Free daily the Metro is the UK’s most widely distributed newspaper, topping circulation figures for the third time this year, but the Sun remains Britain’s best-selling newspaper.
The Metro gave away 1,474,383 copies in June according to ABC figures published today. It was down 0.38 per cent year-on-year – the smallest fall of any national title last month.
Grant Woodthorpe, executive director for investment at Mail Metro Media, said: “June was another great performance for Metro and we are delighted to maintain our position as the largest distributed newspaper in the country.
“Extending the lead ahead of our nearest competitor is testament to the great product we put out every weekday morning to engage our young professional audience.”
The Sun fell 7.61 per cent year-on-year to a circulation of 1,451,584.
After the Metro, the publications seeing the smallest year-on-year print declines were the free Evening Standard, down 2.31 per cent to 886,328 and the Financial Times, down 5.03 per cent to 183,319.
The Daily Telegraph has had the biggest year-on-year change, down 23.43 per cent to a circulation of 370,613, but attributes this to its decision to stop selling bulk copies in January.
The Times fell 6.62 per cent year-on-year to 428,034.
UK national newspaper print circulation figures for June 2018 (source: ABC):
| Publication | Total circulation June 2018 | Year-on-year % change | Bulks |
| Metro FREE | 1,474,383 | -0.38 | |
| The Sun | 1,451,584 | -7.61 | 118,222 |
| Daily Mail | 1,264,810 | -12.19 | |
| The Sun on Sunday | 1,224,119 | -8.98 | 118,217 |
| The Mail on Sunday | 1,056,916 | -14.55 | |
| London Evening Standard FREE | 886,328 | -2.31 | |
| The Sunday Times | 721,808 | -8.87 | 84,468 |
| Daily Mirror | 562,523 | -12.21 | |
| Sunday Mirror | 475,976 | -14.36 | |
| The Times | 428,034 | -6.62 | 91,218 |
| The Daily Telegraph | 370,613 | -23.43 | |
| Daily Star | 364,448 | -14.48 | |
| Daily Express | 338,575 | -11.24 | |
| Sunday Express | 295,294 | -10.12 | |
| The Sunday Telegraph | 288,484 | -18.86 | |
| i | 248,234 | -8.4 | 59,598 |
| Daily Star – Sunday | 220,684 | -11.81 | |
| Sunday People | 183,784 | -18.19 | |
| Financial Times | 183,319 | -5.03 | 30,865 |
| The Observer | 166,317 | -13.78 | |
| The Guardian | 138,082 | -13.16 | |
| Sunday Mail | 131,716 | -14.15 | |
| Daily Record | 125,366 | -13.97 | |
| Sunday Post | 115,973 | -14.57 | 738 |
| City AM FREE | 85,848 | -5.97 |
UK news websites daily average unique browsers (source: ABC):
| Website | Daily Avg. Unique Browsers (June 2018) | Year-on-year % change |
| Mail Online | 12,622,077 | -18.07 |
| Reach digital (formerly Trinity Mirror) | 8,976,593 | -11.31 |
| The Sun | 5,410,691 | 2.44 |
| Metro | 1,689,148 | -36.89 |
Picture: Reuters/Peter Nicholls
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