Print circulation facts for kids
Print circulation is the average number of copies of a publication, like a newspaper or magazine, that are printed and given out. For books, the number of copies is usually called a print run. Circulation isn't always the same as copies sold (called paid circulation), because some copies are given away for free. Also, more people usually read a publication than the number of copies circulated, because one copy can be read by many people.
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How Circulation Works
Print circulation is a good way to guess how many people read a newspaper or magazine. This number helps decide how much companies pay to put their advertising in print. In many countries, independent groups like the Audit Bureau of Circulations check these numbers. They make sure that publishers are telling advertisers the truth about how many people their newspapers reach.
Top Newspapers Around the World
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) shares a list of newspapers with the largest circulation. In 2011, India had the most newspaper circulation, with almost 330 million newspapers given out every day. In 2010, China was first with 110.78 million newspapers daily, followed by India (100.993 million), Japan (50.4 million), the United States (48.5 million), and Germany (19.7 million). By 2019, the top 10 newspapers were all from Asia, with four of them from Japan.
The Japanese newspapers Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞) and Asahi Shimbun (朝日新聞) are still among the most circulated newspapers in the world. The Times of India is the largest English-language daily newspaper globally. In China, Reference News (《参考消息》) is very popular.
The Guinness Book of Records noted that the Soviet newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda had over 21.5 million copies daily in 1990. Another Soviet weekly, Argumenty i Fakty, reached 33.5 million copies in 1991.
In many developed countries, fewer people are reading print newspapers. This is because of new technology, like news being available on the internet. However, in some developing countries, print circulation is growing. This is due to more people earning money, growing populations, and more people learning to read.
Circulation in Different Countries
Australia
The Herald Sun has the highest circulation in Australia. It is based in Melbourne, one of the country's biggest cities. This newspaper was created when the original Sun and Herald newspapers joined together.
Belgium
The Belgian group CIM (Centre for Information about Media) shares circulation numbers for all media in Belgium. The top-selling newspapers include Het Laatste Nieuws (317,715 copies) and Het Nieuwsblad (245,209 copies).
Canada
The most widely read newspaper in Canada is the Toronto Star. As of early 2007, it sold about 634,886 copies on Saturdays. The second most read is The Globe and Mail, selling around 374,000 copies on Saturdays. The most popular French-language newspaper is Le Journal de Montréal, with about 319,899 copies on Saturdays. In Canada, newspapers often have their biggest editions and highest sales on Saturdays.
India
The Audit Bureau of Circulations shows that Dainik Bhaskar (4.320 million readers) and Dainik Jagran (3.410 million readers) are the most read local language newspapers. Both are published in Hindi. The Times of India is the most widely read English language newspaper (3.029 million readers). Malayala Manorama, published in Malayalam from Kerala, has a circulation of over 2.4 million copies.
Japan
Here are the 2022 circulation numbers for Japan's newspapers (morning and evening editions combined):
- Yomiuri Shimbun: 6,870,000
- The Asahi Shimbun: 5,890,000
- Seikyo Shimbun: 5,500,000
- Chunichi Shimbun/Tokyo Shimbun: 2,871,000
- Mainichi Shimbun: 2,572,000
- Nihon Keizai Shimbun: 1,731,000
- Nikkan Sports: 1,661,828
- Shizuoka Shimbun: 1,479,000
- Sankei Shimbun: 1,330,000
- Hokkaido Shimbun: 1,896,594
Norway
The Norwegian Media Businesses' Association shares yearly circulation numbers for newspapers in Norway. In 2011, the most read newspaper was Aftenposten, based in Oslo, with 235,795 copies. It was followed by the tabloid Verdens Gang with 211,588 copies.
Turkey
As of August 2016, the top 6 best-selling newspapers in Turkey were:
- Hürriyet: 340,898
- Sözcü: 322,829
- Sabah: 313,989
- Posta: 302,919
- Habertürk: 253,256
- Milliyet: 143,577
United Kingdom
According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the newspaper with the highest paid circulation in the UK is the Daily Mail, with 800,110 copies as of November 2022.
United States
Newspapers were most popular in the 1940s in the US. However, fewer Americans started reading newspapers as radio, television, and later the internet became popular. The total number of newspapers circulated kept growing until the 1970s. It stayed steady until the 1990s, when the numbers started to drop.
Newspaper circulation numbers are reported to the Alliance for Audited Media. The best-selling newspapers in America, based on daily average circulation as of March 31, 2013, were:
- Wall Street Journal: 2,378,827 copies
- The New York Times: 1,865,318 copies
- USA Today: 1,674,306 copies
Overall, for 593 newspapers that reported their numbers, daily circulation went down by 0.7 percent between March 2012 and March 2013. Sunday circulation dropped by 1.4 percent in the same time.
See also
- List of newspapers by circulation
- List of magazines by circulation
- Newspaper delivery: This is how newspapers get to readers. The circulation department of a newspaper handles subscriptions and delivers the print copies. This often involves people driving routes or traditional "paper boys" delivering newspapers.
