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According to a new survey* by Celsys, developer and distributor of the illustration, manga, Webtoon, and animation app "Clip Studio Paint," 41.9% of European creators read webtoons, a vertical comics typically read on smartphones. This was an increase from 2021, particularly in France, up 23.1 points. Webtoons were most popular among men in their 30s, indicating that the key to the growth of the market may lie in promoting demand for webtoons among young women. The survey also revealed a correlation with people who read webtoons and people who enjoy drawing comics.
・More than half (51.5%) of French creators surveyed read webtoons, up 23.1 points from the previous survey in 2021
・Webtoons are read most by men in their 30s and women in their teens and 20s.
・Countries with a higher webtoon readership rate also have more creators who draw comics
* Survey of 6,000 creators from the UK, France, Germany, and Spain
Other result from this survey can be found here:
40% of digital creators start digital art at the age of 15 or younger Survey of 6,000 European creators
https://www.celsys.com/en/topic/20230120
Overall, 41.9% of European creators indicated that they read webtoons frequently or occasionally, an increase of 7 points from the previous survey, indicating that the webtoon market is steadily expanding. By country, Germany, which had the highest webtoon readership in the previous survey, maintained a high readership of 39.1%. Meanwhile, readership grew in the U.K. and France, with the latter in particular showing a significant increase of 23.1 points. France had the highest readership of webtoons among the four countries, at 51.5% of respondents. In Spain, 35.7% of respondents had never heard of webtoons, a slight decrease from the previous survey, but still suggesting that webtoons are not yet widely recognized.
Figure 1
Webtoon readership is higher among male respondents and increases with each age bracket, with those in their 30s reading webtoons the most. Meanwhile, the opposite is true for female readers, with women in their teens and 20s the most likely to read webtoons, and the readership decreasing with each age bracket. There is little difference in readership among male and female teenagers. Considering this, one key to further webtoon growth in the European market in the future may be maintaining the readership of young women to continue reading Webtoon into their thirties and beyond.
Figure 2
A look at the art genres of hobbyist creators revealed that most of them create character illustrations and designs, followed by illustration and graphic design. Of those who indicated that they create comics, 19.4% create Japanese-style manga and 8.4% create webtoons. In France, with a high webtoon readership, the results show relatively more respondents producing not only webtoons but all types of comics including Japanese-style manga, American comics and bandes dessinées, indicating a high affinity for comics on both the creation and consumption fronts. This suggests that countries having a strong comic readership links to more people with an interest in creating comics.
Figure 3
Figure 4
About this survey
This survey was conducted online by Schlesinger (USA, https://www.schlesingergroup.com/) between August 3–October 7, 2022, with a total of 6,385 respondents in four countries: the UK, France, Germany, and Spain.
The 2021 survey was conducted online by MADE IN SURVEYS (France, https://en.misgroup.io/) with a total of 8,353 respondents in four countries: the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. For comparison with the 2022 survey results, the results from the 40–49 age bracket were excluded from tabulation.
Percentage responses are rounded off to one decimal place in the calculations.
About CELSYS, Inc.
Celsys, with a mission of “Creating a more passionate world,” provides solutions for creative activities through online Clip Studio services and Clip Studio Paint drawing app for illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation production. Celsys supports people all over the world to enjoy creating more and all the experiences that come with it.
For media inquiries
Celsys Media Relations press@celsys.com
