The Daily Star and The Daily Star on Sunday have boosted their year-on-year print sales by more than a quarter, the latest ABC figures show, by far the largest gain among national newspapers.
The tabloid sold 516,856 copies in July, up 25.5 per cent from 411,725 on the same month last year and about 3,000 more copies than last month.
The Daily Star halved its cover price in October from 40p to 20p.
The Sunday edition, which costs 50p, recorded the biggest rise, selling 28 per cent more copies than the same month last year, although it was down by about 1,000 copies on last month.
Among the broadsheets, the Times recorded a year-on-year rise of 14 per cent, selling 450,910 copies in July compared with 394,910 copies over the same period last year.
It also increased the number of bulk copies distributed from 72,403 last month to 73,970, the largest number distributed by a broadsheet title.
The i saw a year-on-year rise of 8 per cent, circulating 297,453 copies in July, of which 69,152 were bulks. It is the fourth consecutive month of growth since Johnston Press took ownership of the title.
Sunday tabloids the Sunday Mirror and the Sunday People, both published by Trinity Mirror, saw significant year-on-year decline, however.
The Sunday Mirror fell by 14.5 per cent year-on-year with sales at 694,597 copies for July, down from 813,023 on the same period last year.
The Sunday People was down 13 per cent on last year, with 270,449 copies sold last month.
Free daily City AM saw distribution fall by 4.5 per cent in July compared with the month before – the biggest drop among the national titles – and 9 per cent year-on-year, with 93,192 copies handed out last month compared with 102,270 during the same period last year.
Scotland’s Sunday Post, based in Dundee, was down 21 per cent year-on-year to 150,597 copies sold compared with 190,596 on the same month last year.
Earlier this month, two Sunday Post staff became the last reporters to leave Fleet Street.
UK national newspaper print circulations for July 2016 (source ABC):
| Title | Avg circ | % change month on month | % change year on year | Bulks |
| The Sun | 1,733,643 | -1.24 | -6.63 | 97,671 |
| Daily Mail | 1,551,430 | 0.2 | -4.69 | 76,910 |
| The Sun on Sunday | 1,471,784 | -0.5 | -4.75 | 101,249 |
| The Mail on Sunday | 1,355,760 | -0.4 | -4.91 | 70,343 |
| Metro (free) | 1,346,013 | -0.16 | 0.22 | |
| London Evening Standard (free) | 915,660 | 0.62 | 4.23 | |
| The Sunday Times | 775,188 | -3.87 | 1.53 | 71,914 |
| Daily Mirror | 773,190 | 0.32 | -9.73 | 45,000 |
| Sunday Mirror | 694,597 | -0.27 | -14.57 | 45,000 |
| Daily Star | 516,856 | 0.66 | 25.53 | |
| The Daily Telegraph | 488,436 | -1.58 | -0.21 | 21,290 |
| The Times | 450,910 | 0.39 | 14.18 | 73,970 |
| Daily Express | 422,440 | 0.33 | -1.71 | |
| The Sunday Telegraph | 378,603 | -1.12 | 1.68 | 25,336 |
| Sunday Express | 373,775 | 0.41 | -1.69 | |
| Daily Star – Sunday | 335,412 | -0.36 | 27.84 | |
| i | 297,453 | 1.1 | 7.72 | 69,152 |
| Sunday People | 270,449 | -0.94 | -13.16 | 7,000 |
| Financial Times | 194,692 | -2.34 | -6.03 | 21,229 |
| The Observer (Sunday) | 193,953 | -5.39 | 3 | |
| Sunday Mail | 178,594 | 0.74 | -13.21 | 3,843 |
| Daily Record | 166,591 | -0.76 | -10.93 | 4,967 |
| The Guardian | 166,493 | -3.05 | -1.11 | |
| Sunday Post | 150,597 | -0.83 | -20.99 | |
| City AM (free) | 93,192 | -4.57 | -8.88 |
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