In 2025, 4,542 distinct commercial comics were distributed in Spain, according to the Informe Tebeosfera 2025. Un mercado asimétrico. They amounted to 880,299 printed pages. Of that total, 711 titles were national editions, and 472 of them were first editions: roughly 10%. The report maintains that 85% of what is consumed is imported material.
These figures address a question posed by anyone who aspires to draw and publish: how much space is available. They provide less clarity than might appear, and must be interpreted with caution.
Scope and limitations of the count
The report is prepared by the Asociación Cultural Tebeosfera based on its Great Catalogue. The data extraction concluded on 10 March 2026. It counts printed releases distributed in Spain between 1 January and 31 December 2025: commercial comic books with an ISBN or bookstore distribution.
Webtoons and electronic books are excluded. Consequently, all reading that occurs on mobile devices remains outside the scope of the count. For those who read primarily on screen, the report measures the paper market, not its entirety.
Key figures
| Data point | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Distinct commercial comic books published in 2025 | 4.542 | Table 1 of the report |
| Printed pages | 880.299 | Table 2 |
| Pages per copy | 194 | Table 2 |
| Average price | 16,49 € | Table 2 |
The figures are internally consistent: 880,299 pages across 4,542 titles yield 194 pages per title.
The proportion of Spanish works depends on the methodology
The report provides various figures depending on the criteria applied:
- Spanish origin. The table of origins records 711 national edition releases, 15.65% of the 4,542 total.
- First editions. Of the 711 titles classified as national editions, 472 were first editions. The report divides the remainder between reissues and other editorial formats, but those categories should not be reconstructed by simple subtraction. The 472 first editions amount to roughly 10% of the total and are the figure that best answers how much new comic work made in Spain was published.
- Translations. The report states that 85% of what is consumed is imported material and reiterates that 85% of new releases are translations.
I do not subtract one figure from another. The 85% and 15.65% represent related magnitudes—imported material and country of origin—but they are not identical. Furthermore, the report also classifies by editorial nature: first editions, new editions, reissues, and compilations. New editions primarily encompass translations, while reissues and compilations consist of recycled material; compilations account for 5.4%. The complete table containing all percentages was not legible in the extract I was able to consult.
Manga: a category and a country
A caveat: 'manga' is a publishing category and 'Japan' is a country of origin. The two bases are close but not interchangeable.
The report presents manga as the primary driver of the market and refers to its 'hegemony' based on the relationship between quantity and price.
Revenue generated
The Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain published Domestic Book Trade in Spain 2024. It covers private member publishing companies, and the data correspond to 2024, not 2025.
- Comic revenue across all formats: 70.21 million euros (Table 56, page 114). In paper format, 68.91 million.
- Copies sold: 8,582,000.
- Average price: 8.03 euros.
- Share of total revenue: 2.3% (Table 57, page 115).
The report includes manga, comics and graphic novels under the subject 'Comics', and does not publish a separate share for manga. The average price of 8.03 euros and Tebeosfera's 16.49 euros are not comparable: one reflects 2024 sales by member companies, the other 2025 releases.
Missing data
- Manga sales share. This does not exist as an independent data point in the federation's report.
- An official comic book category. The Ministry of Culture publishes ISBN statistics, with 89,347 books registered in 2024, yet I have not located a specific comic book category within their tables.
- Industry perspectives. The report states that publishers appear to be adjusting their supply due to saturation at points of sale. This is an analysis provided by the report itself. I have not located literal statements from bookseller or publisher associations regarding saturation and turnover.
- The average price according to Tebeosfera. Table 2 indicates €16.49, while a paragraph within the same report states €16.37. This is an internal contradiction. I have utilised the tabulated figure.
Interpretations for those intending to publish
In my view, the data permit three interpretations. None constitute a prediction.
- There is a high volume of supply and limited visibility per title. The report itself refers to the saturation of points of sale.
- 472 national first editions in a single year is not a negligible figure. It indicates the size of the local supply, not how much it sells or how much its authors earn. Neither report contains that figure.
- The medium alters the storefront. The Tebeosfera report does not account for webtoons or electronic books: those publishing on screen compete in a storefront that this figure does not measure.
To submit a print project to a publisher, Presenting a comic project to a publisher explains the standard requirements. To publish digitally while retaining control of the work, consult How to publish a webcomic without relying on a platform. If you are beginning and the terminology is confusing, Manga, manhwa, webtoon and comic: what each word signifies clarifies the terms. Regarding readership, How many young people read comics and manga gathers the available data. Furthermore, author remuneration depends primarily upon the contract: Royal Decree 607/2026 and comics explains why the new labour regulation does not extend to those who publish via a publishing contract.
An open conversation
This text distinguishes between verified figures, inconsistent figures, and interpretation. If you work in publishing, bookselling, libraries, or reading research and can clarify any data, you may write to me.
The author's relationship to the cases
There is no financial, professional, or collection-based relationship with Tebeosfera, the Federation of Publishers' Guilds, or the Ministry of Culture.