Overall, adults’ fiction consistently remained among the most popular genres across the three years, with a significant increase in 2012. Meanwhile, travel and biography books experienced a decline in sales over time.
In 1972, adults’ fiction and children’s fiction each accounted for 20% of book sales. Travel books made up the highest proportion at 25%, followed by biography at 15%, and others also at 20%.
By 1992, adults’ fiction had slightly decreased to 25%, but children’s fiction rose to 22%. Biography dropped to 15%, and travel books fell to 18%. The “others” category remained unchanged at 20%.
In 2012, adults’ fiction saw a dramatic rise to 45%, becoming the dominant category. Children’s fiction continued to grow, reaching 25%. On the other hand, biography declined significantly to 8%, and travel books further decreased to just 10%. The others category became the least popular, at only 12%.
In summary, fiction books—particularly for adults and children—became more popular over time, while non-fiction categories such as travel and biography gradually declined in sales.