The Hindu : International : World press trends are mixed, Asia tops

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Thursday, Jun 08, 2006

International

International

World press trends are mixed, Asia tops

A billion daily newspaper readers worldwide; Asia has 70 per cent of world's best-selling dailies

Moscow: Newspaper circulations worldwide rose slightly in 2005 while newspaper advertising revenues showed the largest increase in four years, according to a press release from the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). WAN said global newspaper sales were up 0.56 per cent over the year, and had increased 6 per cent over the past five years. Much of the sales growth last year was again in Asia.

When free dailies are added to the paid newspaper circulation, global circulation increased 1.21 per cent last year, and 7.8 per cent over the past five years. Free dailies now account for 6 per cent of all global newspaper circulation and 17 per cent in Europe alone.

Advertising revenues in paid dailies were up 5.7 per cent last year from a year earlier, and up 11.7 percent over five years, WAN reported. No figures were available for free daily advertising revenues.

A highlight of WAN's latest survey of world press trends: 70 of the world's 100 best-selling dailies are now published in Asia - with China, Japan, and India accounting for 62 of them. Other highlights: the Japanese have surpassed the Norwegians as the world's greatest newspaper buyers, with 634 daily sales per thousand adults in Japan and 626 per thousand in Norway. The Belgians spend the most time with their newspapers - 54 minutes a day - followed by Ukrainians, 50 minutes, and Canadians, 49 minutes.

"Overall, the audience for newspapers keeps on growing, both in print and online," said Timothy Balding, Chief Executive Officer of the Paris-based WAN. "Newspapers are increasing their reach through the exploitation of a wide range of new distribution channels, ranging from daily free newspapers to online editions. They are proving to be incredibly resilient against the onslaught of a wide range of media competition."

The new data, from WAN's annual survey of world press trends, was released recently to more than 1,700 publishers, editors, and other senior newspaper executives from 110 countries attending the 59th World Newspaper Congress and 13th World Editors Forum in Moscow.

The survey, which WAN has published annually since 1986, includes this year information on all countries and territories where newspapers are published — 216.

Largest markets

More than 439 million people buy a newspaper every day, up from 414 million in 2001. Average readership is estimated to be more than one billion people each day. The five largest markets for newspapers are: China, with 96.6 million copies sold daily; India, with 78.7 million copies; Japan, with 69.7 million copies; the United States, with 53.3 million; and Germany, 21.5 million. Sales increased in China and India and declined in Japan, the United States, and Germany in 2005.

Circulation sales were up 1.7 per cent in Asia in 2005 over the previous year; up 3.7 per cent in South America; up 0.2 per cent in Africa; down 0.24 per cent in Europe; down 2.5 per cent in North America; and down 2 per cent in Australia and Oceania. The North American declines were primarily in evening newspapers.

The circulation of U. S. dailies fell 2.35 per cent in 2005 and 4.02 per cent over five years. Most of the decline came in evening dailies, which saw a year-on-year circulation decline of 6.6 per cent, compared with 1.6 per cent for morning dailies. Over the past five years, evening dailies declined 17.5 per cent, compared with a 1.4 per cent drop for morning newspapers.

In Japan, newspaper sales fell by 0.97 per cent in 2005. Over five years, sales were down 2.81 per cent. In China, newspaper sales continue to perform well, up 8.9 and 18 per cent over one and five years. Indian newspaper sales increased 7 per cent in 2005 and 33 per cent in the five-year period. Elsewhere in Asia, sales in Singapore were down 0.2 per cent last year and down 3.9 per cent over five years, and Malaysian sales were up 5.44 per cent year-on-year and 14.63 per cent over five years.

In Latin America, where it has been difficult to obtain reliable data, Brazilian newspaper sales were up 4.09 per cent in 2005 but down 11.4 percent over five years. Chile reported sales increases of 0.33 per cent last year.

On advertising

Global newspaper advertising revenues saw their biggest increase in four years and were up 5.7 per cent in 2005, following a 5.28 per cent increase in 2004.

Newspapers' share of the world ad market held relatively steady with 30.2 per cent, marginally down from 30.3 per cent in 2004. Newspapers remain the world's second largest advertising medium - after television - and are expected to retain this position for many years.

Newspaper advertising revenues in the U. S., by far the largest newspaper advertising market in the world, increased by 1.51 per cent in 2005 and 7 per cent over the last five years. China and India saw buoyant increases in newspaper advertising revenues. China had a growth of 19 per cent last year, and 128 per cent over five years. In India, the increase was 23.18 per cent over one year and 107.69 per cent over the last five.

Newspaper online consumption rose 8.71 per cent in 2005, and 200 per cent over the past five years. Internet advertising revenues continue to grow rapidly, and were up 24 per cent in 2005, the highest growth for five years. The number of newspaper web sites increased by 20 per cent in 2005.

Free dailies

A total of 169 free daily newspapers had a combined circulation of 27.9 million daily, with 18.6 million of those copies distributed in Europe. The size of the free daily market in several countries is impressive: in Spain, free daily distribution represents a huge 51 per cent of the market; in Portugal 33 per cent; in Denmark 32 per cent, and in Italy, 29 per cent.

Format changes

Twenty-eight more newspapers moved to tabloid format in 2005, and 85 have converted since 2001.

(WAN press release based on its annual survey of world press trends.)

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