National Newspaper ABC Summary – May 1998
Total national newspaper circulation was down by 3.3% year on year for the ABC period December 1997 – May 1998, from 28.2 million to 27.3 million. This loss is even greater than the previous six month ABC period which showed a 3.1% fall in total circulation year on year.
National Newspaper December-May Year on Year ABC Comparisons
| Title | Dec 96 – May 97 | Dec 97 – May 98 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Daily Mail | 2,139,668 | 2,274,111 | 134,443 | 6.28 |
| Daily Star | 744,845 | 669,130 | -75,715 | -10.17 |
| Daily Telegraph | 1,132,861 | 1,076,415 | -56,446 | -4.98 |
| Express | 1,216,007 | 1,168,114 | -47,893 | -3.94 |
| Express On Sunday | 1,164,152 | 1,087,848 | -76,304 | -6.55 |
| Financial Times | 308,036 | 350,547 | 42,511 | 13.8 |
| Guardian | 406,290 | 400,872 | -5,418 | -1.33 |
| Independent | 256,645 | 220,903 | -35,742 | -13.93 |
| Independent On Sunday | 275,377 | 259,407 | -15,970 | -5.8 |
| Mail On Sunday | 2,128,261 | 2,205,278 | 77,017 | 3.62 |
| Mirror | 2,371,165 | 2,298,242 | -72,923 | -3.08 |
| News Of The World | 4,487,282 | 4,356,295 | -130,987 | -2.92 |
| Observer | 459,013 | 412,900 | -46,113 | -10.05 |
| Sun | 3,913,779 | 3,709,092 | -204,687 | -5.23 |
| Sunday Mirror | 2,302,438 | 2,091,386 | -211,052 | -9.17 |
| Sunday People | 1,983,184 | 1,761,528 | -221,656 | -11.18 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 896,255 | 846,794 | -49,461 | -5.52 |
| Sunday Times | 1,320,988 | 1,351,597 | 30,609 | 2.32 |
| Times | 749,598 | 789,908 | 40,310 | 5.38 |
| TOTAL | 28,255,844 | 27,330,367 | -925,477 | -3.3 |
The same five newspapers as the previous ABC period (Daily Mail, Financial Times, Mail On Sunday, Sunday Times and The Times) were the only national newspapers to report increases in circulation for this period. The FT managed the greatest growth again, up 13.8% to 350,547 copies. The Daily Mail continues its rise in circulation gaining 134,443 copies to just under 2.8 million; a rise of 6.28%.
The Independent continues to suffer losses, down 13.93% to just 220,903 copies.
The Sunday Mirror fell 9.17% and the Daily Star fell 4.98%.
Source: ABC
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