Poles start reading more books again

[pjotr]

Poles start reading more books again

19.09.2014 13:06

After two years of decline, the Polish market inched up in 2013, with e-books expanding especially quickly.



A report from sector research firm Biblioteka Analiz shows that the Polish book market recorded a value of 2.68 billion (639 million euro), 0.4 percent higher than in 2012.

The sector's value had been declining for the two previous years, most likely due to an increased VAT rate for books. The 2013 result is still PLN 260 million zloty (62 million euro) lower than in the record-breaking 2010.

After price hikes resulting from the VAT increase, books became cheaper in 2013. The average book price was 38.30 zloty (9.13 euro), compared to 38.70 zloty (9.26 euro) a year earlier.

“In spite of pessimistic forecasts, the number of book titles launched in 2013 grew by 10 percent compared with the previous year,” the report said. Total circulation also grew, by 4 percent to 112,400 copies.

The sales of e-books has been already growing for some time. In 2013 the segment expanded by 28 percent, though its nominal value is still fairly small – 53.7 million zloty (12.8 million euro).

E-books may soon get an additional boost with a law change. The current 23-percent VAT rate on electronic editions is likely to be cut to 5 percent, equal to that on paper books.

It is yet unclear whether the Polish book market will record growth in 2014, as the school textbook segment may contribute to a decline.

This year, the government introduced the first free-of-charge textbook. The initial negative effect on the publishing industry will not be significant, Biblioteka Analiz said, but additional free textbooks in the coming years may cause the bankruptcy of small educational publishers. (kw)

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza

[jeanne]

Pieter,

Is Poland still using zloty? I thought they had adopted euros. Sorry to be so ignorant of happenings in Europe...I'm afraid many Americans are as clueless as I am...Help me out here! At least I'm trying to be informed!

[pjotr]

Jeanne,

Poland is still using the zloty, and the present day 'free and democratic' zloty is a different currency than the communist zloty of Communist Poland. I would like to say, thank god Poland has still the zloty when the financial crisis started in 2008. Due to the fact that the zloty was strong, but slightly less strong than the Euro, Poland benefited from the Zloty, where Slovakia suffered from an early entrance of the Eurozone.

Ofcourse Poland want's to become part of the Eurozone and to have the Euro as currency. But that took time due to legislation, monetary policies, and economical consequences. When Poland enters the Eurozone, with the Euro replacing the zloty, Polish products might become more expensive. Therefor in the first period of entering and using the Euro Poland might face a short term setback, because the export rates might drop.

Form the other side Poland might benefit from entering the Euro, because business with Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Greece and other Euro countries might become easier. Tourists and business people from Europe can take their Euro's to Poland and spend them there.

Cheers,
Pieter