U.S. manga sales more than doubled (in units) in retailers tracked by NPD BookScan in 2021, according to initial topline info from the company.  Unit sales of manga in NPD-tracked accounts were 24.4 million units in 2021, up 15 million units from 2020, a growth rate of around 160%.  Due to a classification issue involving some titles of My Hero Academia, the actual number of manga units sold was likely larger for both years, which might have affected the growth rate somewhat.

Manga’s great year in 2021 is not a surprise; we’ve been seeing the category dominate in our monthly Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels charts, often accounting for most or all of the Top 20 (see, for example, December at "December 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels").

We’ve also been seeing manga appear among the top sellers in comic stores, a rare appearance over the past decade (see, for example, "Top 20 Graphic Novels – December 2021").

Watch ICv2 for more info on the 2021 full-year sales in the coming weeks and months.

NPD BookScan collects weekly point-of-sale data on print books from over 16,000 locations including e-tailers, chains, mass merchandisers, independent bookstores, and more.  NPD BookScan covers approximately 85% of the U.S. trade print book market.