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ABC Figures: All regional dailies fall in circulation

All the UK’s daily regional newspapers registered drops in circulation, according to the latest ABC figures published today.

However, the majority were single figure falls for the period January to end of June 2009, compared with the first six months of 2008.

  • See the full list of UK regional dailies here
  • Small number of weeklies buck downward sales trend
  • Websites continue to increase unique users
  • The Wolverhampton-based Express and Star continues to be the highest-selling regional daily in the UK with an average circulation of 128,836, down by 6.7pc.

    The Liverpool Echo’s circulation dropped by 10.1pc, from 102,488 down to 92,093, leaving the E&S as the only non-national daily newspaper registering a six-figure daily circulation.

    The Dorset Echo registered a fall of just 1.1pc, while the Northants Evening Telegraph (2.9pc), Irish News (2.3pc) and Guernsey Press and Star (2.7pc) all showed relatively small drops in circulation.

    A few papers showed double digital falls in circulation. The biggest hit was the Liverpool Daily Post which dropped 18.4pc, from 14,266 to 11,648.

    The Nottingham Evening Post and Yorkshire Evening Post both fell 13.6pc, while the Birmingham Mail saw circulation plummet by 14.6pc.

    Newcastle’s Evening Chronicle (11.1pc) and Glasgow’s Evening Times (12pc) also showed double figure falls.

    Aberdeen’s Press and Journal is Scotland’s biggest-selling regional daily title, with an average circulation of 77,006, down just 3.9pc on last year.

    Swansea’s South Wales Evening Post is Wales’ biggest-circulating daily, despite a drop of 10.1pc on the same period last year, with average daily sales of 46,069.

    And in Northern Ireland the Belfast Telegraph is the biggest-selling regional daily with 68,024 – a drop of 10.5pc on the same period last year.

    The Manchester Evening News has not appeared in the ABC six-monthly figures this time.

    The Guardian Media Group title announced last week it was suspending its membership of ABC because of a row about how its part paid-for, part-free circulation figures are monitored.

  • The London Evening Standard is now being audited as regional and not a national newspaper, therefore comparative figures are not available this time. Its average daily circulation is 236,075, with just over 60pc being paid for.
  • Comments

    j (02/09/2009 15:51:15)
    Saw a bizarre thing last night. Was on the Northern Line and saw, to my amazement, a half filled carriage with about 30% of the people reading the ES. A couple of years back, seeing someone read a ES was a very rare thing for me, so it was a bit bewildering to see so many yesterday! That’s all, carry on.