Between declining sales, the closure of specialist bookstores, and the decline of flagship series, manga is experiencing a historic decline in sales in France. What does the future hold for the hundreds of series waiting patiently in our libraries?
Post-Covid boom, and what next?
In recent years, France has established itself as the heartland of manga, just behind Japan. The craze has exploded in recent years, and particularly during the health crisis: in 2021, manga sales jumped by 120% to reach 28 million copies, then 48 million in 2022. The sector's turnover quadrupled in two years, rising to 381 million euros, boosted by the Culture Pass which allowed many young people to acquire their first series. In 2023, manga still represented four out of ten books purchased through this system. At the same time, the traditional comics sector has gradually opened up, integrating manga into large-scale operations such as the 48h of comics.
This craze has led to the opening of numerous specialist bookstores, which must now cope with the market downturn. Since 2023, the manga market has recorded an 11% drop in sales, followed by a further decline of 9% in 2024. The first quarter of 2025 even shows a drop of 14.5%. Even if volumes remain higher than those before the pandemic, the situation is worrying.
Why this decline?
Several factors can explain this slowdown in the sector. The end of several major series, such as Demon Slayer or Attack on Titan, inevitably impacted overall sales, without new titles taking over in the hearts of fans. The growing number of new releases also made it difficult to maintain lasting readership loyalty, increasing the number of failures and weakening specialist bookstores. Finally, inflation and rising book prices (+5% for comics in 2024) also weighed on readers' purchasing power.
The market slowdown had direct consequences on the commercial fabric. Since 2024, the number of bankruptcies of specialist bookstores has been increasing, reports Le Figaro. A phenomenon that could worsen in 2025.
A change rather than a fall
Despite this decline, manga remains the driving force of the comic book market in France: it represents more than half of comic book sales in 2024, or 36 million copies for €309 million in revenue. The comic book sector as a whole is down 9% in volume, but still has €837 million in revenue, a 50% increase compared to 2019.
Publishers are now banking on diversifying their offerings, the emergence of new talent, and the rise of digital formats and one-shots to boost momentum. The market is seeking a new balance, less dependent on star series and more open to the original creation.
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