Bowker is the world's leading provider of bibliographic information and management solutions designed to help publishers, booksellers and libraries better serve their customers. On March 27, 2012, the company released the findings of its global ebook research. The Bowker Market Research's Global eBook Monitor tracks consumer attitudes to and purchasing of ebooks in 10 countries.

These 10 countries are Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Results show that in early 2012, more than 20 percent of those surveyed in India, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States had purchased ebooks in the six months prior to the survey. In comparison, only five percent of respondents in France and 8 percent in Japan had done in that period of time.

Meanwhile, more than 50 percent of those surveyed in Brazil and India said they would buy an ebook in the next six months. While one-third of the respondents in the United Kingdom and the United States said they would do so in that period of time, only one in five in France and one in seven in Japan expressed similar interest.

Age and gender are also important factors. In most countries surveyed, men are more likely than women to buy an ebook. Also in most countries, the older the respondents are, the less likely they are to have recently purchased an ebook. While purchase rates in India, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States and France are highest in the 25-34 age group, those in Australia, Spain, Germany, South Korea and Japan are highest in the 18-24 year olds.

Finally, in the United Kingdom and Australia, the concentration of ebooks downloaded is on adult fiction. In India and South Korea, however, such concentration is on both professional/business and academic/textbooks.

For a detailed report on the research, please click here.