The Manchester Evening News has come out ‘top’ of the H2 2022 ABC circulation figures, although the latest numbers make depressing reading all round.
The ABC figures for July to December 2022 have again shown an across-the-board decline in circulation for all registered regional dailies, with the two per cent drop at the Manchester Evening News the lowest when compared with the same period in 2021.
The MEN recorded an average daily circulation of 11,726 for the period, down from 11,964 for the same period in 2021 – the ABC figures do not include free copies or digital copies as many titles do not record these figures, so that could perhaps bring some cheer to the numbers among those who are party to the figures.
Among other Northern titles, the next ‘best’ performing for the period were the York Press, with a 16 per cent drop for the period to 6,075, and the Yorkshire Evening Post, which dropped 17 per cent to 4,389.
The Hull Daily Mail fared the worst out of Northern titles that supplied figures for both the 2021 and 2022 periods, with a 28 per cent drop to 8,393.
A number of other titles only supplied 2022 figures, including several Newquest titles that only returned to the ABC fold last year.
Several other titles only provided full-year figures, but the numbers made no brighter reading here. Among this group, the ‘best’ results nationally came for the Western Morning News, with a 17 per cent drop to 7,326. Among our own regional titles, the best results were at the North Wales Daily Post, with an 18 per cent slide to 10,292 and the Newcastle Journal and Sunderland Echo, which both marked a 19 per cent drop, to 3,975 and 4,580 respectively.
The prize for highest circulation nationwide went to the Aberdeen Press and Journal, with an average sales of 23,982 during the second half of 2022, although this itself represented a decline of 13 per cent.
The ABC figures include paid-for single print copies, paid-for multiple copies, or bulks, and paid-for subscriptions. As previously noted, copies freely distributed and digital editions are not included.
