• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, June 12, 2003

Worldwide Newspaper Circulation Impacted by Global Economies

A newly released survey, which the World Association of Newspapers has published annually since 1987, includes information on 70 countries, and was presented at the 56th World Newspaper Congress and 10th World Editors Forum in Dublin, Ireland. The study concludes that the downturn in the global economy after the boom years had a major but expected impact on the world newspaper industry, with both advertising revenues and circulation falling in many markets.

- Global newspapers circulation declined 0.35 percent in 2002 compared with a year earlier, the first decline recorded in five years.

- Daily newspaper advertising revenue fell for the second straight year, but only 0.52 percent compared about a -5 percent drop a year earlier.

- Internet consumption and advertising levels were much stronger than anticipated.

- Free newspapers have performed extremely well, with advertising revenues increasing 55 percent over five years, despite a small loss last year.

- Countries with success in reaching younger readers tended to perform well in overall circulation terms.

"Despite ferocious competition in the information and advertising marketplaces, newspapers continue to hold their own in a very difficult market," said Timothy Balding, Director General of WAN. "Newspapers continue to perform well and continue to be major players on the media landscape."

- Newspapers circulations were up in 28 percent of the countries surveyed year-on-year in 2002, and up in 35 percent of the countries from 1998-2002.

- The figures on newspaper reach, or readership, among adults find Sweden at the top with an 88 percent penetration rate followed by Singapore at 87 percent, Norway and Finland at 86 percent and Iceland at 80 percent.

- countries with high incomes tend to have high newspaper penetration.

You can find out more here.