With book prices continuing to be a major top-of-industry conversation, the U.S. Department of Labor has released statistics that show book prices have risen slowly since 2000, and much slower than the overall Consumer Price Index. Between 2000 and 2008, book price rose 5.15%, according to the Labor Department, compared to an increase of 25.03% for the overall CPI. Al Greco of the Institute for Publishing Research said the modest increase shows that the industry “has been price sensitive for nearly the entire decade.” In examining more recent price increases, the Labor Department shows that between October 2008 and September 2009—with the country in a deep recession—book prices rose only 0.27%.

PW-IPR Annual Trade Book CPI Data

2000—2008 CPI Index % Change
Source: U.S. Department of labor. Revised October 16, 2009.
2000 100.700 0.70%
2001 101.900 1.19
2002 105.000 3.04
2003 104.100 -0.86
2004 104.300 0.19
2005 103.900 -0.38
2006 103.300 -0.58
2007 104.120 -0.79
2008 105.886 1.70

PW-IPR Monthly Book CPI Data

CPI Index October 2008—September 2009 % Change
Source: U.S. Department of labor. Revised October 16, 2009.
October 2008 107.102 —
November 2008 107.048 -0.05%
December 2008 106.082 -0.90
January 2009 106.415 0.31
February 2009 107.962 1.45
March 2009 107.145 -0.76
April 2009 106.657 -0.46
May 2009 106.153 0.47
June 2009 106.010 -0.13
July 2009 106.707 0.66
August 2009 107.299 0.55
September 2009 107.393 0.09