The Brighton Argus recorded the lowest circulation decline among regional daily newspapers over the first six months of 2018, new ABC figures show.
The Newsquest-owned title had a circulation of 10,212 at the end of June, down 2 per cent year-on-year.
The Ipswich Star, owned by Archant, saw the biggest decline during the period, falling 37 per cent year-on-year to 6,001.
Ipswich Star editor Brad Jones said: “The 37 per cent decrease year-on-year is due to us uncoupling the Ipswich Star and free Ipswich Advertiser into two products that serve the needs of our readers and advertisers in a much better way.
“The actively purchased Ipswich Star copy sales are actually down 10 per cent year on year.”
Other big drops were recorded at Reach’s Cambridge News, down 33 per cent to 8,005, and Johnston Press’ Yorkshire Evening Post, down 32 per cent to 10,332.
DC Thomson’s Aberdeen Press and Journal remains the top-selling regional daily, with a circulation of 45,935, down 7 per cent year-on-year.
Regional daily newspaper ABC figures Jan-June 2018 (print and digital edition combined):
| Publication | ABC Total | Year-on-year % change | Paid Multiple Copies | Free copies |
| Aberdeen – Press & Journal | 45,935 | -7% | 385 | |
| Express & Star (West Midlands) | 42,208 | -18% | 6,783 | |
| Manchester Evening News | 36,715 | -13% | 15,983 | |
| Belfast Telegraph | 35,931 | -9% | 2,038 | 7,059 |
| Liverpool Echo | 35,038 | -16% | 10 | 334 |
| Dundee – The Courier | 34,260 | -8% | 200 | |
| Irish News – Morning | 33,647 | -7% | 184 | |
| Norwich – Eastern Daily Press | 26,788 | -15% | ||
| The Herald | 24,265 | -12% | ||
| The Sentinel | 22,047 | -12% | 197 | |
| Hull Daily Mail | 21,813 | -14% | 41 | |
| Shropshire Star | 21,736 | -13% | 862 | |
| Leicester Mercury | 21,130 | -17% | 428 | 1,943 |
| Aberdeen – Evening Express | 21,003 | -12% | 46 | |
| Leeds – Yorkshire Post | 20,820 | -10% | 1,294 | |
| Newcastle Chronicle | 20,756 | -17% | ||
| Darlington – The Northern Echo | 20,323 | -10% | ||
| Glasgow – Evening Times | 19,130 | -15% | ||
| The Scotsman | 17,013 | -20% | 3,274 | |
| Derby Telegraph | 16,785 | -11% | 456 | 1,547 |
| South Wales Evening Post | 16,590 | -16% | 32 | |
| Teesside Gazette | 16,204 | -18% | ||
| Southend – Basildon – Canvey – Echo | 15,978 | -11% | 3 | |
| Birmingham Mail | 15,367 | -15% | ||
| Nottingham Post | 14,814 | -14% | 34 | 2,400 |
| Portsmouth – News & Sports Mail | 14,767 | -18% | ||
| Plymouth – The Herald | 13,833 | -12% | 60 | |
| Southampton – Southern Daily Echo | 13,665 | -13% | ||
| Sheffield Star | 13,658 | -14% | ||
| News Letter | 13,374 | -10% | 125 | |
| Ipswich – East Anglian Daily Times | 13,263 | -11% | ||
| The Post | 13,102 | -24% | 85 | |
| Cardiff – South Wales Echo | 12,649 | -12% | ||
| Dundee Evening & Weekend Telegraph | 12,368 | -12% | 17 | |
| York – The Press | 11,922 | -15% | 151 | |
| Bournemouth – The Daily Echo | 11,521 | -10% | ||
| Coventry Telegraph | 11,438 | -19% | ||
| Bradford – Telegraph & Argus | 11,204 | -16% | 168 | |
| Leeds – Yorkshire Evening Post | 10,322 | -32% | ||
| The Argus Brighton | 10,212 | -2% | 61 | 1,137 |
| South Wales Argus | 9,362 | -12% | 138 | 379 |
| Oxford Mail | 9,038 | -9% | 1 | |
| Dorset Echo | 8,700 | -14% | ||
| Swindon Advertiser | 8,481 | -7% | 37 | 320 |
| Lancashire Post | 8,394 | -15% | ||
| Colchester – Daily Gazette | 8,232 | -14% | 2 | |
| The Bolton News | 8,166 | -12% | ||
| Lancashire Telegraph – Blackburn | 8,149 | -23% | 466 | |
| Cambridge News | 8,005 | -33% | 339 | |
| Norwich – Evening News | 6,765 | -17% | ||
| Ipswich Star | 6,001 | -37% | 351 | |
| Worcester News | 5,995 | -13% | ||
| The Mail | 5,287 | -25% | ||
| Carlisle – News and Star East | 4,723 | -23% | ||
| Paisley Daily Express | 4,378 | -7% | ||
| Carlisle – News and Star West | 1,753 | -22% |
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
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