What Books Did Romanians Prefer in 2024? A Visual Data Analysis
Based on Libris.ro sales data
One of Romania’s largest online book retailers, Libris.ro, has published its much-anticipated analysis of book sales for 2024, continuing a tradition established in previous years.
The nationwide analysis of book sales on Libris.ro is intriguing and can be viewed on the dedicated page "Harta României în cărți citite 2024" (The Map of Romania in Read Books 2024). However, the title feels slightly misleading since purchasing a book doesn’t necessarily mean reading it. I was particularly interested in the data breakdown by county, and I was both surprised and regretful—not having access to previous years’ data for comparison.
Taking inspiration from a challenge posted on LinkedIn by RomanianDATA Tribe, I analyzed the following data:
The top 3 best-selling titles1 in each county
The top 3 product categories sold in each county
The average order value per county
Whether part of school reading lists or not, I was pleased to see the classics of children's literature and beyond. Perhaps my greatest surprise and personal joy was discovering "Din lumea celor care nu cuvântă" (From the World of the Speechless) by Emil Gârleanu among the top 3 bestsellers in Dolj and Hunedoara, or "O vară cu Isidor" (A Summer with Isidor) by Veronica D. Niculescu ranking in the top 3 in Olt. The first has been heavily debated in recent years for allegedly being too sad and sensitive for children. However, I consider "Din lumea celor care nu cuvântă" an essential childhood read for precisely the same reasons.
Additionally, there seems to be interest in the Holocaust, as evidenced by the popularity of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne and "Man’s Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl, which made the top lists in several counties—a reassuring trend. Surprisingly, however, a significant number of religious-themed books also appear in many counties. This may suggest a shift in societal perspectives.
If the first two best-selling categories are the same across all counties—children’s books and fiction, a surprise appears in third place. I might be wrong, but I believe this is the first time in recent years that self-development and motivational books are entirely absent from the top 3 in every county. Instead, the third spot is occupied by humanities, followed by religious books and spirituality & esotericism in two counties at opposite ends of the country.
Regarding the average order value per county, the lowest, 114 RON (~€22.8), was recorded in Teleorman, which is not surprising given its economic situation and income levels. Meanwhile, the highest (160 RON / ~€32) was recorded in Brașov and Mehedinți. Overall, however, I don’t believe the appetite for books and reading is strictly tied to income levels, which vary significantly across counties according to the latest data in Ziarul Financiar. Unfortunately, this remains more of a cultural and educational issue regarding reading habits rather than one of financial means.
Click on the image to enlarge!
*Titles were taken as they appear for each county on the Libris.ro interactive map. I only added diacritics and, in one or two cases, omitted subtitles. For this reason, for example, "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry appears in two forms: "Micul prinț - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry" and "Micul Prinț - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry", likely due to different editions.
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