The decline of Newspaper circulation

The last decade has changed how people consume and can access news, with a move away from print and towards digital, the rapid acceleration of mobile technology and social media platforms has contributed to the shift in behaviour.

As a result, news publishers are now forced to diversify to survive, as circulation income from newsstand sales and print advertising has considerably decreased.

Newspaper circulation in the UK has been declining for years, seeing a year-on-year drop in circulation of more than 10% between 2022 and 2023. For further comparison, expenditure on newspapers fell from over £9.9 billion in 2005 to below £2 billion in 2022.

Source: Press Gazette

Source: Press Gazette

Below are some current 2024 circulation figures:

Daily Mail – 706,839

Mail on Sunday – 594,414

Daily Mirror – 237,233

Sunday Mirror – 173,149

Daily Express – 147,919

Daily Star – 134,924

The following publications have chosen to withhold their circulation numbers, however, if these newspapers have fallen in line with the rest of the industry their current circulations as of February 2024 would be as follows:

The Sun – 700,000

The Sun on Sunday – 600,000

The Sunday Times – 322,000

The Times – 180,000

Daily Telegraph – 190,000

Sunday Telegraph – 125,000

The Observer – 80,000

The Guardian – 60,000

Local and regional newspapers have also seen a decline in circulation over the past decade, here are the latest circulation figures.

Western Mail – 7,177

North Wales Weekly News – 1,073

South Wales Evening Post – 8,608

Carmarthen Journal – 4,068

Birmingham Post – 1,152

Liverpool Echo – 18,496

Gloucester Echo – 4,139

Print advertising has been around for centuries and is still an effective medium today with many benefits, despite the steep decline in circulation.

  1. Tangible
  2. Credibility
  3. Targetable
  4. Brand awareness
  5. Capture attention
  6. Longevity
  7. Personalisation
  8. Engagement
  9. Nostalgia
  10. Multi-sensory experience

If you are interested in advertising in press or on news websites please contact us today!

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