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Manga sales in North America have fallen by 14% in 2023, according to data shared during the ICv2 white paper presentation at New York Comic Con (NYCC).
However, despite the decline, manga continues to be the most popular segment in the comics market, surpassing traditional superhero comics.
According to the latest statistics, manga holds a 43% share of the graphic novel and comics content category in 2023, compared to 45% in 2022.
The closest competitor, superhero comics, holds a 15% share, while kids’ comics take the largest slice at 29%. In comparison, author-based graphic novels make up 13% of the market share.
This breakdown aligns with an analysis by ComicsBeat based on BookScan’s sales charts for 2023.
Of the 44.7 million graphic novels sold through BookScan, it was found that nearly 21.8 million copies (49%) were manga, while kids’ comics accounted for approximately 17 million copies (38%).
Of the remaining 5.9 million units, about 13%, consisted primarily of adult-targeted graphic novels. The total calculated retail value of these sales saw a decline of over 13% compared to the previous year.
Even with the downturn, ICv2’s white paper noted that manga remains dominant in terms of consumer interest. Unlike superhero content, which is often distributed in single-issue formats, manga’s graphic novel format ensures it holds a significant lead in overall popularity when all formats are compared.
Manga titles also continued to perform strongly at comic book retailers, according to ICv2 data for Summer 2024. The top five best-selling manga titles are:
- Chainsaw Man Vol. 15 – VIZ Media
- Berserk Deluxe Edition Vol. 1 – Dark Horse Comics
- Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 1 – VIZ Media
- Junji Ito Story Collection HC Vol. 13 Alley – VIZ Media
- Chainsaw Man Vol. 1 – VIZ Media
Notably, 78% of the total comic sales in North America in 2023 came from graphic novels, including manga and webtoons in print, while periodical single-issue comics accounted for 22%.
Another detail that came to light from the white paper was that while webtoons are popular in bookstores, they haven’t achieved the same level of success in comic shops.
ICv2’s report highlights how webtoons are categorized as “author graphic novels”, which might explain their absence from manga charts.
This divergence between consumer behavior at bookstores and comic shops was evident, with titles like Solo Leveling performing better in mainstream retail outlets than in specialty comic stores.
This decline follows a broader trend, with the overall market shrinking by approximately 7% across the U.S. and Canada. However, sales remain 67% higher than pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019.
One critical change in ICv2’s 2023 methodology is the exclusion of download-to-own digital comic sales from the report. ICv2 explained that subscriptions now form a growing part of the digital comic space, and the shift in methodology reflects the challenge of tracking subscription sales accurately.
Source: NYCC via Deb Aoki’s X account
