13+ Comic Book Sales Statistics You Need to Know in 2024

Comic books are a big business. Collectors and fans shell out millions of dollars every year to buy and trade the latest issues and collections. But what’s trending? What are the best-selling titles? And who is buying all these comics? 

Let's look at some comic book sales statistics and reveal many answers to your queries.

Interesting Comic Book Sales Stats

The comic book industry has grown in recent years, and interesting trends are emerging. Check out these interesting comic book facts!

• Comic book sales in North America generated nearly $2.08 billion in 2021, up from $1.28 billion in 2020.
• The global market for print comic books was worth $7.79B in 2022, up from $7.14B in 2021.
• Over 90% of all US comic sales belong to Comichron and Diamond Comics.
• One of the most iconic DC comic book characters, Batman has sold 474 million issues so far.
• Spawn Scorched #1 was the best-selling comic book in January 2022.
• The first-ever comic book, The Yellow Kid In Mcfadden's Flats, was first published in 1897.
• One Piece is the biggest selling comic book collection with approximately 490 million sales worldwide.

General Comic Book Sales Facts

The comic book industry has seen many changes in recent years, largely due to the influence of comic book movies. This has had a knock-on effect on sales. These stats give a clear picture of industry performance.

1. Batman, one of the most iconic DC comic book characters, has so far sold 474 million issues.

(Wikipedia)

Batman is one of the most recognizable comic book characters there is. The character has appeared in numerous different iterations, with total sales of 474 million issues.

2. One Piece is the biggest selling comic book collection with approximately 490 million sales worldwide.

(Wikipedia)

Japan is the largest global comic market, and the popular manga One Piece is the biggest selling comic book collection in the world.

3. Spawn Scorched #1 was the best-selling comic book in January 2022.

(ICv2)

Spawn is a long-running comic book series that has a strong cult following. Although not as mainstream as some Marvel and DC titles, it was still the best-selling comic book in January 2022.

4. Sales of digital comic books increased by 750 million dollars in 2020.

(Screen Rant)

Digital comics sales have been steadily increasing as more platforms develop and more publishers create online versions of their comics. Print sales still outweigh digital editions significantly, but digital sales increased by 750 million dollars in 2020.

Comic Book Market Share Stats

Although there are big names in the comic book sector like Marvel and DC, you find the market split with some smaller niche publishers.

5. Over 90% of all US comic sales belong to Comichron and Diamond Comics.

(Diamond Comics)

Diamond Comics is one of the largest comic distributors in the US. Sales made through them account for 90% of all sales nationwide.

6. Marvel Comics had 31.7% of the market share by year-end, 2021.

(Statista)

Marvel is one of the biggest comic companies. They have long been a leading name in the industry and a top rival of DC. And the success in the cinematic universe has inspired even more growth. By the time 2021 wrapped up, they held 31.7% of all sales.

7. DC Comics had 27.1% of the market share by the end of 2021.

(Statista)

DC and Marvel are constantly battling for the top spot, but both outstrip their smaller competitors by a long way. However, DC rarely beat Marvel in terms of market share. Recent comic book sales stats show that DC comics sales closed the gap during the pandemic, but Marvel still came out on top.

8. Japan has 43% of the global market share.

(Aldusnet)

The comic book business is huge in Japan, and they have 43% of the total global market share, making them the biggest market for comics in the world. Manga industry statistics show that Marvel and DC are less prevalent in Japan, but they still prevail in overall comic book sales.

Comic Book Revenue Stats

The popularity of comic books means that publishers are generating a lot of revenue.

9. The global comic book market is expected to reach $17.52 billion in 2030, up from $7.79 billion in 2022.

(Grand View Research)

The market size will grow at a CAGR of 10.5% from 2022 to 2030. In 2021, the comic book market was worth $7.14 billion.

Comic books were already popular in the past but were not considered a mainstream form of entertainment. However, with the growing popularity of the Marvel and DC film series, comics have found a large new audience, and the industry has grown significantly.

10. Comic book sales reached  $2.08 billion in 2021, up 62.5% from 2021.

(Statista)

Printed comics generated $1.28 billion in revenue in 2020, up from $1.21 billion in 2019. This growth trend expects to continue, although there was some disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

11. The Japanese manga industry is worth 613 billion yen.

(Statista)

Six hundred thirteen billion yen is worth approximately 530 million US dollars.

Comic Book Demographics

Even though comic books are becoming more mainstream and new titles are attracting readers from different social groups, there are some strong trends where comic demographics are concerned.

12. Men purchase 63% of comics and graphic novels.

(ICv2)

Of all the comic book sales statistics on this list, this one is probably the least surprising. Comic books are traditionally seen as a male-dominated industry, and the statistics reflect that. However, you find more and more titles with female characters and writers released, so this demographic is likely to change.

13. 13-29 year olds buy 57% of all comics.

(ICv2)

It also comes as no surprise that with stories aimed at the younger generation, they tend to buy more comics.

14. White customers make 71% of comic book purchases.

(ICv2)

The comic book world is not a particularly inclusive industry, and its customers are primarily from a white background. The remaining purchases are 13% Latino, 14% black, and 5% Asian.

Wrap Up

Comic book sales are strong and continue to grow, despite some disruptions due to COVID-19. The industry is worth billions of dollars, and DC and Marvel comics dominate it. However, Japan has the largest market share, with 43% of the global total. 

These statistics should give you a good indication of the state of the industry and how it will develop.