Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey are the five major markets for Iranian books.
According to a report by Persian economic daily Donya-e-Eqtesad, 100 billion rials ($886,524) worth of books have been exported on average from Iran per year since the fiscal 2011-12.
However, exports have been on a downtrend in recent years due to smuggling, rise in paper prices and a general disinterest in reading, Financial Tribune reported.
Afghanistan is Iran’s biggest markets for Farsi books among the neighbors. Common cultural and language characteristics have increased cultural exchanges between the two countries.
Smuggling books into Afghanistan has been on the rise in recent years.
Book smugglers in Qom, Isfahan and Tehran’s Enqelab Square (a major hub for books and cultural products) have expanded their business to neighboring states, especially Afghanistan.
Most of the books smuggled are related to literature and textbooks. Offset book printing is abundant in Tehran and books are sold at half the price in Kabul. High discounts and publication of illegal editions in high volumes have resulted in low prices for customers. Therefore, many Afghans have become customers of Iranian books.
Books on humanity are most popular in Afghanistan.
Iraq, especially its Kurdistan Region, is also a major market for books published in Iran. Poetry and fiction are popular in the Iraqi market.