Books especially those written hundreds of years ago were printed in several editions and translated into several languages. Some were enlarged into definitive editions or received shortened ones. Some were first released as serials before being gathered into more substantial books. Others were bought in quantity and subsequently given out for free.
Millions of books are written every year worldwide, thus there are lots to pick from when you want a new book; nevertheless, it is rare that a book is published that is so generally adored that it becomes a bestseller. Every year there are several bestselling lists as the Waterstones Best Sellers and the Amazon Best Sellers of 2024 that highlight current book sales, but what we wanted to know was what the best-selling books ever were.
List Of Top 10 Best-Selling Books Of All Time
1. The Bible -5 to 7 billion
Words Rated estimates the Bible’s present circulation count to be six billion copies. According to the site, every 10 seconds 6.4 Bibles are sold. A 2021 research by the British and Foreign Bible Society providing a similar statistic is highlighted in the Guinness Book of World Records. It implies that the whole Bible’s printed count is probably between 5 and 7 billion copies.
2. ‘Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung’ – 900 million
According to the BBC, the People’s Liberation Army produced this book in 1946 and has 267 aphorisms taken from Mao Zedong. According to Daniel Leese, a modern Chinese history professor at the University of Freiburg, holding this book “became a way of surviving” for the Chinese when government authorities would test individuals on whether they had the aphorisms memorized. John Welford, editor of “The World’s Great Art,” claimed in a Medium piece around 900 million copies of this book have been sold worldwide. The Chinese Communist Party had hundreds of printing facilities constructed to generate enough books for the populace, the BBC further reported.
3. The Quran -at least 800 million
Since the Quran was written, Words Rated noted, at least 800 million copies of it have been sold all across. The website did add, though, that this figure might reach as high as 3 billion copies.
4. Xinhua Zidian -567 million
Published in 1953, the “Xinhua Zidian” is the most often used Chinese dictionary. According to Purple Culture Net, “native Chinese speakers and non-native speakers who have learnt Chinese should definitely have this popular tiny Chinese dictionary. Learning new words, definitions, and combinations of fresh terms from the dictionary helps one to increase linguistic ability. The Commercial Press stated 567 million copies of “Xinhua Zidian” had been sold globally at that point, citing the Guinness Book of World Records, although the number of copies of the book has increased since 2015 when it was last reported.
5. Don Quixote -500 million
Published by Miguel de Cervantes in 1605, “Don Quixote” is “the first modern novel,” claims History.com. It centers on an elderly Spanish man who goes crazy reading so many love stories. Starting his own search, he targets windmills and drives flocks of sheep. According to Victoria News 2019 Don Quixote is the most sold book of all time having sold over 500 million copies.
6. A Tale of Two Cities -200 million
1859 saw Charles Dickens publish “A Tale of Two Cities.” Living in England during the French Revolution, French aristocrat Charles Darnay develops feelings for Lucie Manette, the daughter of a shoemaker who is incarcerated. Manette is loved by English lawyer Sydney Carton as well, and the narrative centers on the concepts of atonement and sacrifice. The Daily Telegraph said in 2010 that over 200 million book copies had been sold.
7. The Book of Mormon – 192 million
“192 million copies of all or part of the Book of Mormon have been published in 112 languages,” revealed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the October 2020 General Conference.
8. The Little Prince – 145 million
This French book is called a “honest and beautiful story about loneliness, friendship, sadness, and love” according to the Children’s Book Review. “The prince is a small boy from a tiny planet (an asteroid to be precise), who travels the universe, planet-to- planet, seeking wisdom,” the essay states. Traveling, he learns the erratic nature of adults.Once youngsters, all grown-ups were also only a small number of them, though, recall. This novella “has sold more than 145 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 253 languages,” Lerner Books noted.
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone -120 million
Harry Potter finds he is part of a magical world of witches and wizards in J.K. Rowling’s first book in her seven-volume “Harry Potter” series. After leaving his nasty relatives, the Dursleys, he visits Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and runs upon Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Confronted with Voldemort, Harry discovers his past. Words Ranked estimates that 120 million copies of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” have sold worldwide.
10. The Hobbit -100 million
The main character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s book “The Hobbit,” Bilbo Baggins is Living in a realm among elves, goblins, and trolls, he is part of a mythical race leading a calm life. Bilbo grudgingly sets on the journey to recover the dwarves’ homeland from a dragon when Gandalf the wizard shows up in the Shire. Words Ranked claims that J.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” had sold 100 million copies as of 2021.