The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has released regional newspaper figures for the period January to June 2002. The figures reveal a less than impressive performance for the majority of the top ten paid for regional titles, with circulation declining virtually across the board year on year. Birmingham’s Sunday Mercury experienced the most significant downward movement, with circulation slipping 6.2% year on year to 94,159. The larger titles also faired poorly with the Manchester Evening News seeing a 3.5% year on year decline to 162,421 and the Birmingham Evening Mail experiencing a 4.9% year on year drop in circulation during the first half of 2002.
The Evening Herald (Dublin) and the Belfast Telegraph were the only paid for regional titles in this year’s top ten to see circulation rise. The former improved by 0.7% year on year, to 104,985 and the latter experienced a modest 0.1% year on year increase, taking its circulation to 111,407.
| Top 10 Paid Regional Newspaper Titles By Circulation | ||||
| Title | Jan 01 – Jun 01 | Jan 02 – Jun 02 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Manchester Evening News | 168,312 | 162,421 | -5,891 | -3.5 |
| Liverpool Echo | 150,940 | 147,079 | -3,861 | -2.6 |
| Birmingham Evening Mail | 127,983 | 121,717 | -6,266 | -4.9 |
| Belfast Telegraph | 111,329 | 111,407 | 78 | 0.1 |
| Evening Herald (Dublin) | 104,288 | 104,985 | 697 | 0.7 |
| Leicester Mercury | 105,911 | 102,828 | -3,083 | -2.9 |
| Newcastle Evening Chronicle | 101,458 | 99,531 | -1,927 | -1.9 |
| Glasgow – Evening Times | 103,126 | 98,760 | -4,366 | -4.2 |
| Sunday Life (Belfast) | 96,072 | 96,093 | 21 | 0.0 |
| Sunday Mercury (Birmingham) | 100,407 | 94,159 | -6,248 | -6.2 |
| Source: ABC | ||||
The situation was not much better for the top ten free regional newspapers by circulation. Trinity Mirror Southern led the downturn, with circulation dropping by 29.1% year on year to 1,258,385, closely followed by the Northcliffe Newspapers Group, which saw a 25.4% year on year decline between January and June this year.
The lower circulating titles also suffered, with the Newsquest South London-South London Guardian Group seeing circulation slip by 10.8 year on year to 571,316 and the Midland Independent Weekly Group experiencing a 4.7% decline to 517,096.
The KM Extra Group was the only player in the top ten to see circulation rise, with a 0.6% year on year increase that takes its total circulation to 491,163.
| Top 10 Free Regional Newspapers By Circulation | ||||
| Title | Jan 01 – Jun 01 | Jan 02 – Jun 02 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Newsquest London | 1,733,904 | 1,605,522 | -128,382 | -7.4 |
| Trinity Mirror Southern | 1,775,876 | 1,258,385 | -517,491 | -29.1 |
| Northcliffe Newspapers Group | 1,614,274 | 1,203,659 | -410,615 | -25.4 |
| Midland Independent News Group | 1,354,508 | 1,162,036 | -192,472 | -14.2 |
| Newsquest South London Guardian Group | 1,103,916 | 1,0149,64 | -88,952 | -8.1 |
| Newsquest North London Group | 629,988 | 590,558 | -39,430 | -6.3 |
| Newsquest South London – South London Guardian Group | 640,711 | 571,316 | -69,395 | -10.8 |
| Yellow Advertiser Series | n/a | 536,148 | n/a | n/a |
| Midland Independent Weekly N/P Group | 542,832 | 517,096 | -25,736 | -4.7 |
| KM Extra Group (Kent) | 488,166 | 491,163 | 2,997 | 0.6 |
| Source: ABC | ||||
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