (2025)
  • Business Growth (2025)
  • Job Growth (2025)

European Country Performance

Data Tables

Rankings available for 37 countries. Statistics ranked include:

  • IVA/Revenue (2025)
  • Imports/Demand (2025)
  • Exports/Revenue (2025)
  • Revenue per Employee (2025)
  • Wages/Revenue (2025)
  • Employees per Establishment (2025)
  • Average Wage (2025)

Structural Comparison

Data Tables

Trends in 37 countries benchmarked against trends in Europe

  • Concentration
  • Competition
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Buyer Power
  • Supplier Power
  • Volatility
  • Capital Intensity
  • Innovation
  • Life Cycle

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Methodology

Where does IBISWorld source its data?

IBISWorld is a world-leading provider of business information, with reports on 5,000+ industries in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and China. Our expert industry analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build an accurate picture of each industry.

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