Sales of Private Eye rose to an 18-year-high as the fortnightly satirical title maintained its place as the top-selling UK current affairs magazine in the second half of 2009.
According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, its average sale in the period was 210,218, up 3.4 per cent year on year.
Commenting on the rise in sales editor Ian Hislop said: "It seems the Eye's circulation figures are a bit like John Terry's shorts. In the past they may have been down, but now they are firmly up again."
The Economist put in another robust performance in the UK, up 1.2 per cent to 189,201.
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And despite the recession MoneyWeek put in a strong showing up 10.4 per cent to 42,953.
Dennis-owned news digest publication The Week continues its rise and rise, up 9.8 per cent this time to 169,690.
Overall current affairs continues to be one of the more robust magazine sectors in terms of circulation.
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One of the few fallers was The Spectator, which dropped 8.9 per cent year on year to 70,300. It introduced a paywall for accessing content from the magazine online in September, but this does not appear to have helped print edition sales.
Reed Business Information's science weekly New Scientist also had a relatively disappointing period – down 7.5 per cent to 101,060 for sales excluding US and Australasia.
Current affairs magazine sales (with percentage change year on year)
Business and finance
The Economist – United Kingdom Edition ; 189,201 ; 1.2%
Fortune Magazine – Europe ; 106,890 ; 0.9%
Business Life ; 95,697 ; -3.3%
MoneyWeek ; 42,953 ; 10.4%
Investors Chronicle ; 30,006 ; -1.4%
The Economist – Middle East/Africa Edition ; 28,760 ; 2.1%
Domestic
Private Eye ; 210,218 ; 3.4%
The Week ; 169,690 ; 9.8%
Spectator ; 70,300 ; -8.9%
The Oldie ; 35,965 ; 14.6%
Prospect ; 28,446 ; 3.0%
History Today ; 22,501 ; -3.5%
International
Time Magazine – British Isles (BI) ; 130,264 ; -3.0%
New African ; 47,094 ; -2.0%
The Middle East ; 24,137 ; -4.3%
African Business ; 23,232 ; -11.7%
Science
New Scientist – Worldwide Sales Excluding Australasia & US/Canada ; 101,060 ; -7.5%
New Scientist – US/Canadian Sales ; 25,508 ; -18.8%
New Scientist – Australasian Sales ; 24,756 ; -4.6%
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