18 March 2025
- Revenue grew by 5% on an underlying basis to €1,847 million and adjusted operating profit rose by 7% on an underlying1 basis to €512 million
- Research was main growth driver, posting underlying 6% revenue increase following strong performance of the Open Access (OA) Journals portfolio
- For the first time, Springer Nature published 50% of its primary research articles OA
- Continued focus on tech & AI applications to further improve the publishing process
- Guidance for 2025: revenue expected in range of €1,885 million to €1,935 million; adjusted operating profit margin at least at the level of 2024
Springer Nature, one of the leading publishers of research in the world, today announced its results for the financial year 2024, demonstrating continued growth and a strong operational performance. Revenue was €1,847 million, representing, on an underlying basis, a 5% increase over the same period in 2023. Adjusted operating profit increased to €512 million, equating to underlying growth of 7%.
Frank Vrancken Peeters, CEO of Springer Nature, said: “Our strong results demonstrate our ability to consistently deliver value for our communities while driving innovation in the academic publishing industry. We publish an ever-increasing amount of high-quality open access content and invest in technology and people to ensure we consistently outperform the market while growing responsibly and sustainably.”
The Research segment continues to be the main driver of Springer Nature’s growth. Research saw a 6% underlying revenue growth to €1,414 million, primarily due to the excellent performance of the OA Journals portfolio. In 2024, Springer Nature achieved a significant milestone by publishing 50% of its primary research articles OA for the first time. This achievement underscores the company’s leadership in the transition to OA, providing greater value to the research community by enhancing the accessibility and impact of scientific research. OA articles on average receive significantly more downloads, citations, and attention compared to non-OA articles.
The Education segment supported overall growth, with revenue increasing 3% on an underlying basis to €235 million. This was driven by a strong performance in India and South Africa. The Health segment’s revenue was €188 million, which was broadly stable on an underlying3 basis compared to the previous year. A decline in advertising revenue due to cautious spending from the pharma industry and the impact of changes in German health insurance legislation was offset by strong revenue growth in Cureus.
Springer Nature continued to make significant investments in technology and AI to improve and accelerate the publishing process and ensure that the research it publishes is robust and can be trusted. In 2024, technology-related investments totalled €177 million. The company continues to adhere to clear principles when developing and using AI tools, including making sure that any decisions are always taken by a person.
Read the full announcement here