Contents
- Book illustration publishing statistics: Japan’s picture-book and comic output
- Book illustration publishing statistics: Australian illustration fee benchmarks
- Book illustration publishing statistics: Australian picture-book and cover fees
- Book illustration publishing statistics: UK representation in children’s publishing
- Book illustration publishing statistics: UK main-character representation
- Book illustration publishing statistics: picture-book representation trends
- Sources
Book illustration publishing statistics: Japan’s picture-book and comic output
Japan’s figures here describe the children’s books held in the National Diet Library’s International Library of Children’s Literature (ILCL), classified using the National Diet Library Classification (NDLC). They are collection counts, not a census of every children’s book published in Japan. The category boundaries also matter: the picture-book rows Y17 and Y18 include picture books with general subjects, while picture books on specific subjects may be classified under those subjects.
In the ILCL’s 2024 table, picture books accounted for 31% of the titles listed. The table identifies 2,025 picture-book titles and gives that category a 31% breakdown. Within the picture-book field, the Y18-only translated-title row lists 355 titles. A separate row lists 162 comic-book titles, representing 2% of the collection table’s total. These figures cover distinct rows and should be read according to their listed categories; the translated titles are a subset of the picture-book field, not an additional category to add to the picture-book count.
The earlier table supplies a comparable translated-picture-book count for 2023: 400 titles in the Y18-only translations row. Collection status dates differ across the tables: the 2024 table is marked as of August 1, 2026, while the 2023 value appears in a 2021–2023 table marked as of August 1, 2025. These are the dates of the collection snapshots, not a claim that the books were published in those years’ entirety or that the figures capture every national release. Source: National Diet Library, International Library of Children’s Literature
Book illustration publishing statistics: Australian illustration fee benchmarks
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) publishes recommended fees for A4 commissioned illustration projects. The FY 2026/7 figures below are fee benchmarks, not averages from observed contracts or a record of what every illustrator receives. The ASA says the rates exclude GST. They reflect a 3.3% WPI increase applied in July 2026; the page says the book-illustration rates were reviewed in November 2024, with the next review due in November 2026.
For roughs, the FY 2026/7 recommended rate is A$76 for black-and-white book illustration and A$110 for colour. The listed black-and-white illustration fees rise with the space specified in the rate schedule: A$247 for a quarter page or chapter head, A$391 for a half page, A$523 for a full page and A$661 for a double-page spread. All are ASA recommendations for A4 commissioned projects, excluding GST.
| Australian book-illustration work | ASA recommended FY 2026/7 fee |
|---|---|
| Rough, black and white | A$76 |
| Rough, colour | A$110 |
| Black and white, quarter page or chapter head | A$247 |
| Black and white, half page | A$391 |
| Black and white, full page | A$523 |
| Black and white, double-page spread | A$661 |
The schedule separates roughs from finished illustration and distinguishes black-and-white work from colour work. Its values provide a consistent reference for discussions about a commission’s scope. They do not, by themselves, establish the final negotiated fee, the hours required, or whether other rights and tasks are included. Source: Australian Society of Authors, “Rates of Pay”
Book illustration publishing statistics: Australian picture-book and cover fees
The ASA’s colour illustration schedule gives a FY 2026/7 recommended A$345 for a quarter-page illustration or chapter head, A$547 for a half page, A$778 for a full page and A$1,035 for a double-page spread. The same schedule lists A$1,495 for a cover illustration. These are A4 commissioned-project benchmarks, and the ASA states that rates exclude GST.
| Colour book illustration work | ASA recommended FY 2026/7 fee |
|---|---|
| Quarter page or chapter head | A$345 |
| Half page | A$547 |
| Full page | A$778 |
| Double-page spread | A$1,035 |
| Cover | A$1,495 |
For a full book commission, the ASA recommends A$6,409+ for full illustration of a 32-page picture book. The note says this is based on the standard length of a commercial trade-published picture book. The “+” is part of the listed benchmark and should be retained; the figure is not presented as a universal price for every picture-book project.
The ASA also provides guidance on contract structure. If copyright is assigned to the commissioner in the agreement, it recommends increasing the fee by 20% as compensation for the lack of royalties, renegotiations and additional income. For bundled tasks—such as illustration together with cover or book design and lettering—it recommends that a package rate should not undercut the total of the individual job components by more than 15%. These are professional recommendations, not measured rates paid across the Australian market. Source: Australian Society of Authors, “Rates of Pay”
Book illustration publishing statistics: UK representation in children’s publishing
The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) reviews UK children’s picturebooks, fiction and non-fiction aimed at children aged 3–11 and first published in the UK in the preceding year. Its report titled Reflecting Realities 2024 was published in 2025. In that review, 4,009 eligible titles were identified for consideration, and CLPE reviewed 952 titles for its eighth report. It reported that 952 titles in the 2024 review featured racially minoritised characters, equivalent to 24% of the eligible children’s picturebooks, fiction and non-fiction titles published in 2024.
Those numbers refer to different stages and measures: 4,009 is the eligible output count, 952 is the number reviewed, and the report also gives 952 as the number of titles featuring racially minoritised characters. The 24% is CLPE’s estimate of the share of the eligible title population featuring such characters, based on its review method, which uses textual and illustration signifiers where available.
For comparison, CLPE’s report on titles published in 2023 stated that 999 titles featured racially minoritised characters. That count belongs to the 2023 review, not the 2024 report’s sample. It cannot be read as a share without using the corresponding eligible-title denominator and the report’s stated scope. The two annual counts therefore provide context on the number of qualifying titles, while the 2024 report’s 24% gives a reported share for its eligible output. Sources: CLPE, Reflecting Realities 2024 (published 2025); CLPE, Reflecting Realities 2023 (published 2024)
Book illustration publishing statistics: UK main-character representation
CLPE reports a separate measure for books featuring a main character from a racially minoritised background. In its series, that measure was 1% for UK children’s books published in 2017, 4% in 2018, 5% in 2019, 8% in 2020, 9% in 2021 and 14% in 2022. The 2023 report then records 7% for titles published in 2023. The 2024 report records 24% for titles published in 2024.
| Publication year | Share featuring a racially minoritised main character |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1% |
| 2018 | 4% |
| 2019 | 5% |
| 2020 | 8% |
| 2021 | 9% |
| 2022 | 14% |
| 2023 | 7% |
| 2024 | 24% |
The series shows annual movement rather than a steady increase: the reported share rose through 2022, fell in 2023, and was higher in 2024. Each percentage concerns the main-character measure, not the presence of any racially minoritised character anywhere in a book. The reports’ year labels refer to publication years; Reflecting Realities 2024 was published in 2025. Sources: CLPE, Reflecting Realities 2024 (published 2025); CLPE, Reflecting Realities 2023 (published 2024)
Book illustration publishing statistics: picture-book representation trends
CLPE’s overall character-presence series is distinct from its main-character series. For UK children’s books published in 2017, the reported share featuring racially minoritised characters was 4%; it was 7% in 2018, 10% in 2019, 15% in 2020, 20% in 2021 and 30% in 2022. The 2023 report covers children’s picturebooks, fiction and non-fiction and reports the 2022 value as 30%. The 2024 report gives a 24% share for eligible titles published in 2024.
| Publication year | Share featuring racially minoritised characters |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 4% |
| 2018 | 7% |
| 2019 | 10% |
| 2020 | 15% |
| 2021 | 20% |
| 2022 | 30% |
| 2024 | 24% |
The supplied series includes no 2023 overall-character percentage, so the table does not infer one from the count of 999 titles. The 2024 value is not directly interchangeable with the main-character share: it counts titles featuring characters, while the other series asks whether a main character is from a racially minoritised background. The scope is UK children’s publishing for ages 3–11 and spans picturebooks, fiction and non-fiction, rather than illustration alone. Sources: CLPE, Reflecting Realities 2024 (published 2025); CLPE, Reflecting Realities 2023 (published 2024)