Figures for newspaper usage, readership, circulation, and advertising spend relative to other media over the last ten years.
Ten year trend: key findings
Recent trends in newspaper readership (March 2005 - March 2010)
Note that the progressive introduction of a new readership question means that data from Sept 08 onwards is not comparable to previous periods.
Refer to this section of the downloable file for:
- Reading of national weekday newspapers
- Reading of national weekend newspapers
- Reading of metro weekday newspapers
- Reading of metro Saturday newspapers
- Reading of metro Sunday newspapers
- Reading of major regional newspapers
Recent trends in newspaper circulation (March 2005 - March 2010)
- Sales of national weekday newspapers have come off recent highs to the level of five years ago
- Sales of national weekend newspapers are higher than they were two or five years ago
- Sales of metro weekday newspapers have been resilient despite the economic downturn
- Sales of metro Saturday newspapers have been resilient despite the economic downturn
- Sales of metro Sunday newspapers are slightly lower than two years ago
- Sales of major regional titles have held up well over the last couple of years
Ad spend relative to other media (updated May 2010)
- Newspapers are the largest advertising medium in Australia. Total Calendar 2009 ad spend was $11,108 million (excluding classified directories; including NIMs).
- Newspapers take a fifth of national advertising. Total Calendar 2009 NATIONAL Ad Spend was $6,453 million.
- Newspapers take a majority of Australia’s classified advertising. Total Calendar 2009 CLASSIFIED ad spend was $1,541 million. (Excludes classified directories).
- Newspaper revenues have tracked the market over the last 5 years. Declines in the last year have been largely driven by economic/GFC factors rather than structural ones. All main media (other than online) have been impacted.
Ad spend: newspapers over time by title (updated May 2010)
- Metro and national titles account for half of all advertising in newspapers. Newspaper Calendar 2009 TOTAL Ad Spend was $3,471 million.
- Metro and national titles account for the majority of all national advertising in newspapers. Newspaper Calendar 2009 NATIONAL Ad Spend was $1,335 million.
- Regional and suburban titles account for over half of newspaper retail advertising. Newspaper Calendar 2009 RETAIL Ad Spend was $1,065 million.
- Metro and National dailies take over half of all newspaper classified advertising. Newspaper Calendar 2009 CLASSIFIED Ad Spend was $1,072 million.
- National and Retail newspaper advertising has held up well in the face of the GFC. Classified advertising was hardest hit by the GFC (particularly Employment and Automotive). Retail experienced a decline in the face of decreased discretionary income, while National declined only slightly.
- All newspaper categories grew ad revenue up until the economic downturn.
Sources:
Roy Morgan Single Source
Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC)
CEASA (Commercial Economic Advisory Service of Australia)
Readership & Circulation figures have been updated with data up to the quarter ending March 2010.
Ad Spend data updated May 2010.