Newspaper circulations take another dip
MoS overtakes Sun on Sunday as paper sales decline
Circulations fell again year-on-year for Britain’s national newspapers, although many recorded gains in the run-up to the General Election.
The Mail on Sunday has become Britain’s biggest-selling Sunday newspaper, overtaking the Sun on Sunday which was launched to replace the now defunct News of the World.
However, the figure for the Mail title includes bulk copies. When stripped out, the Sun on Sunday is higher on paid-for sales.
The Mail on Sunday added 50,000 sales last month to 1,497,855, although this was down 3.5% year on year.
The Sun on Sunday’s average circulation for May was 1,469,195, down 14% year on year.
The Times was the best performing national daily newspaper with a 1.1% rise to 397,171. It was also the only title, daily or Sunday, to record a rise.
The worst performer was the Sunday People which saw circulation fall 15.1% to 318,139.
MoS’s achievement completes a daily-Sunday double as the Daily Mail now has a larger circulation than The Sun on a Saturday.
Rosemary Gorman, advertising director, Mail Newspapers, said: “Today’s ABC figures show that, as the market leaders on both Saturday and Sunday, the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday provide a comprehensive weekend communications proposition for advertisers.
Daily national newspaper circulations, May 2015:
| Newspaper | Average circulation, May 2015 | % change on April 2015 | Year on year % change | Bulks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Mirror | 868,992 | -1.42 | -9.01 | 45,000 |
| Daily Record | 193,907 | -1.50 | -11.08 | 4,961 |
| Daily Star | 417,538 | -0.58 | -11.89 | |
| The Sun | 1,809,240 | -2.61 | -13.07 | |
| Daily Express | 432,076 | -1.25 | -10.26 | |
| Daily Mail | 1,657,867 | 1.64 | -3.00 | 74,787 |
| The Daily Telegraph | 486,262 | 0.05 | -5.32 | |
| Financial Times | 210,481 | -0.95 | -4.64 | 22,720 |
| The Guardian | 178,758 | 1.48 | -4.37 | |
| i | 280,074 | 1.50 | -3.03 | 67,448 |
| The Independent | 60,438 | 2.18 | -3.24 | 15,981 |
| The Times | 397,171 | 0.85 | 1.13 | 20,830 |
Sunday national newspaper circulations, May 2015
| Newspaper | Average circulation, May 2015 | % change on April 2015 | Year on year % change | Bulks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Star – Sunday | 253,813 | -0.17 | -13.17 | |
| The Sun on Sunday | 1,469,195 | -0.32 | -13.95 | |
| Sunday Mail | 212,057 | -1.73 | -12.77 | 3,822 |
| Sunday Mirror | 833,379 | 0.04 | -10.64 | 45,000 |
| Sunday People | 318,139 | -1.69 | -15.05 | |
| The Mail on Sunday | 1,497,855 | 3.50 | -3.30 | 67,823 |
| Sunday Express | 382,343 | -0.78 | -9.69 | |
| Sunday Post | 178,914 | -1.90 | -13.05 | |
| Independent on Sunday | 101,179 | 2.71 | -0.34 | 52,143 |
| The Observer | 202,824 | 3.26 | -3.56 | |
| The Sunday Telegraph | 380,922 | 2.72 | -5.90 | |
| The Sunday Times | 793,517 | -1.87 | -6.04 | 11,025 |
