The Global 50 Publishing Ranking 2025 maps an international publishing industry characterised by stability among its largest companies but widening differences between sectors and business models. Drawing primarily on 2024 financial results, it ranks 34 publishing groups with annual publishing revenue exceeding €500 million. The ten largest generated almost €37 billion: scientific, technical, medical and professional publishing accounted for 54% of this revenue, educational publishing for 32%, and consumer books for 14%.
The analysis identifies sustained growth among professional and academic groups such as Thomson Reuters and RELX, while Penguin Random House, Bertelsmann and the Japanese Hitotsubashi Group have benefited from acquisitions, international expansion and changing reader preferences. Manga, graphic novels, romance and romantasy are reshaping bestseller lists and translation flows. Educational publishing presents a sharper divide: digitally oriented companies have expanded through learning platforms, recurring revenue and territorial growth, while Pearson illustrates the difficulties of transforming a long-established educational business.
The report argues that conventional rankings no longer capture the entire publishing economy. Self-publishing, audiobook and ebook subscriptions, serialised storytelling, creator communities and cross-media platforms increasingly connect authors directly with audiences. Companies such as Amazon, Yuewen China Literature, Wattpad Webtoon, Tonies, Storytel, Pratilipi and Clube de Autores combine creation, production, distribution and community participation. These models are particularly dynamic in markets where traditional publishing and bookselling infrastructures are less developed.
Additional chapters explore physical books, artificial intelligence, backlist discovery, bookselling, freedom of expression and digital leadership. The 2025 Global 50 CEO Talk with Chantal Restivo-Alessi and Núria Cabutí emphasises the resilience of print, the continuing importance of bookstores and the need to protect authors’ rights when licensing content for AI. An interview with Ralf Biesemeier argues that publishers must combine technology, organisational change, specialist partnerships and more sophisticated marketing to ensure that reliable content reaches the right audiences amid growing digital noise.
