The latest NielsenIQ BookData Books & Consumers ANZ report reveals some intriguing trends among younger Australian book buyers. The 18–24s (encompassing Gen Z) may be the smallest group in the market, accounting for just 10% of purchases, but their habits are worth watching. They’re the least likely age range to buy audiobooks or to be heavy book buyers, but they are digital natives — a key audience for publishers looking to innovate in format and discovery.
🏬 In-store book buying is alive and well — especially among younger Australians. Self-reported purchases among the 18–24 age group shows a strong preference for buying their print books in physical stores, with Big W and Dymocks ranking as their top retailers. Kmart also ranks highly, suggesting that affordability and convenience are key drivers for this group. The 25–34s (Elder Gen Z and younger Millennials) are mixing it up, with Amazon companies grabbing a bigger slice of their print book purchases compared to the younger crowd. The 25-34s are clearly blending convenience with discovery, showing that online and offline can happily coexist on their bookshelves.
📖 Millennials are making their presence felt. The 25–34s now account for 21% of all book purchases and are active across formats, leaning slightly toward e-books. They’re big fans of Adult Fiction (second only to the 65–84s) and are more likely than most to be medium or heavy buyers, regularly picking up multiple new titles every few months. Their broad tastes and consistent engagement make them a valuable segment for shaping future publishing strategies. Close behind are the 35–44s — a group that bridges older Millennials and younger Gen X — and they’re the biggest book-buying segment overall, responsible for a quarter of all purchases. Their preferences lean strongly toward print and audio formats, and their buying spans a wide range of genres. Notably, they account for over a third of Children’s book sales. With the highest proportion of heavy buyers among all age groups, they’re a powerhouse audience for driving both volume and long-term loyalty.
📊 These are just a few highlights from the full report, which dives deeper into buying behaviours, format preferences, and genre trends across Australia, with self-reported purchases tracked as granularly as title-level. Want to explore more? Contact us to purchase the full NielsenIQ BookData Books & Consumers ANZ 2024 report, or the upcoming Q1 2025 report (the first to feature comparisons to 2024).
👉 Reach out to us at infobookdataaus@nielseniq.com or contact your BookScan Account Manager for more information.
Generational Definitions: Gen Z vs Millennials
Pew Research Center
Millennials: Born 1981–1996 → Currently ages 29–44
Gen Z: Born 1997–2012 → Currently ages 13–28
Pew uses fixed birth years based on shared cultural experiences like 9/11, the rise of smartphones, and the Great Recession.
McKinsey & Company
Millennials: Roughly born 1980–1995/96 → Currently ages 29–45
Gen Z: Born 1996–2010 → Currently ages 15–29
McKinsey focuses on behavioral traits and life stages, describing Gen Z as digital natives shaped by climate anxiety, economic uncertainty, and the pandemic.
NielsenIQ (NIQ)
Millennials: Often defined as ages 25–40 → Born approximately 1984–1999
Gen Z: Typically defined as ages 18–24 → Born approximately 2000–2006
NIQ uses flexible age brackets based on consumer behavior and purchasing habits, rather than fixed birth years.
Sources:
1. Dimock, M. (2019, January 17). Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
2. McKinsey & Company. (2024, August 28). What is Gen Z? McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-gen-z
3. NIQ. (2023, August 31). Gen Z & Millennial consumers: What defines & divides them. NielsenIQ. https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/commentary/2023/gen-z-and-millennial-consumers-what-defines-them-and-what-divides-them/