Newspapers around the world saw a 2.3 percent rise in circulation in 2006 and a growth in advertising revenue despite the rise of digital media, a report by a global industry body said on June 4.
Sales have increased 9.5 percent in the last five years, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) said in a report, while advertising revenues in paid dailies rose 3.8 percent last year and 15.8 percent since 2002.
When adding free dailies into the mix, global circulation grew 4.6 percent last year and 14.8 percent since 2002. "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," WAN chief executive officer Timothy Balding said.
"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 as the report was released at WAN's annual meeting in Cape Town. The report said North America was the only continent to show a decline in newspaper sales, with the US registering a 1.9 percent drop in daily circulation last year and just over five percent in the past five years. On the other end of the scale, South Africa saw sales grew by 8.2 percent last year and 43 percent since 2002.
"Newspapers in developing markets continue to increase circulation by leaps and bounds, and in mature markets are showing remarkable resilience against the onslaught of the digital media," said Balding. "Even in many developed nations the industry is maintaining or even increasing sales."
He stressed that newspapers were fully exploiting new opportunities presented by digital distribution channels to increase their audiences. The report said the number of paid-for dailies rose 3.5 percent last year to a new record of 11,207 titles.
More than 515 million people bought a newspaper every day, with average readership estimated at more than 1.4 billion people a day. China was the biggest newspaper market with 98.7 million copies sold daily, followed by India with 88.9 million, Japan with 69.1 million, the United States with 52.3 million and Germany with 21.1 million.
"The Japanese remain the world's greatest newspaper buyers with 630.9 daily sales per thousand adults," said the statement. "They are followed by Norway with 601.2 sales per thousand, Colombia with 587.7, Finland with 514.7 and Sweden with 466.2."
The Belgians spent the most time reading their newspapers, setting aside on average 54 minutes every day, followed by the Chinese, Finns and Brazilians at 48 minutes each.