WAN said global newspaper sales were up +0.56 percent over the year, and had increased +6 percent over the past five years. Much of the sales growth last year was again in Asia.

When free dailies are added to the paid newspaper circulation, global circulation increased +1.21 percent last year, and +7.8 percent over the past five years. Free dailies now account for 6 percent of all global newspaper circulation and 17 percent in Europe alone.

Advertising revenues in paid dailies were up +5.7 percent last year from a year earlier, and up +11.7 percent over five years, WAN said. No figures were available for free daily advertising revenues.

"Overall, the audience for newspapers keeps on growing, both in print and online," said Timothy Balding, Chief Executive Officer of the Paris-based WAN. "Newspapers are increasing their reach through the exploitation of a wide range of new distribution channels, ranging from daily free newspapers to online editions. They are proving to be incredibly resilient against the onslaught of a wide range of media competition."

The new data, from WAN’s annual survey of world press trends, was released to more than 1,700 publishers, editors and other senior newspaper executives from 110 countries attending the 59th World Newspaper Congress and 13th World Editors Forum in Moscow, Russia. The main figures showed:

  Paid circulation grew +0.56 percent worldwide in 2005 from a year earlier, taking global sales to a new high of 439 million daily. With free dailies added, daily circulation increases to 464 million, a +1.21 percent increase from the total of paid and free dailies in 2004.

  The total number of paid-for daily titles was down 0.3 percent in the world in 2005 and up 8.1 percent since 2001. The total number of paid and free titles increased by +0.06 percent in 2005 and by +8.9 percent since 2001.

  2005 saw the best advertising performance in four years, with a revenue increase of 5.7 percent.

  The audience for newspaper web sites continued to grow and was up by+8.71 percent in 2005 and +200 percent over the past five years.

The survey, which WAN has published annually since 1986, this year includes information on all countries and territories where newspapers are published -- 216.

The 2006 World Press Trends report reveals:

On circulation

  Paid daily newspaper circulations were up in 35 percent of the countries surveyed in 2005. Over the past five years, newspaper circulations were up in 28 percent of the countries surveyed. For non-dailies, 54 percent of the countries reports year-on-year increases, while 36 percent reported increases in Sunday circulations.

  More than 439 million people buy a newspaper every day, up from 414 million in 2001. Average readership is estimated to be more than one billion people each day.

  Seven of 10 of the world’s 100 best selling dailies are now published in Asia. China, Japan and India account for 62 of them.

  The five largest markets for newspapers are: China, with 96.6 million copies sold daily; India, with 78.7 million copies daily; Japan, with 69.7 million copies daily; the United States, with 53.3 million; and Germany, 21.5 million. Sales increased in China and India and declined in Japan, United States and Germany in 2005.

  Circulation sales were up +1.7 percent in Asia in 2005 over the previous year, up +3.7 percent in South America, up +0.2 percent in Africa, down -0.24 percent in Europe, down -2.5 percent in North America and down -2 percent in Australia and Oceania. The North American declines were primarily in evening newspapers.

  Daily paid newspapers in the European Union saw a -0.61 percent drop in circulation in 2005, and -5.26 percent over five years. When free dailies are added, year-on-year circulation increased +1.34 percent and five-year circulation grew +0.05 percent.

Newspapers in seven European Union countries increased their total circulation in 2005. They were: Austria +0.42 percent, Czech Republic +4.88 percent, Ireland +2.16 percent, Italy +0.03 percent, Poland +9.80 percent, Slovenia +19.44 percent, and the United Kingdom, +0.05 percent.

Those reporting losses were: Belgium -1.35, Denmark -2.64, Estonia -0.39, Finland -0.67, France - 1.6, Germany -2.5, Greece -4.05, Hungary -0.68, Latvia -2.25, The Netherlands - 3.67, Portugal -3.88, Slovakia - 4.17, Spain 0.94, and Sweden -1.34.

Over the five years 2001-2005, circulation rose in five countries: Austria +0.09 percent, Czech Republic +0.87 percent, Ireland +28.91 percent, Latvia +1.46 percent, and Poland +21.63 percent.

In the same period, circulation declined in: Belgium -4.25 percent, Denmark -11.4 percent; Estonia -0.78 percent; Finland -2.99 percent; France -7.38 percent; Germany -9.63 percent; Greece -11.62 percent; Hungary -12.31 percent; Italy -5.25 percent; Netherlands -10.58 percent; Slovakia -8.55 percent; Spain -1.73 percent; Sweden -2.23 percent and the United Kingdom -9.85 percent.

Elsewhere in Europe, circulation in 2005 increased +11.92 percent in Turkey and +7.59 percent in Croatia. It declined -2.78 percent in Norway, and -3.26 percent in Switzerland.

Over five years, the decline was -7.48 percent in Norway, -8.69 percent in Switzerland and -16.63 percent in Croatia, while it climbed +52.48 percent in Turkey.

  The circulation of US dailies fell -2.35 percent in 2005 and -4.02 percent over five years. Most of the decline came in evening dailies, which saw a year-on-year circulation decline of -6.6 percent, compared with only -1.6 percent for morning dailies. Over the past five years, evening dailies declined -17.5 percent, compared with a -1.4 percent drop for morning newspapers.

  In Japan, newspaper sales fell by -0.97 percent in 2005. Over five years, sales were down -2.81 percent.

  China newspaper sales continue to perform well, up +8.9 and +18 percent over one and five years.

  In Russia, the number of daily titles grew: from 485 in 2004 to 491in 2005, an increase of +1.2 percent. No reliable circulation figures exists for the Russian press as a whole.

  In Latin America, where it has been difficult to obtain reliable data, Brazilian newspaper sales were up + 4.09 percent in 2005 but down -11.4 percent over five years. Chile reported sales increases of 0.33 percent last year.

  Indian newspaper sales increased 7 percent in 2005 and 33 percent in the five-year period.

  Elsewhere in Asia, sales in Singapore were down -0.2 percent last year and down -3.9 percent over five years, and Malaysian sales were up +5.44 percent year-on-year and +14.63 percent over five years.

  Australia recorded a decline of -2.23 percent in sales in 2005, while New Zealand newspaper sales were down -1.35 year-on-year and down -4.58 percent over five years.

  The Japanese have surpassed the Norwegians as the world’s greatest newspaper buyers, with 634 daily sales per thousand adults in Japan and 626 per thousand in Norway. Finland comes next with 518 followed by Sweden with 481.

  The Belgians spend the most time with their newspapers -- 54 minutes a day -- followed by Ukrainians, 50 minutes, and Canadians, 49 minutes.

On New Titles

  The total number of paid daily titles was down -0.3 percent in the world in 2005 and up +8.1 percent since 2001, taking the total to nearly 7,700 dailies. When free dailies are added, the number of titles increase +0.06 percent year-on-year, to 7,862, and +8.9 percent for five years.

  The number of paid daily titles was up +4.5 percent in Africa, +1.4 percent in South America, and +1.2 percent in Australia and Oceania. The number of titles declined -1.2 percent in Europe, -0.4 percent in North America. and -0.3 percent in Asia.

On advertising

  Global newspaper advertising revenues saw their biggest increase in four years and were up +5.7 percent in 2005, following a +5.28 percent increase in 2004.

  Newspapers share of the world ad market held relatively steady with 30.2 percent, marginally down from 30.3 percent in 2004. Newspapers remain the world’s second largest advertising medium, after television, and are expected to retain this position for many years.

Twenty-one countries saw newspaper advertising market share growth in 2005: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Panama, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Over five years, newspapers in 24 countries and territories saw increased market share: Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Greece, Iceland, India, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia and Slovenia.

  Newspaper advertising revenues in the USA, by far the largest newspaper advertising market in the world, increased by +1.51 percent in 2005 and +7 percent over the last five years.

  In Japan, ad expenditures declined in 2005 by -1.7 percent after showing positive growth in 2004 after three years of decline.

  China saw increase in advertising revenues of 19 percent last year, and +128 percent over five years.

  Newspaper markets in the European Union saw a +4.15 percent increase in newspaper advertising revenues in 2005, and a +37.3 percent increase over five years.

Thirteen of 17 countries for which data was available showed increases in advertising revenue in 2005: Belgium +11.5 percent, Czech Republic +6.38 percent, Denmark +9.45 percent, Estonia +17.86 percent, Finland +1.57 percent, France +0.89 percent, Hungary +6.79 percent, Ireland +12.35 percent, Italy +1.98 percent, Latvia +9.45 percent, Poland +4.36 percent, Spain +6.93, and Sweden +5.6 percent,

Newspaper advertising revenue declined in Greece (-1.92 percent), Lithuania (-7.04 percent), Netherlands (-1.6 percent), and the United Kingdom (-3.08 percent).

Over five years, advertising revenues were up in 10 of the countries for which data was available: the Czech Republic +48.99 percent, Denmark +6.09 percent, Estonia +47.32 percent, Finland +4.64 percent, Greece +18.05 percent, Hungary +39.3 percent, Latvia +43.3 percent, Lithuania +29.41 percent, Netherlands 20 percent, and Poland +92.8 percent,

Advertising revenues declined in the five-year period in four EU countries for which data was available; France -4.66, Italy - 3.1 percent, Sweden -0.41 percent, and the United Kingdom -2.5 percent.

  In Russia, advertising revenues for all print media increased +16 percent in 2005.

  In India, newspaper advertising revenues increased +23.18 percent over one year and +107.69 percent over the last five. South Africa also saw remarkable gains -- +20.71 percent over one year and 232.23 percent over five years. Turkey’s percentage gains were even higher -- +39.14 percent in 2005 and +236.61 percent over the past five years.

  In Australia revenues were up +8.14 percent over one year and +10.46 percent over five years.

Internet

  Newspaper online consumption rose +8.71 percent in 2005, and +200 percent over the past five years.

  Internet advertising revenues continue to grow rapidly, and were up 24 percent in 2005, the highest growth for five years.

  The number of newspaper web sites increased by 20 percent in 2005.

Free Dailies

  A total of 169 free daily newspapers had a combined circulation of 27.9 million daily, with 18.6 million of those copies distributed in Europe.

  The size of the free daily market in several countries is impressive: in Spain, free daily distribution represents a huge 51 percent of the market; in Portugal 33 percent; in Denmark 32 percent, and in Italy, 29 percent.

Format Changes

  Twenty-eight more newspapers moved to tabloid format in 2005, and 85 have converted since 2001.

  The World Press Trends 2006 edition is now available here or by contacting the World Association of Newspapers, 7 rue Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00, Fax +33 1 47 42 49 48. E-mail: contact_us@wan.asso.fr.

In addition to much more data, country by country, the 700-page publication includes information on:

Non-daily publications, which in some markets are performing better than dailies;

Advertising expenditure forecasts for newspapers and magazines, together with total spending forecasts, for 2005, 2006 and 2007;

Trends in format and cover price of daily newspapers; in colour capability; in media consumption, in display and classified advertising income, in distribution of sales between single copy and subscription;

Data on the top-selling titles in each country, the top sectors for advertising in newspapers and the major advertisers;

Information on the tax rates and conditions for the press, on subsidies, on ownership regulations, and more.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Portable telephone in Moscow from 2-8 June + 7 903 628 44 54. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr.