Argentine bookshops declare ‘bookselling emergency’
The country’s bookshops federation and the Buenos Aires book fair organizers warned that a sharp drop in book sales and rising costs are threatening independent stores La entrada Argentine bookshops declare ‘bookselling emergency’ se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald .
The Argentine Federation of Bookstores, Stationeries, and Related Businesses (FALPA) has declared a "bookselling emergency" following a national survey that revealed a sharp decline in book sales and revenue over the past few years. Between 2023 and 2026, book sales fell by about 25%, while bookshops' revenue shrank by 41.5%. On the other hand, essential costs to run a bookstore, such as utilities, communications, and transport/logistics, have increased by 31.1%.
Many independent bookstores are struggling to stay afloat by reducing owners' pay, using savings, or accumulating debt. The Federation also linked this bookselling emergency to concerns about Argentina's 2025 PISA test scores, which showed a decline in students' reading comprehension compared to the last test in 2022 and was below the OECD average.
FALPA stressed that strengthening reading habits and preserving the network of bookstores that connect communities with books should be a priority cultural and educational policy. The Federation urged national, provincial, and municipal governments to take urgent measures to preserve the independent bookstore network, stating that individual efforts by booksellers are no longer sufficient.
The El Libro Foundation, which organizes the Buenos Aires International Book Fair, agreed with FALPA's emergency declaration and expressed deep concern over the "worrying diagnosis."
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Herald's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
