<P> This page provides lists of best - selling individual books and book series to date and in any language . "Best selling" refers to the estimated number of copies sold of each book, rather than the number of books printed or currently owned . Comics and textbooks are not included in this list . The books are listed according to the highest sales estimate as reported in reliable, independent sources . This list is incomplete because there are many books, such as The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, or A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, that are commonly cited as "best - selling books" yet have no reliable sales figures . Similarly, many notable book series that sold very widely are poorly documented (Land of Oz) or consist of multiple sub-series (Tom Swift). </P> <P> According to Guinness World Records as of 1995, the Bible is the best - selling book of all time, with an estimated 5 billion copies sold and distributed . The Qur'an is also widely reported to be one of the most printed and distributed books worldwide . The Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse - tung, also known as the Little Red Book, has produced a wide array of sales and distribution figures--with some sources claiming over 6.5 billion printed volumes, others claiming the distribution ran into the "billions," some citing "over a billion" official volumes between 1966 and 1969 alone as well as "untold numbers of unofficial local reprints and unofficial translations ." Exact print figures for these and other books may also be missing or unreliable since these kinds of books may be produced by many different and unrelated publishers, in some cases over many centuries . All books of a religious, ideological, philosophical or political nature have been excluded from this list of best - selling books for these reasons . </P> <P> Having sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling is the best - selling book series in history . The first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, has sold in excess of 120 million copies, making it one of the best - selling books of all time . As of June 2017, the series has been translated into 80 languages, placing Harry Potter among history's most translated literary works . The last four books in the series consecutively set records as the fastest - selling books of all time, where the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold roughly fifteen million copies worldwide within twenty - four hours of its release . With twelve million books printed in the first U.S. run, it also holds the record for the highest initial print run for any book in history . </P>

Which is most read book in the world