Springer Nature’s 2025 Annual Report shows increased impact and value
A focus on OA and investments in technology and AI accelerated knowledge sharing, enhanced research integrity and improved the publishing process
London | Berlin | New York, 31 March 2026
Following a strong set of financial results[1], data released today in Springer Nature’s Annual Report shows the company continuing to respond to its communities’ needs by making research open and trusted, while delivering value and impact against a backdrop of increased research output.
Submissions grew by more than 30% to 3.1million with 539,000 primary research articles published – over 53% of which were published open access (OA) - demonstrating a continued focus on publishing quality, trusted research [2].
The company reported 5.6 billion downloads of articles and book chapters, an increase of more than 50% on 2024 [3] (including over 860 million downloads of content related to the sustainable development goals). This, alongside a 14% increase in average citations per article on 2023 [4], shows the increased value Springer Nature is providing for authors and institutions by growing reach and engagement year on year.
The impact of this is seen in high levels of authors, editors and peer reviewers continuing to rate their publishing experience as excellent or good [5].
The company remained committed to being a responsible publisher, supporting its people and the planet – reducing carbon emissions by 50% from 2019 and, in its tenth anniversary year, strengthening its charitable partnerships, in support of the wider research, health and education ecosystem [6].
With AI continuing to reshape the research and education publishing landscape, Springer Nature also continued to invest in and use AI tools to improve the publishing process, delivering value where researchers and health and education practitioners need it – always with specialist teams in the loop. In 2025 this was achieved by:
- Embedding AI-enabled tools across its proprietary platform Snapp, to strengthen screening and editorial evaluation [7].
- Increasing headcount dedicated to research integrity to 75 globally [8].
- Providing tailored tools for educators and clinicians, with over 40,000 doctors using our Medbee app – an increase of 34% on 2024 - and users of Macmillan Education Everywhere doubling to 3.2 million[9].
Frank Vrancken Peeters, Chief Executive Officer of Springer Nature, said:
“Scientific progress is built on partnership and trust. At a time when trust in science and evidence-based decision-making matters more than ever, we remain focused on working alongside our communities to benefit society. Our Annual Report shows the impact of this approach, supported by our mission to be part of progress - sharing trusted knowledge worldwide.”
For more information the full report can be read here.
[1] https://www.ir.springernature.com/
[2] The OA figure refers to This figure refers to research articles including Cureus but excluding Nature Reviews and magazine content. Springer Nature Annual Report 2025 pg. 12
[3] Counter 5:1 usage compared to 2024.Springer Nature Annual Report 2024 pg. 12 and Annual Report 2025 pg. 12
[4] 2024 articles. Source: Digital Science, Dimensions. Article citations in publication year and year after publication year/ Springer Nature Annual Report 2025 pg. 12
[5] CSAT Score. Proportion that rates their publishing experience excellent or good. Springer Nature Annual Report 2025 pg. 29
[6] Springer Nature Annual Report 2025 pg. 31
[7] Springer Nature Annual Report 2025 pg 20
[8] Springer Nature Annual Report 2025 pg. 25
[9] Springer Nature Annual Report 2025 pg.14 and 15
Springer Nature is one of the leading publishers of research in the world. We publish the largest number of journals and books and are a pioneer in open research. Through our leading brands, trusted for more than 180 years, we provide technology-enabled products, platforms and services that help researchers to uncover new ideas and share their discoveries, health professionals to stay at the forefront of medical science, and educators to advance learning. We are proud to be part of progress, working together with the communities we serve to share knowledge and bring greater understanding to the world. For more information, please visit about.springernature.com and @SpringerNature.
Susie Winter| External Communications | Springer Nature
susie.winter@springernature.com
