Total circulation of the UK’s 420-odd paid-for weekly newspapers has declined fractionally year-on-year by 1.11 per cent.
Figures from ABC for the first six months of this year reveal that 63 titles put on sales year-on-year.
Among the top performers in terms of year-on-year growth were the Derry News – up 31 per cent to 6,406, the Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express up 27.9 per cent to 6,444 and the Tyrone Herald, up 17.1 per cent to 7,517.
Over the last decade weekly newspapers have been the most resilient section of the regional press and this time again they have far out-performed the evening market.
The top twenty fastest growing UK weekly newspapers –
(source ABC)
Derry News – Monday
6,406, up 31.0%
Hemsworth & South Elmsall Express
6,444, up 27.9%
Derry News – Thursday
7,517, up 17.1%
Tyrone Herald
6,334, up 16.1%
East Lothian News Series
4,454, up 13.2%
Hornsey Journal Series
6,046, up 9.5%
Epworth Bells
3,133, up 5.4%
Long Eaton Advertiser Series
5,704, up 5.0%
Midlothian Advertiser
7,297, up 4.6%
Pocklington Post
4,493, up 4.3%
Foyle News
2,742, up 4.1%
Holderness Gazette
4,730, up 3.6%
Exmouth Journal Series
8,273, up 3.5%
Wiltshire Times Series
19,934, up 3.5%
Penarth Times
6,223, up 3.4%
Garstang Courier
5,136, up 3.0%
Strathearn Herald
3,055, up 2.7%
Bicester Advertiser
5,896, up 2.6%
Fermanagh Herald
13,335, up 2.3%
Knaresborough Post
3,730, up 2.2%
Sidmouth Herald Series
7,283, up 2.1%
Central Fife Times & Advertiser
6,861, up 2.1%
Manx Independent
12,876, up 2.0%
Littlehampton Gazette
10,040, up 1.9%
The Ellon Times & East Gordon Advertiser
2,257, up 1.9%
Whitstable Times Series
5,334, up 1.8%
Denbighshire Free Press Series
7,246, up 1.8%
Skegness Standard Series
10,859, up 1.7%
Ilkley Gazette (Incorp. The Ilkley Free Press)
5,857, up 1.6%
Moffat News
1,176, up 1.6%
South Shropshire Journal Series
8,689, up 1.5%
Top fifty weeklies, ranked by total circulation (source ABC)
Kent Messenger Series 53,619
Mansfield Chad Series 47,212
Barnsley Chronicle 44,419
West Briton Series 41,872
Derbyshire Times Series 41,174
Hereford Times 40,484
Isle of Wight County Press 39,174
Essex Chronicle Series 37,664
Western Gazette Series 36,450
Chichester Observer Series 36,352
Warrington Guardian 36,091
Cumberland News Series 35,307
Doncaster Free Press 35,276
Rotherham & South Yorkshire Advertiser 34,912
Wakefield Express Series 34,205
Cornish Guardian Series 33,851
Kent and Sussex Courier Series 33,809
Surrey Advertiser Series 31,448
Westmorland Gazette 31,440
North Devon Journal Series 30,944
Falkirk Herald 30,548
Lynn News (Fri) Series 29,353
Bury Free Press Series 28,512
Darlington & Stockton Times Series 28,277
Hertfordshire Mercury Series 28,067
Chester Chronicle Series 27,959
Ayrshire Post Series 27,762
Wiltshire Gazette & Herald Series 27,275
Romford Recorder Series 27,222
The Kerryman Series 26,093
Western Telegraph Series 26,017
Tamworth Herald Series 25,430
Bucks Free Press Series 25,370
Oxford Times 25,178
The Sheffield Telegraph 25,112
Eastbourne Herald 24,933
Connacht Tribune 24,847
Pontefract & Castleford Express 24,709
Maidenhead Advertiser Series 24,522
Newbury Weekly News 23,780
Rochdale Observer (Sat) 23,597
Hamilton Advertiser Series 23,520
Bury Times Friday Series 23,122
Kentish Express Series 23,116
South London Press (Fri) 22,582
Glamorgan Gazette Series 22,388
Loughborough Echo Series 22,336
Limerick Leader (Weekend) Series 22,160
West Sussex County Times Series 22,147
Dunfermline Press & West of Fife Advertiser 21,852
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