In the annual cultural statistical report for 2024, INE explains that the data regarding the book market is provisional, but it shows that the 11,615 books published represent the second lowest figure in five years.
INE compares the book market between 2020 and 2024, indicating that in 2020, a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, 10,279 books were published. In the following years, the number of printed books gradually increased: 12,302 books in 2021, 13,157 in 2022, and 13,557 in 2023, with 11,615 printed works recorded last year.
These data are based on the allocation of the legal deposit number from the National Library of Portugal. Of the total printed books published last year, 87% were first editions and the remaining 13% were reprints. In Portugal, literature dominated the types of books published in 2024 (67.4%), followed by so-called “reference works,” such as dictionaries and encyclopedias (4.9%), and school manuals (4.1%).
In 2024, works by 9,484 authors were published, representing a decrease of 6.5% compared to the previous year. Books were the third most exported cultural item by Portugal in 2024, accounting for 7.3% of total exports.
According to INE, exports of cultural goods reached 244.8 million euros in 2024, an increase of 6.6% compared to the previous year, and books were the third most exported product (7.3%), following jewelry items (39.2%) and handicraft goods (36.8% of total).
As for imports, the total value reached 513.7 million euros, a slight decrease of 0.8% compared to 2023. In this area, the most imported cultural goods were jewelry items (34.3% of the total), books (15.8%), and “audiovisual and interactive media” goods (13.3%).
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