Global Newspaper Circulations Show Rise
Newspaper circulations worldwide rose 2.3% in 2006, while newspaper advertising revenues showed substantial gains, according to the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).
WAN said that global newspaper sales were up 2.3% over the year, and had increased 9.48% over the past five years. Newspaper sales increased year on year in Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, with North America the sole continent to register a decline.
When free dailies are added to the paid newspaper circulation, global circulation increased 4.61% last year, and 14.76% over the past five years. Free dailies now account for nearly 8% percent of all global newspaper circulation and 31.94% in Europe alone.
Advertising revenues in paid dailies were up 3.77% last year from a year earlier, and up 15.77% over five years, WAN said. No figures were available for free daily advertising revenues.
According to the WAN figures, the UK reported a circulation dip last year of 2.66%, whilst UK newspaper advertising revenue declined by 4%.
Timothy Balding, chief executive officer of the Paris-based WAN, said: “Newspapers in developing markets continue to increase circulation by leaps and bounds, and in mature markets are showing remarkable resilience against the onslaught of digital media. Even in many developed nations the industry is maintaining or even increasing sales.
“At the same time, newspapers are exploiting to the full all the new opportunities provided by the digital distribution channels to increase their audiences.
“As the digital tide gathers strength, it is remarkable that the press in print continues to be the media of preference for the majority of readers who want to remain informed.”
Balding added: “These results are even better than we expected from provisional data available a few months ago. Once again we can see that far from being an industry in decline, as the ill-informed and short-sighted continue to contend, newspapers are alive and well and exhibiting enormous innovation and energy to maintain their place as the news media of preference for hundreds of millions of people daily.”
Recent research from NAdbase showed that page views for newspaper websites increased 27% year on year during the second half of 2006.
World Association of Newspapers: www.wan-press.org