From: Eboni Waitere, President, Publishers Association of New Zealand Te Rau o Tākupu
The New Zealand Publishing Market Size Report, now in its seventh year, provides valuable insight into the performance, resilience and contribution of New Zealand’s publishing sector. The 2025 results provide encouraging evidence of the sector’s strength and adaptability. Total publishing revenue increased by 1.8% to $287.4 million, while total unit sales grew by 2.4% to 18.6 million books. Domestic revenue rose by a strong 6.1% to $54.3 million and export earnings increased by 4.3% to $15.1 million.
Growth was evident across multiple channels and formats, including print book revenue, digital publishing, physical bookstores and online retail. In a challenging economic environment, these results demonstrate the enduring value readers place on books and the ability of New Zealand publishers to respond to changing market conditions while continuing to invest in quality content and intellectual property.
Māori language publishing is not simply a growing segment of the market; it is a cornerstone of our cultural landscape. In 2025, sales of Māori language publications reached 328,000 units, marking a third consecutive year of growth and demonstrating the ongoing demand for Māori-language content across Aotearoa.
As we look ahead, PANZ remains focused on advocating for policies and initiatives that support sustainable growth, foster innovation and strengthen the long-term future of New Zealand publishing. We look forward to working alongside our members, partners and stakeholders to ensure the sector continues to thrive in an increasingly dynamic global environment.
We extend our sincere thanks to Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) for its ongoing support through the Cultural Fund, as well as to NielsenIQ BookData and Nevena Nikolic for their work wrangling the data, and to the publishers who contribute their data each year. Their collective commitment allows us to tell the story of our industry with increasing depth and confidence.
