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Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

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February 9, 2017updated 20 Feb 2023 11:02am

Magazine ABCs: Digital editions account for 2.5 per cent of UK mag sales with Economist leading the way

By Dominic Ponsford

Digital magazines accounted for 2.5 per cent of the total circulation audited by ABC in the second half of 2016.

ABC audited around 350 UK magazine titles with a total average per-edition circulation of 39.5m in the second half of 2016.

Digital editions (defined by ABC as digital versions which largely replicate the print edition) accounted for a further 1m in circulation (up from 750,000 in the same period a year ago).

The most popular digital edition by some margin is The Economist, which grew 4.9 per cent to 79,853. A digital edition subscription is included in the print and digital subscription bundle for The Economist, and when subscribers sign up to access just the website.

The next most poplar digital edition is available for free to members of the Camping and Caravanning Club.

Current affairs titles The Week, The Spectator and Time Magazine have the next three most popular digital editions.

UK magazine digital edition circulation for second half of 2016

Percentage year on year change and percentage actively purchased in UK and Ireland

Title Total YoY% UK ROI AP
The Economist – UK Edition 79,853 8.5 79,853
Camping and Caravanning 71,378 76.1
The Week Magazine 36,765 6.1
The Spectator excluding Australia 22,034 43.7 19,503
Time Magazine – EMEA (excluding BI/SA) 17,288 13.1
T3 17,274 -6.1 4,892
BBC History Magazine 16,469 5.9 6,295
Stuff 12,086 -1.1 4,237
New Scientist – Worldwide Sales   Excluding Australasia & US/Canada 11,961 17 8,840
BBC Good Food 10,987 5.3 4,927
The Economist – Latin America edition 10,927
Empire 10,558 -8.3 3,802
BBC Top Gear Magazine 10,487 -20.3 2,598
Men’s Health 9,879 36.2 5,780
GQ 9,395 -10.3 4,637
MacFormat 9,387 -2.6 3,305
Slimming World Magazine 8,345 -17.2 7,846
Vogue 8,232 -14.4 3,818
Time Magazine – British Isles (BI) 7,477 13.5 7,477
Women’s Health 7,237 57.4 3,614
Cosmopolitan 7,075 67.7 2,220
Total Film 7,069 -22.9 2,160
Gramophone 6,890 93.8 2,944
Esquire 6,772 50.6 2,995
Good Housekeeping 6,361 94.2 2,079
BBC Focus 6,356 2.4 3,507
Elle Decoration 6,338 47 1,281
N Photo 6,268 -6.4 938
What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision 6,083 17.9 1,205
National Geographic Magazine 6,069 1 6,069
Wired 6,021 -20.2 2,992
New Scientist – US/Canadian Sales 5,898 -6 97
HELLO! 5,870 17 3,970
Lonely Planet Traveller 5,858 37.2 975
Red 5,371 55.7 1,891
Car 5,301 28.2 1,121
Vanity Fair 5,298 -15 1,500
Digital Camera Magazine 5,161 -7.5 994
OK! Magazine 5,068 -7.9 1,104
Olive 4,737 30.2 1,195
Cycling Plus 4,650 -5.4 1,500
Grazia 4,616 1.3 2,253
What Car? 4,548 44.3 1,167
Country Living 4,527 72.4 930
Evo 4,401 1,241
New Scientist – Australasian Sales 4,364 9.3 2
Runner’s World 4,158 76.5 2,623
Elle (U.K.) 4,142 30.8 950
BBC Gardeners’ World 4,006 33.8 1,938
Photo Plus 3,985 -2.8 785
Glamour 3,956 19.5 2,272
Investors Chronicle 3,904 23.1 3,619
Fortune Magazine – Europe 3,655 19.4 1,139
Practical Photography 3,655 37.4 756
House Beautiful 3,647 259 527
Airliner World 3,551 -11.2 1,063
Closer 3,525 33.3 795
Q 3,508 7.5 1,050
Prima 3,433 334.6 544
Living etc 3,411 -10.9 1,396
Harpers Bazaar 3,402 36.6 588
BBC Easy Cook 3,386 50.1 670
Bike 3,366 24.8 1,176
F1 Racing (UK Edition) 3,355 -6 533
Playstation Official 3,351 4.8 1,392
Autocar 3,347 20.1 724
SFX 3,256 2 950
Autosport 3,116 -4.7 944
Four Four Two 2,952 1.4 948
Gardens Illustrated 2,851 22.2 614
PC Gamer 2,834 5.5 1,246
Woman & Home 2,719 -7.9 2,071
Grand Designs 2,681 11.9 2,017
Ride 2,663 50.3 1,288
New! 2,614 -35.1 604
Times Literary Supplement 2,609 640
Classic & Sports Car 2,593 23.2 400
Time Magazine – Southern Africa (SA) 2,578 40.5
Inside Soap 2,538 22.5 1,453
Heat 2,537 16.4 524
220 Triathlon 2,484 9.8 944
Motor Cycle News 2,373 25.2 1,095
Mojo 2,276 350
BBC Sky at Night 2,267 21.5 1,088
Cyclist 2,234 -5.8 1,229
Mountain Biking UK 2,165 -7.9 745
Conde Nast Traveller 2,081 17 532
Classic Cars 2,033 46.6 313
PC Pilot 1,973 -2.3 477
New Statesman 1,927 130.8 1,417
Uncut 1,901 -3.2 351
Homes & Gardens 1,900 11.6 906
Today’s Golfer 1,888 16.4 872
Reveal 1,885 136.8 492
Official Xbox 360 Magazine 1,846 -1.3 746
Yachting World 1,839 -13.6 428
Tatler 1,796 -17.4 567
Homes & Antiques 1,790 30.1 328
House & Garden 1,776 -0.7 454
BBC Music Magazine 1,775 48.3 397
Country Homes and Interiors 1,750 -5.5 585
Good Homes 1,746 2,671.40 1,424
Land Rover Owner International 1,746 23 482
Best 1,732 512 141
Doctor Who Magazine 1,721 14.7 606
HELLO! Fashion Monthly 1,699 843.9 1,633
Yachting Monthly 1,679 -6.8 800
Men’s Fitness 1,623 1,180
Prospect 1,608 7.4 1,128
Practical Classics and Car Restorer 1,607 53.6 304
Digital SLR Photography 1,571 -0.5 240
Airforces Monthly 1,563 -3.7 444
BBC Wildlife 1,560 12 569
Top Sante Health & Beauty 1,549 12.8 363
Jamie Magazine 1,545 -34.1 516
BBC Countryfile Magazine 1,529 41.6 382
Computeractive 1,527 6.4 1,349
Who Do You Think You Are? 1,513 126.5 392
Golf Monthly 1,510 -26.4 963
Performance Bikes 1,494 25.5 358
Practical Motorhome 1,450 65.9 225
World Of Interiors 1,446 4 225
Combat Aircraft Monthly 1,442 -2.8 216
Octane 1,442 -1.6 363
Practical Boat Owner 1,370 -5.4 593
Cycling Weekly 1,355 9 948
Amateur Photographer 1,331 5.1 618
PC Pro 1,321 -8.3 971
Hornby Magazine 1,319 5.9 940
Marie Claire 1,314 -27.6 830
Mountain Bike Rider 1,261 10.6 835
Star 1,242 -9.2 71
Men’s Running 1,217 11 211
Health & Fitness 1,212 -17.9 436
Ideal Home 1,183 2.3 893
Women’s Running 1,172 16 373
Look 1,143 -39.3 845
Real People 1,131 228.8 170
Practical Caravan 1,099 55.9 238
Flypast 1,075 0.7 449
World Soccer 1,072 -13.1 302
25 Beautiful Homes 1,046 -17.7 586
Motor Sport 1,032 -20.1 343
Motor Boat & Yachting 1,029 -6.7 442
No1 Magazine 1,008
The English Garden – UK Edition 1,003 114
Airfix Model World 994 1.2 421
You and Your Wedding 988 8.1 195
Air International 985 -10.2 185
Mother and Baby 936 17.3 392
The Lady 903 33.8 132
Web User 900 -3.4 629
Land Rover Monthly 895 -7.5 339
Perfect Wedding 884 26.8 624
Golf World 878 30.1 232
Aeroplane Monthly 861 -3.9 289
Bird Watching 817 255
Railway Magazine 710 12 506
My Weekly 706 26
Women’s Fitness 705 -28.4 341
Country Life 686 38.6 338
Rugby World 667 -37.9 551
Your Home 657 -18.7 560
The Oldie 602 10.3 57
Auto Express 596 359
Saga Magazine 594 -9.7 196
Kerrang! 557 118
Custom PC 542 292
Horse & Hound 536 -18.7 418
Rock Sound 481 24.9 213
Scots Magazine 431
Scottish Field 426 49 313
Buses Magazine 402 3.3 353
Britain at War 391 -6.2 190
The Field 363 -10.8 206
Computer Shopper 337 0.6 240
Motorsport News 331 27.3 123
Angling Times 318 38.9 192
Conde Nast Brides 240 -11.1 129
Your Family History 229 -43.3 98
Build It 181 13.1 161
The Caravan Club Magazine 163
Gurgle Magazine 72 -2.7 66
Ideal Homes Complete Guide to Xmas 31 -95.9 27

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