Publishing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry publish newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, books, directories, and mailing lists, as well as items such as calendars, greeting cards, and maps. Major companies include Advance Publications, Hallmark, Hearst, and News Corp (all based in the US), as well as Axel Springer (Germany), Pearson and RELX Group (both based in the UK), Thomson Reuters (Canada), and Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands).

The books and publishing industry includes the newspaper and magazine, book publishing, and digital publishing segments. The global newspaper circulation revenue is forecast to reach about $50 billion in 2024, while the global book publishing revenue reached about $130 billion in 2023, according to Statista. The newspaper and magazine segments are experiencing contraction as circulation falls, thanks in part to the increasing accessibility of free content online. The digital publishing industry in China is booming, driven by the increasing internet and mobile app economy.

The US publishing industry includes about 16,500 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $90 billion.

Book publishers, newspaper publishers, magazine publishers, and directory and mailing list publishers are included in this industry and further discussed in separate industry profiles. Internet publishing, which is not included in this industry, is covered in a separate profile.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for books, magazines, and greeting cards is driven by consumer income, while demand for newspapers and directories is related to local ...