The common every day print circulation of the i is now greater than the Each day Star’s for the primary time in its historical past.
The change comes two months after the i’s circulation was additionally greater than the Sunday Categorical for the primary time because the DMGT-owned title’s print readership has stayed comparatively regular for a number of months.
In June the i reported an ABC print circulation of 125,545 – narrowly edging above the Each day Star on 125,525.
The i, which launched in October 2010, noticed development in comparison with Could of 1% and and annual decline of 14%.
In the meantime the Each day Star reported a month-on-month drop of 1% and year-on-year fall of 15%.
Pre-Covid, within the first half of March 2020, the Each day Star had a median circulation of 276,453 – on the time 28% greater than the i on 215,640.
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The most important circulation drops in June have been on the Sunday Folks (20% right down to 53,501), Each day Star Sunday (18% right down to 68,003) and Sunday Mail (18% right down to 46,794).
In addition to the i, the Monetary Occasions was the one paid-for newspaper to develop its circulation, up 2% month-on-month and regular year-on-year at 110,736. Though the FT’s paid newsstand gross sales have been up marginally (to 12,534) its subscription copies have been down 1% (to 9,069).
Free London every day Metropolis AM upped its distribution year-on-year by 1% to 68,112 and stayed regular in comparison with Could.
Nationwide newspaper circulations in June 2024 (ABC) with month-to-month and yearly adjustments – this web page might be up to date month-to-month:
Learn extra: Widening gulf between weekday and Saturday UK newspaper gross sales revealed
The column for bulks refers to copies that are circulated free of charge at venues resembling airports and lodges.
The above figures don’t embody the Solar, Occasions and Telegraph titles which have all chosen to maintain their ABC circulations non-public because the begin of 2020. The Guardian and Observer joined them in September 2021.
The final ABC figures we’ve got for these titles are as follows:
- The Solar: 1,210,915 (March 2020)
- The Solar on Sunday: 1,013,777 (March 2020)
- The Sunday Occasions: 647,622 (March 2020)
- The Occasions: 365,880 (March 2020)
- Each day Telegraph: 317,817 (December 2019)
- Sunday Telegraph: 248,288 (December 2019)
- The Observer: 136,656 (July 2021)
- The Guardian: 105,134 (July 2021)
If these titles have fallen according to remainder of the business their present circulations as of February 2024 can be as follows:
- The Solar: 700,000
- The Solar on Sunday: 600,000
- The Sunday Occasions: 322,000
- The Occasions: 180,000
- Each day Telegraph: 190,000
- Sunday Telegraph: 125,000
- The Observer: 80,000
- The Guardian: 60,000
2022 in focus
These charts present UK nationwide newspaper circulation over the 12 months to March 2023.
2000-present
Now we have additionally charted the longer-term change in ABC circulation over the previous 20 years throughout the UK press.
These charts present the extent of the print decline from The Solar reaching 3.76m in 2000 and the Solar on Sunday’s launch in February 2012 with a short-lived 3.21m earlier than dropping to simply above 2m.
In the meantime, although the Each day Mirror and Each day Mail as soon as have been aggressive in print attain at round 2.3m-2.4m in 2000, the Mail now has a circulation 3 times the scale of its former rival.
The Sunday tabloids all noticed a spike in 2011 after the closure of the Information of the World however few retained the readers – the Sunday Folks and Sunday Mirror did finest at doing so, however largely misplaced them when the Solar on Sunday launched.
Proceed studying for earlier months’ protection of the UK’s hottest newspapers:
Could 2024
The Night Normal dropped its distribution by 12% in Could in comparison with the earlier 12 months because it introduced plans to finish its every day publication and go weekly in print.
This was a 12% year-on-year drop for the second month operating though its distribution stayed regular between April and Could.
The Normal distributed a median of 275,683 copies per day in Could, in keeping with the newest ABC figures.
As not too long ago as October 2022 the Normal was distributing greater than 400,000 copies a day. It has been beneath 300,000 since October 2023.
Earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic it was distributing round 800,000 copies per day.
In the meantime, each paid-for nationwide newspaper noticed their print circulation decline in Could – though it ought to be famous that the year-on-year comparability is affected by the increase a number of Sunday newspapers noticed final 12 months from the King’s coronation.
Attain tabloid the Sunday Folks noticed the most important drop in comparison with Could 2023, with its common circulation down by 24% to 54,150.
Additionally dropping by greater than a fifth year-on-year have been fellow Attain weeklies the Sunday Categorical (down 22% to 124,581) and Each day Star Sunday (down 21% to 69,200).
The one paid-for newspapers to fall by lower than 10% year-on-year have been the i (down 5% to 124,904) and Monetary Occasions (down 1% to 108,824).
On a month-by-month foundation, the Sunday Mail in Scotland was the one title to see development in comparison with April, as its circulation was up 1% to 48,292.
The most important month-on-month decline was of 4% on the Each day Mirror (to 225,983), Each day File (to 49,673) and Sunday Publish (to 34,581).
Free newspaper Metro saved its distribution regular each month-on-month and year-on-year whereas London free enterprise newspaper Metropolis AM grew marginally year-on-year and stayed regular from April into Could.
April 2024
The i’s print circulation is now greater than the Sunday Categorical for the primary time in its historical past, in keeping with the newest ABC information.
In April the circulation of the i, which launched in 2010, stayed regular in comparison with the earlier month and fell by 5% year-on-year to 126,266.
The Sunday Categorical fell by 2% month-on-month and 17% year-on-year to 125,990, leading to it falling one place down our month-to-month desk.
The most important year-on-year print circulation decline was once more on the Sunday Folks, down 21% to 55,526. The most important month-on-month drop was of 4% on the Each day Star Sunday, to 69,766.
The Monetary Occasions was, as in March, the one paid-for newspaper to not see annual decline, staying regular in comparison with April final 12 months. Its common circulation was 109,868 made up of 12,068 newsstand copies, 9,365 subscriptions, 31,155 bulk copies (distributed free of charge in places like airports and lodges) and 57,280 copies in different nations.
Of the remainder of the paid-for newspapers, the i used to be the one one to see single-digit decline. Its DMGT stablemates the Each day Mail and Mail on Sunday every declined by 10% year-on-year to 699,240 and 586,187 respectively.
March 2024
The Mail on Sunday’s common print circulation fell beneath 600,000 in March, in keeping with ABC.
The Sunday newspaper’s circulation fell by 1% in comparison with February and 10% versus March 2023, reaching 594,414.
The Mail on Sunday’s circulation is now about half of the place it was in October 2017 – six and a half years in the past.
Nevertheless, in that point there was a notable shift in its circulation combine with subscriptions making up a higher slice of the pie: newsstand gross sales are down 5% to 524,545 however paid subscriptions are up 404% to 69,869.
In the meantime in Scotland the Sunday Mail, owned by Attain, fell beneath a circulation of fifty,000 – reaching 48,597 following a month-on-month decline of three%. That is greater than half of its pre-Covid circulation of 104,608.
Additionally in March, the Each day Star grew its common circulation by 3% month-on-month to 134,924 whereas the Each day Mirror (237,233) and Monetary Occasions (109,181) have been up 1%. Others have been regular or down by as much as 3%.
The ABC figures are common per challenge, which means they shouldn’t be skewed by the actual fact March was an extended month than February, with one further weekend.
The most important year-on-year decline was on the Sunday Folks, down 21% to 57,163, adopted by the Sunday Mail and Sunday Publish (35,848) every down 17%. The one paid-for title to not see decline was the Monetary Occasions, which stayed regular in comparison with March final 12 months.
The Each day Mail and Mail on Sunday’s digital editions stayed regular month-on-month, with energetic views per challenge of 88,176 and 89,639 respectively.
February 2024
The Monetary Occasions noticed the most important month-on-month drop in print circulation among the many publicly audited nationwide newspapers in February.
The FT had a median circulation of 108,125 in February in keeping with ABC, down 6% in comparison with January – though it misplaced simply 0.4% in comparison with a 12 months earlier.
Subscriptions (9,255) have been down 12% month-on-month to 9,255 whereas newsstand gross sales (12,227) have been down 7% to 12,227 and world circulation (55,781) was down 8% to 55,781. However bulks (free copies distributed at places like airports and lodges) have been regular on 30,862.
The FT additionally had a digital version circulation of 16,403, up 5% month-on-month.
The Each day Mail digital version had common actively-viewed copies of 88,346 in February, up 1% month-on-month and three% year-on-year.
The Mail on Sunday’s digital version was on 90,062, up 1% and a couple of% respectively.
The Each day Mail and Mail on Sunday are high of the desk among the many paid-for newspapers which have their ABC circulations printed, with circulations of 705,311 and 600,311 respectively.
Their subsequent rival within the public desk, the Each day Mirror, is a number of hundred thousand behind on 234,492.
Attain tabloid the Sunday Folks once more reported the most important annual decline, down 22% to 57,670 – the one drop on this set of figures of greater than a fifth. It was adopted by sister title Each day Star Sunday, down 18% to 72,363.
Free London title Metropolis AM was the one newspaper to develop its distribution year-on-year in February, upping its print run by 1% to 68,009. Month-on-month it was up by the identical share and was joined by fellow free title the Night Normal, which had a circulation of 277,238. The Normal, nonetheless, was down 11% in comparison with the 12 months earlier than.
January 2024
The Sunday Folks was the one nationwide newspaper to see a print circulation decline of greater than a fifth in January 2024.
The Attain tabloid had a median weekly circulation of 58,831 in January – down 22% year-on-year and three% month-on-month.
Sister Attain titles the Each day Star Sunday, Each day Star, Sunday Mail, Each day File and Sunday Categorical all noticed their circulations down by 15 to 17% year-on-year, as did DC Thomson’s Sunday Publish.
The one paid-for newspaper to remain regular year-on-year was the Monetary Occasions, on 115,118. Its newsstand gross sales have been down 14% however subscriptions have been up 3%, bulk copies (these distributed in places like lodges and airports) have been up 1% and non-UK readership was up 4%.
The FT’s actively bought gross sales within the UK and Eire averaged 24,000 with the remainder of the circulation in Europe, Asia and the US.
The free Metro (953,856) and Metropolis AM (67,215) papers additionally saved their circulations about the identical as in January 2023.
Month-on-month, the Each day Star Sunday noticed the most important decline of 8% to 73,103. The FT was up 1% as was free London paper the Night Normal (277,238).
The Mail titles additionally report their digital version readership numbers: the Each day Mail’s digital version had a median circulation of 87,571 in January, up 1% month-on-month and a couple of% year-on-year. The Mail on Sunday’s digital version was up 2% month-on-month and 1% year-on-year to 89,326.
The FT printed a digital version determine of 15,594, down 6% year-on-year however up 12% month-on-month. This determine consists of FT Premium and FT e-paper subscribers and prospects by way of distributors Barnes and Noble, Media Service and Gold Key Media.
December 2023
December was an inexpensive month for print circulation among the many UK’s nationwide newspapers, with some experiencing month-to-month development.
Scottish weekly the Sunday Mail noticed the most important development in comparison with November, up 5% to 52,842, adopted by the Monetary Occasions (up 4% to 114,338), Each day Star Sunday (up 3% to 79,218) and the Each day Mail (up 2% to 733,577).
The Sunday Publish and Each day Categorical additionally grew by as much as 1% whereas the Each day Mirror and the i fell by lower than 1%.
Decline continued throughout the board when in comparison with December 2022, nonetheless, but it surely was decrease than common at some titles.
Usually a number of newspapers see their circulation fall by a few fifth year-on-year however in December the one newspaper down that a lot was the Sunday Folks (a fall of 19% to 60,470).
Behind that, the Each day Star (136,909) and Each day File (54,379) have been each down by 14%.
The smallest annual circulation decline was on the i, down 7% to 128,110.
The Telegraph, which not publishes its complete circulation (see beneath), has revealed it had a median weekly subscription variety of 1,035,710 in December, made up of 117,586 in print, 688,012 in digital, and 230,112 throughout Telegraph Wine Cellar, Telegraph Puzzles and Chelsea Journal Firm.
The Mail titles additionally report their digital version readership numbers: the Each day Mail’s digital version had a median circulation of 86,744 in December (up 2% month-on-month and 5% year-on-year) whereas the Mail on Sunday was on 87,910 (up 1% and three% respectively).
November 2023
The i used to be the one UK nationwide newspaper to keep away from month-on-month print circulation decline in November.
The DMGT-owned newspaper stayed regular, rising 0.1% in comparison with October to a median circulation of 128,566.
The i additionally noticed the second-smallest year-on-year drop of seven.4%, behind solely the Monetary Occasions which fell by simply 0.3% to 110,220.
[Read more: As digital subs overtake print at i, editor Oliver Duff explains why future is bright for title]
The FT’s newsstand gross sales (12,822) and paid subscriptions (9,373) have been each down however the newspaper elevated its bulk copies given away at places like airports and lodges (32,001) and world distribution (56,024).
Free London newspaper Metropolis AM additionally stayed regular each month-on-month and year-on-year, with a median distribution of 67,940.
The most important month-on-month declines have been on the Sunday Publish (down 2.7% to 38,160), the Sunday Mirror (down 1.9% to 182,978), the Sunday Mail (down 1.9% to 52,104) and the FT (down 1.7%).
The most important annual drops have been on the Sunday Folks (down 20.3% to 61,570), the Sunday Publish (down 18.1%) and Each day Star Sunday (down 17.4% to 76,868).
October 2023
The Monetary Occasions noticed the smallest change in its print circulation in October, in keeping with the newest month-to-month evaluation of UK nationwide newspapers.
The enterprise newspaper grew by 0.4% month-on-month and declined by 0.3% in October to a median every day circulation of 112,139.
This included a slight improve (2% month-on-month and 6% year-on-year) in bulk copies distributed free of charge at places like airports and lodges. These made up 29% of the FT’s circulation in October.
The i, the place bulks make up 1% of its circulation, had the subsequent smallest annual decline in October of 8% to 128,494.
No different paid-for UK nationwide newspapers that proceed to publicly report their circulation figures nonetheless distribute bulk newspapers.
The most important year-on-year circulation declines amongst paid-for titles have been at Attain tabloids with a 22% drop on the Sunday Folks to 62,143 and a 19% fall on the Each day Star Sunday to 78,051.
Free title the Night Normal noticed the most important drop general, with its distribution down 27% in comparison with October 2022 to 293,663. That is the primary time its distribution has gone beneath 300,000 since October 2009 when it grew to become a free newspaper.
September 2023
Many UK nationwide newspapers reported steeper-than-usual annual print circulation declines in September attributable to comparisons with the earlier 12 months when the demise of The Queen appeared to result in an uptick in gross sales.
The Each day Mail and Mail on Sunday each noticed their circulation fall by 17% year-on-year in September – up from a median decline of largely someplace between 10% and 13% every month within the 12 months up to now.
The most important year-on-year decline amongst paid-for nationals was on the Sunday Folks (down 24% to 62,712) adopted by sister Attain title Each day Star Sunday (down 22% to 79,198).
In the meantime the i, additionally owned by Mail writer DMG Media, noticed its common circulation fall beneath 130,000 in September to 129,133. Its earliest out there ABC figures for January 2011, three months after its launch, present it was then on 133,472.
The Monetary Occasions was the one newspaper to keep away from a month-on-month circulation decline, rising by 7% to 111,738. It additionally reported the smallest drop in comparison with September final 12 months, down 2%.
August 2023
Annual declines in print nationwide newspaper circulations throughout the board continued in August.
The most important year-on-year drops have been on the Each day Star Sunday (down 22.4% to 80,124) and the Sunday Folks (down 21.8% to 64,605).
The smallest annual decline was on the Monetary Occasions, down 1% to 104,423 – of which 30,616 have been bulk copies given away at places like airports and lodges.
London enterprise newspaper Metropolis AM did improve its free distribution by three-quarters in comparison with final summer time, with a median of 64,729 copies distributed every Monday to Thursday in its first month of possession by on-line retailer THG. It fell by 4% month-on-month.
The Each day File was marginally the one paid-for title to not see a month-on-month drop in circulation. All others fell by as much as 2% in comparison with July.
July 2023
Each nationwide newspaper noticed a year-on-year print circulation decline in July, in keeping with the newest ABC figures.
The smallest annual decline was on the Monetary Occasions, which fell by 1% to 106,038. The most important drop was on the Sunday Folks, with the Attain tabloid falling by 22% to 65,460, adopted by sister title the Each day Star Sunday down 20% to 80,847.
Free London newspaper the Night Normal noticed the most important drop to its distribution general, down 24% to 302,602. Fellow free London title, Metropolis AM, did see development, rising its distribution by 81%, in comparison with a dip final summer time, to 67,600.
The FT did, nonetheless, have the most important month-on-month decline of 4%. Three titles grew their circulations by a fraction of a p.c in comparison with June: the Mail on Sunday, the i and Metropolis AM.
June 2023
The Sunday Mirror‘s print newspaper circulation fell beneath 200,000 for the primary time in June.
In January 2000, the earliest information out there on the ABC web site, the Sunday Mirror had a print circulation of two million. By January 2020, simply earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic started, the paper was on 367,244.
Additionally in June, the Sunday Folks, sister title to the Sunday Mirror, noticed its gross sales transfer beneath the free distribution of London enterprise newspaper Metropolis AM.
Metropolis AM fell by 15% year-on-year to 67,602, staying regular month-on-month in comparison with Could, whereas the Sunday Folks fell by 21% and 6% respectively to 66,950.
The smallest year-on-year declines have been on the i and the Monetary Occasions, which each noticed their circulations fall by 5% to 130,945 and 111,014 respectively.
The most important declines have been of the Night Normal’s free distribution (down 29% year-on-year to 308,874) and the Sunday Folks.
Month-on-month, the FT’s circulation was up 1% in comparison with Could whereas Metro and Metropolis AM each saved their free distributions regular. The most important drops have been on the Sunday Categorical and Mail on Sunday, each down 9% to 145,543 and 637,437 respectively.
Could 2023
The Sunday Categorical rose above the Each day Star’s print circulation in Could as a number of Sunday newspapers noticed a month-on-month increase, doubtless on account of memento protection of King Charles III’s coronation.
Charles and Camilla formally grew to become King and Queen on Saturday 6 Could, with many Sunday titles producing memento editions with further pages and wraparound entrance covers on the next day.
In Could, the Mail on Sunday grew by 7% month-on-month, the Sunday Categorical was up 6%, the Sunday Mirror by 3%, the Sunday Folks by 2%, and the Each day Star Sunday by 1%. All continued to fall on a year-on-year foundation, nonetheless, though by a decrease share charge than the month-to-month stories steadily present.
On the Mail on Sunday, paid single copies grew by 7% to 622,360 and subscriptions rose by 8% to 75,585. Nevertheless on the Sunday Categorical the increase primarily got here from newsstand gross sales, which have been up by 6% to 150,909, whereas subscriptions, on which the title depends much less, have been up by only one% to 9,182.
The increase on the Sunday Categorical took it above the Each day Star’s circulation for the primary time since January 2021 and Could 2020, each anomalous months. Earlier than Could 2020, the every day title had been greater in our rating since December 2011.
April 2023
Print circulation decline continued throughout the board on the UK’s nationwide newspapers in April.
The most important drop amongst paid-for nationals was on the Sunday Folks, down 22% to 69,990. London’s free Night Normal, nonetheless, noticed a higher fall of 31% to 311,216.
The smallest decline was on the FT, which dropped 2% year-on-year to a median month-to-month circulation of 109,637. It’s the solely ABC-audited newspaper to distribute a major variety of bulk free copies at places resembling airports and lodges as a part of its circulation, however these fell by 9% so the smaller decline can’t be attributed to that portion of its circulation.
The one newspapers to develop by 1% between March and April have been the Each day Mirror and the free Metropolis AM. The most important month-on-month drop was of three% on the Sunday Folks.
March 2023
The i reported the smallest annual print circulation decline among the many UK’s nationwide newspapers in March, in keeping with the newest ABC figures.
The i’s circulation was down 7% in March in comparison with a 12 months earlier than, reaching 131,825. It was the one annual lower below 10%.
The most important decline was on the Night Normal, the place its free distribution was down by 31% year-on-year to 310,236.
The most important paid-for drop was on the Sunday Folks, down by 21% to 72,091 – the one newspaper with an annual decline of greater than a fifth in March.
Each newspaper publicly audited by ABC noticed their circulation between February and March change by a slim margin of between -2% (Each day Star Sunday, Sunday Folks, Sunday Publish) and 1% (Monetary Occasions, Each day Star).
The very best circulation paid-for print newspaper stays the Each day Mail, on 777,586 (down 11% year-on-year and 1% month-on-month). Metro, distributed free of charge in 50 UK cities, was on 952,424 (down 11% and 0.4% respectively).
February 2023
The Night Normal has dropped its distribution by virtually a 3rd in a 12 months.
The newspaper reported a median distribution of 311,485 for February, which means it’s nearing its circulation from earlier than it went free – its ultimate ABC report as a paid-for newspaper was 256,229 in September 2009.
December was the one month since then that it has been decrease, on 310,933, than February’s complete. Pre-Covid in February 2020 it was distributing a median of 787,447 copies per day.
The most important print circulation decline of the UK’s paid-for nationwide newspapers in February was Attain tabloid the Sunday Folks, which fell by 23% to 73,875. Attain instructed workers in January the Folks would start to share most content material with the Sunday Mirror, which itself was down 18% to gross sales of 209,197.
Fellow Attain title the Each day Categorical was the one different title apart from the Folks to fall by greater than a fifth, taking place by 21% to 173,372.
The smallest annual declines have been on the i, which was down 8% to 132,222, and the Monetary Occasions, down 9% to 108,562.
Nevertheless the FT reported the most important month-on-month drop of 5%.
Metro and Metropolis AM each saved their free distributions regular in comparison with January, and whereas the Each day Star Sunday was the one paid-for newspaper to see no month-on-month decline the Each day Star and Sunday Mail every fell by lower than 1%.
January 2023
The Each day Mail’s print circulation fell beneath 800,000 for the primary time in January, in keeping with the newest ABC information.
The newspaper reported a median circulation of 797,704, a dip of 12% year-on-year or 2% month-on-month. The Solar, historically its rival for the highest of the desk, is among the many newspapers that not make their print circulations public.
In March 2020, the final time it printed its ABC complete, The Solar was on a circulation of 1,210,915 versus 1,132,908 for the Mail. The Mail then overtook The Solar for the primary time in 42 years in Could that 12 months with a circulation of 980,000 and continues to be the UK’s finest promoting every day.
The one newspaper to report development in January in comparison with the identical month final 12 months was the Monetary Occasions, up by 1% to 114,685, though it additionally noticed the most important month-on-month decline of 11% attributable to a lower in non-UK circulation, bulk copies distributed in places resembling airports and lodges, and newsstand gross sales.
The most important year-on-year decline was on the free Night Normal, which diminished its distribution by 30% to 314,285, adopted by the paid-for Attain tabloid Sunday Folks, down 23% to 75,521.
The Each day Star Sunday, Each day Categorical, Sunday Publish, Sunday Mirror, Sunday Mail and Sunday Categorical all noticed their circulations decline year-on-year by 20%. Nevertheless all besides the Each day Star Sunday and Each day Categorical stayed regular or grew month-on-month. All are owned by Attain, besides the Sunday Publish which is owned by DC Thomson.
The most important month-on-month development was at Metropolis AM, which stopped placing out newspapers on Fridays in January attributable to low commuter numbers on that day. Editor Andy Silvester stated on the time that distribution on Mondays to Thursdays had virtually reached pre-pandemic ranges.
December 2022
Free newspapers Night Normal and Metropolis AM suffered the most important drops of their print distribution in December in comparison with the earlier 12 months.
The titles gave the impression to be distributing fewer copies as publishers endure rising paper and vitality prices amid continued adjustments to working patterns that see fewer commuters on Mondays and Fridays particularly. Subsequent to those figures, in January Metropolis AM has dropped its Friday print version – however its editor Andy Silvester stated the paper was “thriving” on the opposite 4 days of the working week.
The Night Normal’s distribution in December was down by 30% year-on-year to 310,933 – its lowest since earlier than it went free in October 2009.
In the meantime Metropolis AM was down 25% to 58,664 and in addition noticed the most important month-on-month decline, down 14% from November.
Fellow free newspaper Metro additionally dropped its print distribution, however by a a lot lesser margin: in December it was down 6% year-on-year and 1% month-on-month to 965,960.
Among the many paid-for newspapers whose circulations are printed by ABC, a number of Sunday titles printed by Attain all misplaced greater than a fifth of their circulations year-on-year: the Sunday Folks was down 24% to 74,601, the Each day Star Sunday was down 23% to 88,434, the Sunday Mirror was down 21% to 208,794 and the Sunday Categorical was additionally down 21% to 153,377. DC Thomson’s Sunday Publish in Scotland was additionally down 22% to 44,038.
These 5 titles, plus the Sunday Mail in Scotland, additionally posted the most important paid-for circulation declines month-on-month ranging between 6% and three% down from November.
The smallest annual decline was on the i (down 5% to 137,039) adopted by the Monetary Occasions (down 8% to 128,794).
Two newspapers posted month-on-month development: the Monetary Occasions (up 17%) and the Each day Mail (up 2% to 812,106 – stopping it from dropping beneath 800,000 for the primary time).
November 2022
Print decline throughout the board continued among the many UK’s nationwide newspapers in November.
The smallest drop was on the i, which noticed its print circulation decline by 3% year-on-year to 138,782.
The most important was on the free Night Normal, which dropped its distribution by 27% to 319,485. Amongst paid newspapers, it was Attain tabloid the Sunday Folks, right down to to 77,300 – a 23% drop in comparison with November 2021.
The one newspaper to not report decline month-on-month was the Sunday Publish in Scotland, which grew by 88 copies, or 0.2%, on common.
The Each day Mail stays the most important paid-for print newspaper of people who publicly launch their ABC circulations, staying simply above 800,000. The free title Metro had a median distribution of 977,077 in November.
October 2022
No UK nationwide newspapers noticed print circulation development, whether or not year-on-year or month-on-month, in October.
The newest ABC figures present the smallest declines amongst paid-for newspapers have been on the i (down 3% year-on-year to 140,196 – the one single-figure annual decline) and the Monetary Occasions (down 1% month-on-month to 112,478).
Many nationwide newspapers noticed month-on-month development in September, doubtless right down to urge for food for memento editions following the demise of the Queen.
The most important drops between September and October, presumably indicating the newspapers with the most important increase from the nationwide mourning interval, have been on the Each day Mail, Mail on Sunday and Each day Categorical, which all fell by 8% month-on-month.
The most important annual declines have been at DC Thomson’s Sunday Publish in Scotland and Attain tabloid the Sunday Folks, down 22% and 21% respectively.
The Each day Categorical, FT, Sunday Mail and Each day Star Sunday all noticed year-on-year falls of 19%.
September 2022
A powerful urge for food for print newspapers and memento editions following the demise of the Queen seems to have led to month-on-month circulation development virtually throughout the board on the UK’s nationwide newspapers.
However the uplift was not excessive sufficient for many to report annual development.
Of the eight publicly audited paid-for titles that noticed month-on-month development – the Each day Mail, Mail on Sunday, Each day Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Each day Categorical, Sunday Categorical, i and Monetary Occasions – there was a median uplift of 4%. This development was the identical when factoring within the free distributions of Metro and the Night Normal.
Together with each newspaper in our ABC desk, excluding Metropolis AM which seems to be an anomaly with its free distribution boosted by 37% following a extreme stoop, there was common month-on-month change of two%.
The most important month-on-month change was on the Monetary Occasions, up by 8% to 113,992, adopted by the Mail on Sunday (749,960) and that i (147,609) which each grew by 5%.
Nevertheless, annual decline continued at each newspaper besides the Monetary Occasions and the i. Though each are the one newspapers that also put bulk copies into places like airports and lodges, making up 27% of the FT’s circulation and 4% on the i, extra of their annual development was right down to newsstand gross sales than this technique.
The i used to be in actual fact at its highest stage since December 2020, when it had a circulation of 148,927.
The most important annual declines have been on the Sunday Folks (down 20% to 82,275) and Sunday Publish (down 19% to 48,938).
Scroll down or click on right here for brand spanking new graphs charting the ups and downs of the UK nationwide press previously 20 years.
August 2022
The Monetary Occasions noticed marginal year-on-year development in circulation in August, with each different newspaper persevering with to say no.
The FT had a circulation of 105,748 in August in comparison with 105,213 the 12 months earlier than. Its newsstand gross sales and non-UK circulation grew though paid subscriptions and bulks (copies distributed free of charge at places resembling airports and lodges) have been down.
Month-on-month, the one newspapers to see development have been the Each day Star Sunday, up 2% to 103,200 and the Scottish title Each day File which was up by 1% to 69,316. Each are owned by Attain.
The Night Normal additionally upped its free distribution, though by lower than 1%. Its print readership in July was its lowest since earlier than it went free in October 2009, with August the second lowest. Its year-on-year decline of 19% was one of many greatest in our desk.
Fellow London free title Metropolis AM can also be at its lowest distribution (36,640) since its 2005 launch. Its print version was paused for 18 months throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Attain-owned Sunday Folks’s circulation was down probably the most, by 22% to 82,597, with DC Thomson’s Sunday Publish down by 20% to 48,943.
July 2022
Each publicly audited UK nationwide newspaper recorded a year-on-year decline in circulation in July.
Even the Monetary Occasions, which has seen year-on-year development each month since July 2021, was down by a number of hundred copies in comparison with the 12 months earlier than. This was the smallest annual decline among the many audited newspapers.
The Metro distributed lower than a million copies for the primary time since Could 2021, when it trumpeted making it again over that milestone following the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The most important year-on-year decline was a drop of twenty-two% on the Sunday Folks.
Month-on-month, nonetheless, there was development of two% on the i largely right down to a rise in paid subscriptions.
The most important decline from June to July was at Metropolis AM, the place free distribution greater than halved to 37,369.
June 2022
Each publicly ABC audited UK nationwide newspaper noticed circulation decline from Could to June aside from the i which noticed development of 0.2%.
In comparison with June 2021, the Monetary Occasions was the one paid-for newspaper to report development, of 8% to 116,498.
Because the Covid-19 lockdowns ended the FT’s circulation will increase have largely been put right down to the return of the distribution of free bulk copies at places like airports and lodges. However in June a 17% year-on-year improve in bulk copies to 35,094 was additionally accompanied by 9% development in paid newsstand gross sales to fifteen,612 (alongside a 4% decline in subscriptions to 9,076).
The smallest (4%) annual decline was on the i, which had a circulation of 137,964 and is the one different paid-for newspaper to nonetheless be shored up with free bulk copies – though they solely account for 4% of its present complete.
The most important month-on-month decline was on the Sunday Mail in Scotland (down 5% to 66,469) whereas the most important annual drop was on the Sunday Folks (down 23% to 85,212). Each are owned by Attain.
The free Metro was the one nationwide newspaper apart from the FT to develop year-on-year (by 3%) because it has upped its distribution this 12 months in comparison with the Covid-hit 2020 and 2021.
Could 2022
The Metro and Monetary Occasions have been the one nationwide newspapers to develop their print readerships from final Could to this 12 months.
Metro had a median free distribution of 1,074,594 in Could, staying regular month-on-month however rising by 17% since final 12 months attributable to placing out extra copies as individuals have returned to places of work and public transport because the ultimate Covid-19 lockdown.
The one paid-for newspapers to develop their circulations month-on-month in Could have been the Monetary Occasions, up 4% to 116,747 as development in subscriptions, non-UK gross sales and bulk copies distributed in places like airports and lodges offset a drop in newsstand gross sales, and the Sunday Mail in Scotland, up 0.2% to 69,923. The Sunday Mail did, nonetheless, fall by 17% year-on-year.
The FT was the one paid-for paper to develop its circulation in comparison with Could 2021, largely as a result of it has elevated its distribution of bulk copies post-Covid from 25,361 final 12 months to 34,661.
London’s free enterprise newspaper Metropolis AM has additionally continued its post-Covid development, reaching its highest distribution stage since returning in September from an 18-month hiatus.
Editor Andy Silvester instructed Press Gazette’s Way forward for Media Defined podcast this month that the paper’s return to pre-pandemic ranges “in all probability proves a number of sceptics flawed”. In Could Metropolis AM’s common free distribution was 82,455, down 4% on February 2020 however up 1% month-on-month.
The most important month-on-month declines have been on the Each day Mirror and Each day Star, each down 4%, whereas the most important annual drop was on the Sunday Folks, down 24%. All three are Attain titles.
April 2022
The Each day Mail and Each day Mirror each marginally grew their print circulations in April in comparison with March, bucking the business’s common downward pattern.
The Each day Mail was up 1% month-on-month to 879,102 whereas the Each day Mirror additionally grew by 1% to 327,341.
Nevertheless each fell by 11% in comparison with April 2021 and each figures have been nonetheless their second-lowest respectively since ABC auditing started.
The Each day Mail’s digital version had a readership of 76,315 in April.
Free newspapers Metro, Night Normal and Metropolis AM all additionally noticed month-on-month development, rising their print distributions.
After an 18-month Covid-enforced hiatus, free enterprise newspaper Metropolis AM returned to print in September and has now upped its distribution for 3 months in a row. It’s now at 81,713, its highest since February 2020 when it was on 85,738.
Metro stays the most-distributed newspaper within the UK, placing out 1,074,889 copies free of charge in April.
The Solar, Occasions, Telegraph and Guardian titles not publish their ABC print circulations, having opted to take them non-public and give attention to different metrics – for instance, on-line subscriptions for The Telegraph and Occasions.
The Monetary Occasions noticed an 8% decline month-on-month to 112,344 however grew by 12% on April final 12 months, making it the one paid-for newspaper to develop year-on-year. That is largely as a result of it’s placing out extra bulks – free copies in places resembling airports and lodges – than it did for a lot of the Covid-19 pandemic (now 33,849 in comparison with 22,487 final 12 months) whereas it has additionally roughly tripled subscriptions in a 12 months (to 9,776).
March 2022
The Mail on Sunday below editor David Dillon had a circulation of 748,965 in March.
Much like its rivals, the newspaper’s circulation has been in regular decline over a number of years. In March, it fell by 14% year-on-year and a couple of% in comparison with the month earlier than. It’s down a fifth from 952,914 two years earlier in March 2020, earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
The Mail on Sunday is at present within the centre of a sexism row round a narrative reporting that Deputy Labour Chief Angela Rayner had been accused of crossing and uncrossing within the Home of Commons to distract Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Dillon refused to satisfy Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, saying journalists ought to “not take instruction from officers of the Home of Commons, nonetheless august they could be”.
The Mail on Sunday’s circulation stays behind the Each day Mail on 875,125 however a great distance forward of its subsequent ABC-audited paid competitor, the Each day Mirror on 325,271.
The Solar, Occasions, Telegraph and Guardian titles all not publish their ABC-audited circulations.
The Monetary Occasions was as soon as once more the one paid-for newspaper to see year-on-year development, attributable to placing out extra bulk copies in places like airports and lodges than in March 2021. It was up 21% on the identical time final 12 months, to 121,490 – of which a 3rd (40,958) have been bulks.
Nevertheless its circulation was greater in October to December final 12 months, and its final pre-pandemic determine was 146,373 in March 2020. At the moment a few fifth have been bulk copies.
Metropolis AM’s free distribution rose above 80,000 for the primary time because it resumed printing in September after an 18-month Covid-enforced hiatus. It distributed a median of 80,440 copies in March in comparison with 85,738 in February 2020.
The Metro stays the most-distributed newspaper within the UK, placing out 1,073,993 copies free of charge in March.
February 2022
The Each day Mail’s print circulation has fallen beneath 900,000 for the primary time in additional than 100 years.
In February the newspaper bought a median of 896,455 copies every day – or 767,021 on weekdays and 1,449,049 on Saturdays – following a month-on-month drop of 1% and year-on-year decline of seven%.
The Each day Mail launched in 1896 with gross sales of 397,215. Inside its first few years it surpassed a million and, regardless of a temporary drop in 1915 in a row with the Authorities over troops’ munition provides, remained above that mark till the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sister title Mail on Sunday had a median circulation of 767,756 in February, down 2% month-on-month and 10% year-on-year.
The Solar, for a few years the Each day Mail’s closest ABC rival, not publishes its circulation – however the Mail overtook the red-top for the primary time in 42 years in 2020.
Probably the most-circulated nationwide newspaper stays the free Metro, with a distribution of 1,066,327 that was up in comparison with each the month and 12 months prior.
In contrast, fellow free newspaper the Night Normal was down 9% year-on-year to 448,043.
The most important annual declines have been at Attain’s Sunday Folks (95,637, down 20%) and Each day Star Sunday (107,478, down 19%).
January 2022
The Each day Mail was the one paid-for nationwide newspaper to develop its circulation from December to January.
It reported 1% development month-on-month, whereas its year-on-year decline of 5% to 909,201 was the smallest among the many paid-for newspapers that do not use bulk copies.
The Monetary Occasions grew by 17% year-on-year to 113,817 whereas the i grew by 1% to 142,598. Excluding bulk copies given away free of charge at places resembling airports and lodges, the FT grew by 3% to 79,446 and the i stayed regular on 137,483.
The most important year-on-year decline was at Attain’s Each day Star Sunday, which fell by 19% to 110,133. Month-on-month, the most important decline was on the FT, which dropped by 18%.
Metro stayed regular between December and January however reported a 72% year-on-year soar. It constructed again its free distribution, which was massively scaled again within the early pandemic, and crossed the 1m mark as soon as once more in Could final 12 months.
December 2021
The Each day Star’s circulation has fallen beneath 200,000 for the primary time in its 43-year historical past.
The tabloid had a median every day readership of 197,998 in December, in keeping with the newest ABC figures, following a 2% month-on-month drop and a 14% decline since a 12 months earlier.
The figures present persevering with print readership decline because the lowest the Star’s circulation had gone throughout the first Covid-19 lockdown was 219,275 in April 2020.
It follows Attain stablemate Sunday Folks’s circulation falling beneath 100,000 in November.
In December the Each day Star Sunday and Sunday Folks noticed the most important annual circulation drops of 20% and 19% respectively.
The one paid-for newspaper to develop year-on-year was the Monetary Occasions, which has upped the variety of bulk copies given away free of charge since final 12 months. Nevertheless it nonetheless fell 2% month-on-month with bulk copies, newsstand gross sales and subscriptions all down in December.
The one newspaper to see month-on-month development was Metropolis AM, which returned to print in September and in December was distributing a median of 78,418 copies every day in comparison with 85,738 in February 2020.
November 2021
The primary ABC figures for London freesheet Metropolis AM because it returned to print in September present distribution is down 9% since February 2020.
In the meantime, in November the Sunday Folks’s circulation dropped by 21% to 99,915 – the primary time since ABC data started in 2000 that its common circulation was beneath 100,000, even throughout the earlier Covid-19 lockdowns.
Metropolis AM distributed a median of 77,959 copies every weekday between 8 and 28 November, in comparison with 85,738 in February 2020.
Chief govt Jens Torpe instructed Press Gazette in September he hoped to succeed in pre-pandemic ranges of distribution inside a few month of relaunching.
In keeping with the newspaper’s ABC certificates it has vastly boosted its variety of distribution factors from 913 in February 2020 to three,632. The enterprise paper struck a deal to be present in all WeWork’s London places and new places of work, and went additional out into the commuter belt to compensate for altering journey patterns as many Metropolis employees caught with versatile working.
Common pagination has gone from 28 in February 2020 to 26, with editorial content material up from 70% to 72%.
Nationally-published free newspaper Metro, which continued distributing all through the pandemic for teams like key employees who saved travelling, stays 25% down on its February 2020 distribution stage with 1.05m. It re-crossed the 1m mark in Could and is the most-read newspaper within the UK.
The Night Normal, which like Metropolis AM is barely distributed in London, is 44% down on its February 2020 stage with a distribution of 439,445 – however chief govt Charles Yardley instructed Press Gazette this was a “comfy quantity that’s working properly”. It additionally saved publishing all through the pandemic, however experimented with free dwelling supply for the primary time.
The one newspapers to file year-on-year development in November have been Metro and the Monetary Occasions, which each grew by 37%. The FT’s newsstand gross sales have been down by 1 / 4 however subscriptions and bulk copies distributed free of charge have been each up.
October 2021
The FT has grown its circulation by a 3rd previously 12 months, and by 1 / 4 between September and October, largely by placing out extra free bulk copies.
The newspaper reported a circulation of 138,446 in October, which incorporates 55,222 bulk copies distributed free of charge in locations like airports and lodges which have greater than doubled since October 2020.
The FT’s newsstand gross sales have decreased by 29% from 20,357 to 14,490 in a 12 months though paid subscriptions grew 191% from 3,697 to 10,764. The FT additionally stories gross sales in different nations of 57,970 inside its complete.
It’s the FT’s highest circulation because the first three weeks of March 2020, when it was on 146,373, whereas the pattern at most paid-for newspapers has been decline all through 2021. (The i, which is up since January, is the one different nationwide to place out bulks).
In the meantime Metro has settled its free distribution on 1.05m which is up 35% in comparison with October 2020 when some employees had begun to return to work however at a slower tempo than anticipated.
Its free rival in London, the Night Normal, is down 10% in comparison with final 12 months on 457,542.
The Saturday version of the Each day Mail stays the most-read newspaper with a weekly circulation of 1.47m. The weekday version sells 784,439. Each the every day and Sunday editions noticed a 9% year-on-year decline.
The most important year-on-year decline was as soon as once more at The Sunday Folks, which fell by 19% to 101,597. The Each day Star Sunday was down 18% to 118,260.
September 2021
Attain’s Sunday Folks and Sunday Publish newspapers recorded the most important year-on-year declines in circulation in September of the publicly-audited nationwide newspapers.
Each noticed their circulations decline by 19% whereas the Sunday Mirror, Each day Star Sunday and Sunday Mail all fell by 14%. All are owned by Attain.
The Monetary Occasions was the one paid-for newspaper to develop its circulation year-on-year, by 7% to a complete of 111,898. Nevertheless its free bulk copies, distributed in places resembling airports and lodges, elevated by 41% to 32,351. Though paid subscriptions grew by 130% to 9,102, newsstand copies have been down by 1 / 4 to fifteen,154. Some 55,291 copies are bought in different nations.
Apart from the free Metro and the FT, each different newspaper remained regular between August and September altering by between 0% and -2%.
August 2021
The i used to be the one nationwide newspaper to develop its paid circulation from July to August as subscriptions development offset declining newsstand gross sales.
The i’s print subscriptions grew from 23,199 in July to 25,223 in August. On the identical time it put out extra paid a number of copies, often called bulks, in places resembling airports and lodges (rising from 4,006 to 4,620).
Its common circulation due to this fact grew from 143,486 to 144,570. Nevertheless this was nonetheless 5% down on final August.
The August ABC figures are the primary through which the Guardian and Observer are absent, having chosen to maintain their circulations non-public as Information UK and the Telegraph did final 12 months.
The Guardian’s departure from the grid comes after its circulation was overtaken by the Monetary Occasions in June for the primary time since earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic.
Beforehand the audited circulation of the FT had been above that of the Guardian since 2000, the earliest out there on-line ABC data.
The FT was once more the one paid-for title to have grown year-on-year because it distributes bulk copies that have been lacking throughout the pandemic. It grew 12% year-on-year to 105,213 in August however fell by 2% from July.
The free Metro greater than doubled its August 2020 determine following the tip of the winter lockdown and the ramping up of its distribution to succeed in individuals more and more venturing out once more. It has now distributed a median of greater than 1m copies per day for 3 months in a row.
July 2021
Placing on bulk copies has helped the FT to develop its circulation by practically 1 / 4 (24%) year-on-year whereas gross sales of The i paper have fallen by simply 1% over the identical interval, new ABC figures for July present.
The FT sells greater than 107,000 copies, of which greater than 32,000 are bulks. The i, which is now a part of the Each day Mail group, has a circulation of greater than 143,000 copies, with some 4,000 bulks.
The free Metro’s distribution was in extra of 1m in July 2021, practically tripling its print output throughout the peak of the pandemic.
All different newspapers audited by ABC reported a fall in year-on-year circulation. The Telegraph, Solar and Occasions titles aren’t included.
The Each day Mail has the most important paid-for circulation among the many titles audited by ABC at greater than 933,000. Its sister title the Mail on Sunday is behind on a bit over 813,000 copies.
June 2021
Attain’s nationwide Sunday titles continued to skilled the most important year-on-year circulation drops within the business in June.
The Sunday Publish dropped by 16%, Each day Star Sunday was down 15%, Scottish tabloid Sunday Mail was down 14%, the Sunday Folks was down 13% and the Sunday Mirror by 11%. The Sunday Categorical was Attain’s finest faring Sunday title, falling by 7%.
One of the best efficiency amongst paid-for newspapers was on the Monetary Occasions which grew by 38% year-on-year and 5% month-on-month to 108,014.
As lockdown restrictions have eased the FT has put the variety of bulk copies which go to places like airports and lodges again up by 751% – from 3,534 to 30,093 – placing it on an identical stage to June 2019 when 31, 057 bulk copies have been distributed. The variety of copies it bought in different nations was additionally up, though this was half 2019 ranges.
No different paid-for newspapers grew month-on-month, and the i used to be the one different to develop year-on-year, though this might primarily be attributed to a rise in bulk distribution much like the FT.
Nevertheless the i’s bulks stay, against this, far beneath 2019 ranges – 50,250 in June 2019 versus 3,699 this 12 months.
The Metro has continued placing its free distribution again up as lockdown restrictions continued to ease. It went up by 10% between Could and June and 224% in comparison with final June, topping 1m on common.
By comparability its rival in London, the free Night Normal, has determined to keep up its distribution at Covid ranges and focus on on-line development. It was distributing 492,406 copies on common in June.
Scroll down or click on right here for brand spanking new graphs charting the ups and downs of the UK nationwide press previously 20 years – with a highlight on how Covid-19 affected circulations previously 12 months.
Could 2021
The Monetary Occasions and the i have been the one paid UK nationwide newspapers to develop their circulations in Could in comparison with final 12 months – regardless of the primary Covid-19 lockdown’s extreme influence on spring 2020 newsstand gross sales.
Each newspapers reported development even when their bulk copies (these distributed free of charge at places resembling airports and lodges) are taken into consideration.
The i grew its circulation by 3% year-on-year excluding bulks to 140,721 or by 5% to 144,192 when bulks are included.
In the meantime the FT grew by 2% to 77,218, excluding bulks, in Could. Together with bulks it was up 30% to 102,579.
Each different nationwide newspaper noticed an annual decline, with the smallest on the Each day Categorical, owned by Attain, which fell by 1% to 239,024.
Could continued the pattern of Attain’s Sunday titles experiencing the most important year-on-year drops, nonetheless (scroll down or click on right here to see April’s report).
Scotland’s Sunday Publish and Sunday Mail have been down 14% and 11% respectively. Nationally the Each day Star Sunday was down 12% and the Sunday Mirror and Sunday Folks have been each down 7%.
In Could final 12 months most nationwide newspapers started to get better after their circulations had been hit exhausting by the primary 5 weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Month-on-month, the FT (2%), i (1%) and the Guardian (0%) have been the one paid-for titles to not see a dip. The most important decline from April was on the Mail on Sunday (5%).
The ABC figures additionally demonstrated the influence of loosening Covid-19 restrictions on free newspapers as Metro and the Night Normal elevated their distributions by 190% and 9% respectively in comparison with Could final 12 months.
April 2021
Attain’s 4 Sunday titles – the Each day Star Sunday, Sunday Categorical, Sunday Mirror and Sunday Folks – have been the one nationwide titles to have a decrease circulation in April than they did throughout the UK’s strictest Covid-19 lockdown one 12 months earlier.
The remainder of the UK’s nationwide newspapers are again above the circulations of their worst Covid stoop, which befell amid uncertainties in regards to the future for the business because the UK was instructed to remain at dwelling initially of the pandemic.
Regardless of its 7% annual decline, the Each day Star Sunday had the most important month-on-month development of three%. Most paid-for titles have been capable of maintain their April circulations much like March, with a drop of -1% the most important nationally and of -2% on the Sunday Mail the most important general.
The Scottish title, which can also be owned by Attain, was down year-on-year by 6% to 85,450.
Regardless of the declines at Attain’s Sunday titles, its nationwide dailies the Mirror and Categorical have been up by 2% and three% respectively in comparison with April final 12 months.
The Monetary Occasions grew by 13% year-on-year to 100,215 in April. Nevertheless it has upped its variety of free copies distributed at places resembling airports and lodges from 7,042 final April to 22,487 – excluding these, its circulation has decreased 5% to 77,728.
In contrast the i, the one different paper to incorporate bulk free copies in its ABC audited circulation, was up by 7% if they’re included (143,380) and 9% if they aren’t (140,013).
This equals the Observer, which was additionally up 9% in comparison with final April to succeed in 140,894 copies every week.
The i’s DMGT stablemates the Each day Mail and Mail on Sunday have been additionally each up by 4% and 5% respectively on final 12 months. DMGT’s free title Metro has been “constructing again” its distribution, as editor Ted Younger instructed Press Gazette final week, to succeed in a median of 805,471 per day in April. It then topped 1m on 17 Could as lockdown restrictions eased.
The Night Normal additionally elevated its free distribution in comparison with final April, by 16% to 492,575. Chief govt Charles Yardley has instructed Press Gazette he’s planning to maintain numbers at round half 1,000,000 going ahead.
March 2021
Paid-for nationwide newspaper circulations have fallen by virtually a fifth (18%) on common since simply earlier than the primary Covid-19 lockdown.
The ultimate year-on-year comparability with pre-Covid ABC newspaper circulations reveals the most important declines have been on the i and Monetary Occasions, that are each down by a few third to 143,204 and 100,781 respectively.
They’re the one two paid-for ABC-audited titles persevering with to distribute bulk copies to public places resembling airports. Excluding bulks, the FT’s circulation fell by 35% year-on-year and the i’s fell by 18%.
The smallest, and solely single-digit, declines have been on the Mail on Sunday and Observer which each noticed their circulation fall by 9% previously 12 months to 867,077 and 142,277 respectively in March 2021.
ABC’s March 2020 report spanned 2 to 22 March, stopping earlier than the primary lockdown got here into place – though many individuals started working from dwelling and curbing social gatherings from a few week earlier.
The Night Normal’s free circulation is down by 29% to 494,364 in comparison with March final 12 months. The newspaper’s chief govt Charles Yardley instructed Press Gazette this month he stays dedicated to print however won’t elevate the distribution again to pre-pandemic ranges.
Free rival Metro has dropped its distribution by half to 695,444. It initially dropped by 70% in April final 12 months and rose to a
The most important-selling challenge of a UK nationwide newspaper stays the Each day Mail’s Saturday challenge, which bought a median 1,588,164 copies every week final month in comparison with 1,699,891 in March final 12 months.
February 2021
The Observer reported the smallest drop in print circulation amongst UK nationwide newspapers in February – however this was nonetheless down by 9% on the 12 months earlier than.
The Observer, which had a median circulation of 140,920, was the one newspaper to not see a double-digit drop. The following smallest decline was the Mail on Sunday, which fell by 12% to 848,526.
Sister title the Each day Mail was the one publication to see month-on-month development from January, up 1% to 964,825. It was 15% behind the 1,134,184 it had in February 2020 earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic hit the UK.
Nevertheless, the Each day Mail’s digital version grew its common circulation by 4% from 94,171 in January to 98,107.
[Read more: See latest online audience data published by Pamco here]
In February free titles Metro and Night Normal distributed 58% and 38% fewer copies respectively in comparison with the 12 months earlier than. Each are persevering with to publish for key employee commuters though most individuals stay below a “keep at dwelling” order, with the Normal additionally delivering to doorsteps in sure elements of London.
The most important paid-for circulation drops in February have been on the Monetary Occasions (down 36%) and that i (35%), the one two ABC-audited titles persevering with to distribute bulk copies to public places resembling airports.
Excluding bulks, the FT was down 40% and the i used to be down 18% – taking it beneath the Each day Star’s 20% decline.
January 2021
The UK’s present coronavirus lockdown has not hit nationwide newspaper circulations as exhausting as final 12 months’s strict April restrictions did, in keeping with new figures from ABC.
Nevertheless, most titles at the moment are once more beneath the circulation ranges to which that they had begun to get better in Could final 12 months.
The Each day Mail’s print circulation has fallen to its lowest because the peak of the Covid-19 disaster in April.
The UK’s top-selling newspaper bought a median of 960,019 copies every day in January, an 18% drop year-on-year. In April it reported a circulation of 944,981, which grew to 979,836 in Could.
The Mail overtook The Solar in Could 2020 and Press Gazette understands it has since consolidated its lead.
Digital version gross sales add an extra 77,736 to the Mail’s every day circulation determine, in keeping with ABC – conserving it above 1m.
In March final 12 months, earlier than the primary UK lockdown, the Mail was promoting in extra of 1.1m copies per day.
Additionally beneath their Could 2020 circulations have been the Mail on Sunday, Each day Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Each day Categorical, Each day Star, Sunday Categorical, Each day Star on Sunday, Sunday Folks, and the Guardian.
Solely the Observer, i and Monetary Occasions have been above their Could figures from final 12 months in January.
A number of nationwide newspapers noticed greater year-on-year drops in January than the Mail: the FT’s circulation fell by 39%, the i by 35%, the Sunday Publish by 22%, the Each day Star by 21%, the Each day Categorical by 19% and the Each day Mirror by 19%.
The smallest year-on-year drop was on the Observer, which noticed a decline of 8% to a circulation of 143,764.
The most important month-on-month fall from December was additionally on the FT (down by 8% to 97,067) adopted by the Each day Star Sunday, i and Guardian which have been all down by 5%.
The one title to report any development was Scottish tabloid the Sunday Mail, which was up 1% month-on-month to 88,819.
Metro and the Night Normal, which had their free commuter distribution fashions hit by the Covid-19 lockdowns, have been down 58% and 39% respectively 12 months on 12 months in January.
December 2020
The Mail on Sunday reported the smallest drop in print circulation in December – however this was nonetheless down by 9% on the 12 months earlier than.
It had a median circulation of 954,497 in December 2019, right down to 865,439 final month. It was the one newspaper to not see a double-digit year-on-year decline, with the Observer the second smallest drop (by 10% to 147,296).
The Monetary Occasions noticed its print circulation fall by greater than a 3rd (35%) year-on-year to 105,358 – the most important fall among the many UK’s paid-for nationwide newspapers.
Nevertheless, the FT did develop by 1% month-on-month because it continues to get better from the preliminary Covid-19 lockdown stoop frequent to every of the titles.
The Guardian noticed the most important month-on-month development of two% in December.
The most important fall from November 2020 was on the Sunday Folks, down 5% to 120,429.
Wales went into lockdown on 20 December whereas Scotland and Northern Eire have been positioned below tight restrictions from Boxing Day and far of London and the south east of England entered strict Tier 4 restrictions days earlier than Christmas.
Metro and the Night Normal, which had their free commuter distribution fashions hit by the Covid-19 lockdowns, have been nonetheless 45% and 38% down respectively on the earlier 12 months’s print readership.
November 2020
A number of nationwide newsbrands managed a month on month improve in print circulation in November, with The Observer seeing the most important rise at 4%.
The Observer’s print circulation rose from 145,680 to 152,129 having remained regular within the earlier month.
The Sunday Categorical, the Sunday Folks and the Guardian additionally noticed print gross sales rise 1%, after seeing declines between September and October
The Observer noticed the smallest year-on-year decline at 5%. It was the one title to not report a double-digit year-on-year fall.
The Monetary Occasions had the most important paid-for decline (36% to 104,024) adopted by the i (31% to 151,888).
Metro and the Night Normal, which had their free commuter distribution fashions hit by the Covid-19 lockdowns, have been nonetheless 46% and 40% down on the earlier 12 months’s print readership.
October 2020
The Observer was the one nationwide print newspaper model to not see a 12 months on 12 months print circulation decline in October.
The Observer’s print readership remained regular on 145,680 as each different title besides the Mail on Sunday, which fell by 9%, reported a double-digit year-on-year decline.
The Monetary Occasions had the most important paid-for decline (39% to 105,592) adopted by the i (31% to 151,888).
Metro and the Night Normal, which had their free commuter distribution fashions hit by the Covid-19 lockdowns, have been nonetheless 45% and 39% down on the earlier 12 months’s print readership – though Metro managed so as to add a fifth again onto its output in October.
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