- As of 2023, the best-selling book series of all time is Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, with 600 million copies sold since 1997.
- On average this amounts to 23.08 million copies of the Harry Potter series sold per year since its initial publication.
- Over the course of the 7 book series, 85.71 million copies of each book were sold on average.
- The second best-selling book series of all time is Chicken Soup for the Soul, originally by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, with 500 million copies sold.
- On average this amounts to 16.67 million copies of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series sold per year since its initial publication.
- The third best-selling book selling book series is Goosebumps by R. L. Stine, with 400 million copies sold since 1992.
- On average this amounts to 12.90 million copies of the Goosebumps series sold per year since its initial publication.
- Children’s books have the highest representation (9 titles) amongst the top 20 best-selling book series.
- This is followed by Young Adult (5 titles) and Mystery/Thriller (4 titles).
- The top 20 best-selling book series have initial publication years that range from 1930 to 2011.
- However, 45% of the titles in the list were first published from 1990 onwards.
Best-selling book series by number of copies sold
- The top 20 best-selling book series titles by total copies sold include the following genres:
- Children’s (9 titles)
- Young Adult (5 titles)
- Mystery/Thriller (4 titles)
- Self-Help (1 title)
- Erotic (1 title)
- Children’s book series dominate the best-selling book series list, making up 45% of the top 20 titles.
- Young Adult titles make up 25% of the top 20 titles.
- Mystery/Thriller titles make up 20% of the top 20 titles.
- The oldest title in the list is Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene (a collective pseudonym), which was first published in 1930.
- The newest title in the list is Fifty Shades by E. L. James, which was first published in 2011.
- By decade, the 90’s (4 titles) and the 00’s (4 titles) had the greatest representation in the list.
# | Initial year published | Series title | Original author(s) | Genre | Copies sold |
1 | 1997 | Harry Potter | J. K. Rowling | Young Adult | 600 million |
2 | 1993 | Chicken Soup for the Soul | Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen | Self-Help | 500 million |
3 | 1992 | Goosebumps | R. L. Stine | Young Adult | 400 million |
4 | 1933 | Perry Mason | Erle Stanley Gardner | Mystery/Thriller | 300 million |
– | 1962 | Berenstain Bears | Stan and Jan Berenstain | Children’s | 300 million |
6 | 2007 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Jeff Kinney | Children’s | 275 million |
7 | 1979 | Choose Your Own Adventure | Various authors | Children’s | 270 million |
8 | 1983 | Sweet Valley High | Francine Pascal and ghostwriters | Young Adult | 250 million |
– | 1971 | Mr. Men | Roger Hargreaves | Children’s | 250 million |
10 | 2000 | Robert Langdon | Dan Brown | Mystery/Thriller | 200 million |
– | 1949 | Noddy | Enid Blyton | Children’s | 200 million |
– | 1945 | The Railway Series | Rev. W. Awdry, Christopher Awdry | Children’s | 200 million |
– | 1930 | Nancy Drew | Carolyn Keene (collective pseudonym) | Mystery/Thriller | 200 million |
– | 1975 | Little Critter | Mercer Mayer | Children’s | 200 million |
– | 1949 | San-Antonio | Frédéric Dard | Mystery/Thriller | 200 million |
16 | 1997 | Geronimo Stilton | Elisabetta Dami | Children’s | 180 million |
– | 2005 | Percy Jackson & The Olympians | Rick Riordan | Young Adult | 180 million |
18 | 1986 | The Baby-Sitters Club | Ann Martin | Children’s | 176 million |
19 | 2011 | Fifty Shades | E. L. James | Erotic | 165 million |
20 | 2005 | Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | Young Adult | 160 million |
Best-selling book series of all time FAQ
What is a book series?
- A book series is a collection of books that can be grouped together based on certain characteristics, for example, a storyline that spans multiple books.
- Each book series can be organized/ordered in different ways based on the desires of an author or publisher.
What is the most popular book series?
- According to the list of best-selling book series of all time, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is the most popular book series.
- As of 2023, the series has sold over 600 million copies.
What is the best mystery book series?
- According to the list of best-selling book series of all time, Perry Mason by Erle Stanley Gardner is the most popular mystery book series.
- As of 2023, the series has sold over 300 million copies.