China’s Online Literature Accelerates Industrial Upgrade and Goes Global

A set of striking data from the "2025 China Online Literature Development Research Report", released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing on April 13, has drawn wide attention: the market scale of IP adaptation of China’s online literature reached 367.61 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23.13%. According to People’s Daily Online, this remarkable growth not only marks a sharp rise in figures, but also signifies that online literature is accelerating its shift from the "reading track" to the "industrial fast lane", becoming an indispensable force in the cultural industry.

Looking back at 2025, China’s online literature delivered an impressive performance. According to the report, the reading market scale reached 50.21 billion yuan, up 16.6% year-on-year; the number of writers hit 32.694 million, an increase of 1.496 million from 2024; and the number of works reached 45.837 million, with 4.186 million new works added compared with the previous year.

As one of the most active positions for "new popular literature and art", online literature has attracted writers from all walks of life. On Yuewen Group’s platforms alone, there are over 470 scientific researchers, more than 3,100 university teachers, 6,100 food delivery riders and 4,000 ride-hailing drivers, who pour the warmth of daily life and imagination into their works through keyboards, according to People’s Daily.

Notably, post-95s and post-00s are stirring up a "youth storm" in both reading and writing. In 2025, post-95s accounted for 70% of newly signed writers on Yuewen, while post-00s made up 38% of new users, becoming the largest group of readers. They not only follow updates, but also participate in co-creation through bullet comments, character dubbing and IP secondary creation, with 77 million user comments, over 180,000 work dubbings and online interactions covering users from 34 countries.

Two online literature works, "Riverside Police Story" and "When Will We Hold the Long Tassel", won the "Online Publication Award" in the 6th China Publishing Government Award, which fully confirms the achievements of online literature in high-quality development and its rising literary value and social recognition, as noted in the report.

With the maturing IP adaptation chain, blockbuster works have released a "multiplier effect". The hit TV series adapted from online literature, "The Great Feng Night Watchman", drove a 9-fold month-on-month increase in the reading volume of the original work, with its comic adaptation gaining nearly 2 billion popularity and its audio drama exceeding 10.6 billion views. Short dramas and comic dramas have become the "dual engines" of IP transformation, with the short drama market reaching 108 billion yuan in 2025.

China’s online literature is also contributing to global cultural exchange. According to China Daily, it had nearly 200 million active overseas users in 2025, covering more than 200 countries and regions. AI translation has promoted a "translation revolution": by the end of 2025, WebNovel alone had AI-translated over 17,000 works, with its revenue increasing by 39% year-on-year. Together with online dramas and games, it forms the "new three treasures" of Chinese cultural export, driving Chinese narratives to the world.