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Interesting books statistic: USA vs UK?
I heard an interesting thing on the radio last night:
apparently at any one time, the UK has about 800,000 books in print and in circulation. This is 4 times the number the USA has in circulation.
Given the relative populations of the UK and the USA, this means that, per head of population, the UK has about 75 times the number of books in print that the USA does.
What, if anything, does this mean? Especially given that the Literacy rates of the two countries are roughly comparable (both 99%, or ranking 18th).
> "it means your to poor in the uk to buy computers"
Computer ownership levels in the UK are 65%, according to the government.
In the USA it is 72.5%.
Not a hugely significant difference...
PS - it's "you're", not "your".
What does *that* say about literacy?
> "in 2005 the United Kingdom had 206,000 and the United States had 172,000. Unless the UK only printed 4 copies per book (and the US even fewer), your statistic is way off."
The statistic I heard was for *this* year, so things may have changed. It was provided by the guy who founded the book-store Waterstones.
But you are right about the numbers not exactly matching-up.
> "how many titles are published does not directly indicate how many of those titles are accessible to the average person, much less how many are being read"
Good point.
7 Answers
- Dina FeliceLv 61 decade agoFavourite answer
According to wikipedia, the number of new titles published per country per year, in 2005 the United Kingdom had 206,000 and the United States had 172,000. Unless the UK only printed 4 copies per book (and the US even fewer), your statistic is way off.
I suspect that both countries have many more books in circulation than there are people. And besides, how many titles are published does not directly indicate how many of those titles are accessible to the average person, much less how many are being read (although, somehow, I suspect that in the UK people do read more than in the US).
- QueriousLv 41 decade ago
As for the question itself, it makes me wonder what there might be about the publishing industry that might favor publishers that are long established. And it makes me wonder how many books are published in England vs France or probably better yet, Spain.
Does the UK print smaller runs of many different books and the US prints larger runs of fewer books?
In terms of literacy though, I'd look to the number of authors per capita, and to new media, like blogs.
- 1 decade ago
That English companies sell to an international market wheras american companies sell to only their domestic market ??
There are more English speaking countries than just USA and UK.
What country has the most English speakers ? I heard India - but I could be wrong.
ps Obviously has an effect on Americans ability to spell (see above) LOL
- L.E.Lv 61 decade ago
I think this means that people in the UK are RICH!
-They have money to obtain books enough for a personal library
-They have the space in their house to keep these books
-They have more retired people who have nothing to do but write LOL!
-They have enough money to print the books
- Anonymous1 decade ago
UK, is like England or something right? because its united kingdom, but what i really think the second i first read this is that * same thing as food pic of that american girl and European girl difference in how hot they are* were to lazy to go to a library or get out of the comfort zone to go to a library, take out books, were to lazy to read, were rather do other things then sit down or just spend time reading books, i admit it i am not interested in reading that much and i would spend my time is doing research on biology, going to the gym, or hanging out with friends, but really MOST* not saying every* Americans are lazy in any way possible
Source(s): what i see every time i go out to the gym, library, and the mall - 5 years ago
i do no longer even think of this question is relevent .... and not often clever! that's undesirable adequate retaining all and sundry on our area precise now and you're dreaming approximately conflict between 2 presently solid allies. Britain is an extremely small u . s . in actual words and we ought to so actual be over-run ... we could keeps the US on our area for goodness sake ...
- Anonymous1 decade ago
it means your to poor in the uk to buy computers.