Last Updated on September 23, 2021 by BookScouter

We’ve talked about how many new books are published by certain countries every year, but how many novels are actually bought? Take a look at the list of “best-sellers” in all languages updated as of 2015. “Best-selling” estimates the number of each book sold.

Many books considered “best-sellers,” such as Pride and Prejudice, Don Quixote, and the Odyssey, are not included because they do not have reliable sales figures. Books of a religious, ideological, philosophical, or political nature are not included because most have been published for centuries with no way to track their sales. How many of these best-selling novels have you read?

Best Selling Single-Volume Books

1.     The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien ——— 150 million

2.     The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien ——— 142 million

3.     Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ——— 140 million

4.     Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling ——— 107 million

5.     And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie ——— 100 million

6.     Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin ——— 100 million

7.     She: A History of Adventure by H. Rider. Haggard ——— 100 million

Best-Selling Book Series

1.     Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling ——— 450 million

2.     Goosebumps by R.L. Stin ——— 350 million

3.     Perry Mason by Erle Stanley Gardner ——— 300 million

4.     Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain ——— 260 million

5.     Choose Your Own Adventure by various authors ——— 250 million

6.     Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal and ghostwriters ——— 250 million

7.     Noddy by Enid Blyton ——— 200 million

8.     Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keen and various authors ——— 200 million

9.     The Railway Series by Rev. W. Awdry and Christopher Awdry ——— 200 million

10.   San Antonio by Frédéric Dard ——— 200 million