More books are sold on the internet than any other product and the number is increasing, research suggests.
Amazon's UK warehouse just before last year's Christmas rush
Polling company Nielsen Online surveyed 26,312 people in 48 countries. 41% of internet users had bought books online, it said.
This compares with two years ago when 34% of internet users had done so.
The company said much of the increase was in emerging markets, such as South Korea and India, with British consumers in 10th place.
Nielsen says more than eight out of ten internet users purchased something in the last three months. That is a 40% increase on two years ago, to about 875 million shoppers.
GLOBAL BOOK BUYERS
1. South Korea - 58%
2. Germany - 55%
3. Austria - 54%
4. Vietnam - 54%
5. Brazil - 51%
6. Egypt - 49%
7. China - 48%
8. India - 46%
9. Taiwan - 45%
10. UK - 45%
Percentage of internet users buying books online. Source: Nielsen
The largest percentage of people buying books in any country was South Korea at 58%. Nielsen estimated that equated to 18m people.
In the US, 57.5m customers were estimated to have bought books. But that only equated to 38% of internet users.
In the UK it was calculated to be 14.5m people, or 45% of those online.