The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) has released its annual Diversity Statistics, including data on the 3,619 books for children and teens received by the CCBC that were published in 2024.*
Since 1994, the CCBC has been tracking books by and about Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Between 1985 and 1993, the CCBC documented books by and about Black people only. In 2018, the CCBC expanded its analysis to include additional aspects of identity such as disability, LGBTQ+, and religion.
In 2024, for the first time, over half (51%) of the titles the CCBC received had significant BIPOC content — meaning they have a primary or significant secondary character or human subject who is BIPOC, or the setting or topic of the book relates to BIPOC people, history, or culture. This marks an increase from 49% in 2023. Among the 2024 books the CCBC received, the representation of Black (16%), Asian (13%), and Indigenous (3%) people saw growth compared to the previous year.
“These days, nearly every box of new books we open throughout the year contains books that represent a diverse range of identities. We continue to see many titles in which young readers may see themselves and the world in which they live,” said Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, CCBC director. “While there is always room for more diverse books, we were pleased that in 2024 more than half of the books we received had significant BIPOC content, a demonstration of the ongoing commitment by book creators and publishers to create titles that reflect our pluralistic society.”
The CCBC also reported a modest increase in the share of books that have at least one creator who is BIPOC, with 41% of the books documented in 2024 having at least one BIPOC author, illustrator, or compiler (in the case of anthologies) — up from 40 percent in 2023. Notably, books by Asian (19%) and Indigenous (3%) creators saw slight increases. By comparison, 70% of the books the CCBC received included at least one white creator.
On the other hand, the number of books featuring a BIPOC primary character or human subject decreased by 3%, from 40% in 2023 to 37% in 2024, despite small gains in Black (13%) and Asian (11%) representation among primary characters or subjects. White primary characters or human subjects were featured in 28% of the books the CCBC received.
In recent years, the CCBC has seen more books that reflect the multifaceted complexity of individual lives when it comes to identity — for example, books in which characters are multiracial/multiethnic; that reveal intersectional identities; or that portray other dimensions of identity, including disability, LGBTQ+, and minority (non-Christian) religions.
Among the books received in 2024, 7% featured a primary or significant secondary character with a disability and 7% included LGBTQ+ themes or characters — both unchanged from 2023. However, 6% included content related to a minority religion — up from 4% the previous year.
The CCBC notes that books with multiple primary characters and/or subjects or primary characters/subjects with multiracial or intersectional identities are counted in all applicable categories. Percentages are not mutually exclusive and cannot be combined to calculate a total of the whole.
As the number of books reflecting the lives and complex identities of children, teens, and families today continues to grow, they are having greater visibility in libraries and classrooms, and in the lives of children and teens.
“The CCBC Diversity Statistics focus on quantity, not quality. But what we know from our work recommending books in our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices, is that greater numbers inevitably mean more outstanding choices among the books published,” says Schmidt. “Librarians, teachers, parents, and other adults who care for children have more high-quality books to choose from when selecting and recommending books for young readers and listeners that reflect and validate dimensions of their identities and their place in our global society.”
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) is a unique examination, study, and research library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The CCBC is also funded by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction through the Division for Libraries and Technology.
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CCBC Director Tessa Michaelson Schmidt is available for interviews and inquiries. Schmidt can be reached at tessa.schmidt@wisc.edu.
*The statistics about books by and/or about Black, Indigenous and people of color are periodically updated online. This online data includes more detailed percentages, and the number of books represented by each percentage.