Our work is supported by a research programme which focuses on highlighting the contribution of the UK publishing industry.
We work with different organisations to deliver research reports on strategic areas of interest for the membership.
Recently, this has included working with economic consultancies, political think tanks and charity partners.
We submit responses to government consultations and select committee inquiries and prepare briefing documents on key issues for our members.
We also collate key industry statistics, including our Publishing Yearbook, and carry out an annual industry workforce survey.
2019 was publishing's best year ever with total publishing sales reaching £6.3bn and growth across every sector. The Publishers Association Yearbook 2019 contains statistical analysis of publisher revenue for consumer, education, and academic books and journals with 100+ accompanying tables and graphs.
New research by by the National Literacy Trust shows that audiobooks have the potential to be a key resource for children’s literacy and wellbeing. Even if children struggle with reading, audiobooks allow them to access the benefits of books including developing their vocabulary, developing empathy, helping them learn how to express themselves and accessing educational…
Young people most engaged with reading are most likely to read on both paper and screen than their peers with low engagement, finds new research by the National Literacy Trust. A survey of 56,905 children and young people aged 9 to 18 in the UK found that twice as many young people who read above…
Assessing the Case for Zero-Rating VAT on Digital Publications is a report by independent economic consultancy Frontier Economics. Commissioned by the Publishers Association and Professional Publishers Association, research finds a strong case for zero-rating. Removing VAT on digital publications could save UK consumers up to £210 million each year. It comes in the wake of…
In July 2018, the Government published a policy paper on The Future Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. In response, we published our analysis of the White Paper. It summarises the implications for publishing in the event that the EU accepts its recommendations with regards to Brexit. Our analysis touches on: People…
A book is a book however you read it, and people using digital products should not be discriminated against by legislation that has not kept pace with societal change. The Publishers Association UK readers and learners have long suffered from an unnecessary complexity in the applied VAT regime, with print publications being zero-rated while ebooks…