Audiobooks used to mean a box of cassettes for a long car journey. Now they’re the fastest-growing book format in the US. This guide collects the most reliable recent figures from the Audio Publishers Association (APA), the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and Pew Research Center.
Key audiobook statistics at a glance
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US audiobook sales, 2024 | $2.22 billion (+13%) | APA, 2025 |
| Share of sales that are digital | 99% | APA, 2025 |
| US adults who have ever listened to an audiobook | 51% (about 134 million people) | APA consumer survey, 2025 |
| US adults who listened in the past 12 months | 26% | Pew, Oct 2025 |
| Growth in publishers’ digital audio revenue, 2025 | +5.3% | AAP, 2026 |
Sales: more than a decade of growth
The APA reported that US audiobook sales reached $2.22 billion in 2024, up 13% on the year before. Digital downloads and streaming now account for 99% of that revenue. CDs are essentially gone. The AAP’s figures for 2025 show publishers’ downloaded audio revenue rising another 5.3%, faster than hardbacks, paperbacks or ebooks.
How many people listen?
Two surveys measure this differently:
- The APA’s 2025 consumer survey found that 51% of US adults have listened to an audiobook at some point. Interest is also rising among people who haven’t: the share of non-listeners who said they were interested rose from 32% to 38%.
- Pew’s October 2025 survey asked a narrower question, whether people listened in the past year, and found 26%, up from just 11% in 2011.
Who listens most?
Pew’s data shows audiobooks are most popular with adults under 50. About a third of 18 to 49-year-olds listened in the past year, compared with 13% of those over 65. College graduates (35%) are about twice as likely to listen as adults with a high school education or less (17%).
That pattern makes sense. Audiobooks suit people with commutes, workouts and chores, and they’re mostly consumed on phones.
Which genres are growing?
According to the APA, general fiction is the biggest audiobook category by revenue, followed by science fiction and fantasy, romance and general nonfiction. The fastest growth in 2024 came from:
Romance’s 30% jump reflects the same boom seen in print, where series like Fourth Wing (our review) dominate bestseller lists.
What it means if you’re thinking of trying audiobooks
- It counts as reading. For stories and narrative nonfiction, research suggests comprehension is broadly similar whether you read or listen. For dense, technical material, print usually wins. Our ebook vs print vs audiobook guide goes into the details.
- Libraries are the cheapest way in. Most public libraries lend audiobooks free through apps.
- Start with a strong narrator. Memoirs read by their authors and full-cast productions are often the best introductions.
- Speed is personal. Many listeners use 1.25× to 1.5× speed once they’re used to a narrator, but slow down for complex sections.
- Audio adds up. A 30-minute commute each way is five hours a week, enough for a typical novel every two weeks. Our reading goal calculator can show what that means over a year.
Caveats
APA figures come from participating publishers and a consumer survey. Pew’s figures come from a nationally representative survey of adults. They measure different things (revenue, lifetime listening and past-year listening), so we present them side by side rather than combining them.
Sources: Audio Publishers Association data via Infodocket, June 2025 · Pew Research Center, April 2026 · AAP StatShot Annual 2025
Frequently asked questions
How big is the audiobook market?
US audiobook sales were $2.22 billion in 2024, up 13% from 2023, according to the Audio Publishers Association.
What percentage of people listen to audiobooks?
51% of US adults have listened to an audiobook at least once (APA, 2025). In Pew's October 2025 survey, 26% had listened in the past 12 months.
Who listens to audiobooks the most?
Adults aged 18 to 49 and college graduates. In Pew's 2025 data, about a third of 18 to 49-year-olds listened in the past year, compared with 13% of those 65 and older.
What is the most popular audiobook genre?
General fiction is the largest category by revenue. Romance, children's and YA, and science fiction/fantasy grew fastest in 2024.
