August 31, 2012updated 13 Sep 2012 6:11pm

Regional press sales round-up: Wales, Scotland and NI

The Audit Bureau of Circulation released its latest circulation figures for regional newspapers this week. In the final instalment of our ABC analysis, here's a detailed breakdown of how papers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland performed in the first six months of the year.

ABC circulation figures for regional newspapers in Wales

Every Welsh daily saw their circulation in the first half of this year but the Daily Post reported the lowest rate of decline, falling 3.8 per cent year on year to 30,585.

Northcliffe's South Wales Evening Post was the worst-performing of the Welsh dailies, dropping 8.8 per cent year on year. It means the paper has now seen its circulation slip 20 per cent over the past four years.

On the weekly front, only two of the country's 26 titles managed to improve on their print circulation year on year: Newsquest's Campaign Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach & Bargoed (up 4 per cent) and the Weekly Argus (up 3.1 per cent to 19,775).

Trinity Mirror subsidiary Media Wales' weekly newspaper series in South Wales remain the worst-performing weeklies, all reporting double-digit losses.

The worst two were the Gwent Gazette, down 24.8 per cent to 4,628, and the Rhondda Leader, down 22.6 per cent to 6,422.

The slumps come after a series of cut-backs across the series in recent years, including seven senior reporters being laid-off last year.

Name of title, total circulation, percentage change year-on-year

Dailies

Cardiff – South Wales Echo – Evening : 30,178 ; -7.9%
Daily Post (Wales) : 30,585 ; -3.8%
The Leader (Wrexham, Flintshire & Chester) : 15,314 ; -5.1%
South Wales Argus – Evening : 21,437 ; -8.1%
South Wales Evening Post : 36,623 ; -8.8%
Wales – The Western Mail – Morning : 25,435 ; -5.6%

Non-dailies

Barry & District News : 5,012 ; -7.2%
Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald : 10,482 ; -6.4%
Campaign Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach & Bargoed : 28,932 ; 4.0%
Cardigan & Tivy-Side Advertiser : 6,486 ; -3.5%
Carmarthen Journal : 14,775 ; -12.6%
County Times and Express : 14,921 ; -1.9%
Cynon Valley Leader : 5,136 ; -22.1%
Denbighshire Free Press : 6,579 ; -0.7%
The Flintshire Standard : 19,983 ; -11.7%
Free Press – Monmouth : 5,714 ; -9.0%
Glamorgan Gazette : 12,917 ; -15.0%
Gwent Gazette : 4,628 ; -24.8%
Holyhead and Bangor Mail : 9,038 ; N/A
Llanelli Star : 12,532 ; -4.2%
Merthyr Express : 9,975 ; -16.3%
Milford & West Wales Mercury : 3,383 ; -7.2%
North Wales Chronicle : 30,219 ; -0.4%
North Wales Pioneer : 25,252 ; -0.2%
North Wales Weekly News : 12,247 ; -7.5%
Penarth Times : 4,868 ; -4.2%
Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer : 5,606 ; -19.5%
Rhondda Leader : 6,422 ; -22.6%
The Rhyl, Prestatyn & Abergele Journal : 26,178 ; -9.4%
South Wales Guardian : 5,638 ; -7.7%
Wales on Sunday : 26,730 ; -1.8%
Weekly Argus : 19,775 ; 3.1%
Western Telegraph : 18,977 ; -6.4%
Wrexham Leader : 30,220 ; -8.9%

ABC circulation figures for regional newspapers in Scotland

Aberdeen's Press & Journal emerged as the best-performing daily newspaper in Scotland in the first half of 2012 despite circulation dropping 3.4 per cent to 68,659.

It was followed by the Dundee Evening Telegraph (down 4.8 per cent to 22,469) and the Greenock Telegraph (down 6.1 per cent to 13,470.

The biggest drops were reported by Newsquest's Glasgow Evening Times (down 12.3 per cent to 45,942) and Johnston Press's Edinburgh Evening News, which fell 10.9 per cent to 35,611.

Eight of Scotland's non-daily titles increased circulation in the first half of the year, though just two of them were paid-for titles: the Border Telegraph rose 0.2 per cent to 3,532 and the Milngavie & Bearsden Herald was up 0.5 per cent to 5,374.

Free weekly the Paisley People saw the biggest year-on-year hike, up 32.3 per cent to 5,379.

Name of title, total circulation, percentage change year-on-year

Dailies

Aberdeen – Evening Express : 43,067 ; -10.0%
Aberdeen – Press & Journal : 68,659 ; -3.4%
Dundee Courier & Advertiser : 56,243 ; -9.3%
Dundee Evening Telegraph : 22,496 ; -4.8%
Edinburgh – Evening News : 35,611 ; -10.9%
Glasgow – Evening Times : 45,942 ; -12.3%
Greenock Telegraph : 13,470 ; -6.1%
Paisley Daily Express : 6,887 ; -8.6%

Non-dailies

Aberdeen Citizen : 53,059 ; -20.9%
Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser : 12,465 ; -7.8%
Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser : 7,387 ; 0.0%
Annandale Herald : 2,781 ; -1.7%
Annandale Observer : 5,762 ; -1.8%
The Arbroath Herald (inc Broughty Ferry, Carnoustie, Monifieth Guide & Gazette) : 8,118 ; -7.9%
Ayrshire Post : 20,042 ; -9.7%
Berwick Advertiser : 6,079 ; -7.5%
Berwickshire News & East Lothian Herald : 4,506 ; -7.7%
Blairgowrie Advertiser : 2,003 ; -4.3%
Border Telegraph : 3,532 ; 0.2%
Brechin Advertiser : 2,390 ; -9.2%
The Buchan Observer : 5,627 ; -5.3%
The Buteman : 2,644 ; -3.2%
Carrick Gazette : 2,078 ; -6.1%
Central Fife Times & Advertiser : 5,177 ; -6.4%
Cumbernauld News & Kilsyth Chronicle : 7,369 ; -11.1%
Deeside Piper : 4,782 ; -9.1%
Dumfries & Galloway Standard (Fri) : 12,717 ; -6.5%
Dumfries & Galloway Standard (Wed) : 7,347 ; -9.1%
Dumfries Courier : 22,411 ; 2.9%
Dunfermline Press & West of Fife Advertiser : 15,156 ; -3.3%
East Fife Mail : 8,765 ; -7.4%
East Kilbride News : 9,032 ; -4.0%
East Lothian Courier : 12,025 ; -2.8%
East Lothian News : 3,390 ; -6.2%
The Ellon Times and Inverurie Herald : 2,714 ; -8.5%
The Extra, Glasgow South & Eastwood : 29,999 ; 0.1%
Falkirk Herald : 22,230 ; -1.8%
Fife & Kinross Extra : 27,647 ; 2.7%
Fife Free Press : 13,801 ; -1.3%
Fife Herald News & St. Andrews Citizen : 10,743 ; -4.4%
Forfar Dispatch : 3,985 ; -11.3%
The Fraserburgh Herald : 4,171 ; -6.0%
The Galloway Gazette : 4,185 ; -6.4%
The Galloway News : 7,103 ; -5.5%
The Glaswegian : 52,482 ; N/A
Glenrothes Gazette : 4,967 ; -2.9%
Hamilton Advertiser : 17,618 ; -7.5%
Hawick News and Scottish Border Chronicle : 4,961 ; -1.9%
The Inverness Herald : 14,970 ; -2.6%
Irvine Herald and Kilwinning Chronicle : 7,693 ; -9.4%
Kilmarnock Standard (Ayrshire Weekly News and Irvine Valley News) : 14,126 ; -5.1%
Kirkintilloch Herald : 9,322 ; -4.5%
Lanark & Carluke Gazette : 9,137 ; -7.1%
Lennox Herald : 9,004 ; -3.7%
Linlithgowshire Journal & Gazette : 6,994 ; -5.1%
Mearns Leader and Kincardineshire Observer : 3,933 ; -7.3%
Midlothian Advertiser : 6,205 ; -0.2%
Milngavie & Bearsden Herald : 5,374 ; 0.5%
Moffat News : 1,000 ; -4.3%
Montrose Review : 3,727 ; -10.3%
Motherwell Times & Bellshill Speaker : 10,923 ; -6.0%
Northern Scot Mid Week Extra : 22,329 ; 0.1%
Orcadian : 9,263 ; -0.5%
Paisley People : 5,379 ; 32.3%
Peeblesshire News : 4,496 ; -4.0%
Perthshire Advertiser (Fri) : 11,639 ; -6.7%
Perthshire Advertiser (Tue) : 5,812 ; -8.4%
Rutherglen Reformer : 3,277 ; -4.5%
Southern Reporter : 13,953 ; -6.9%
Stirling News incorporating Alloa and Hillfoots Weekender : 18,028 ; 0.3%
Stirling Observer (Fri) : 3,098 ; -5.8%
Stirling Observer (Wed) : 7,322 ; -8.5%
Stornoway Gazette and West Coast Advertiser : 9,906 ; -4.7%
Strathearn Herald : 1,940 ; -5.0%
West Highland Free Press : 7,907 ; -3.9%
The West Lothian Courier : 11,613 ; -12.7%
Wishaw Press : 6,729 ; -10.5%

ABC Circulation figures for regional newspaper in Northern Ireland

Every daily and Sunday title saw circulation fall in the first half of 2012, according to figures released by ABC this afternoon.

The Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland's biggest-selling daily, was down 9.2 per cent to 53,847, while sales of the Irish News fell 3.6 per cent to 42,084 and the News Letter dropped 5.5 per cent to 22,198.

Circulation figures for the Sunday Life were down 11.5 per cent to 48,746 and the Sunday Journal fell 7.5 per cent to 2,375.

Of the 36 weekly papers audited by the ABC, nine saw circulation go up in the first half of the year – five of which are free titles.

Of the paid-for papers the Ballymena Times had the best-year-on-year figures, up 6.7 per cent to 3,499.

The Thursday edition of the Derry News, the Impartial Reporter and the Tyrone Times also reported increased sales.

Among the worst-performing weeklies were free title the Belfast News (down 31.1 per cent to 29,392), the Derry Journal Group (down 14.1 per cent to 46,451) and The Leader (down 11.3 per cent to 3,286).

Name of title, total circulation, percentage change year-on-year

Dailies/Sundays