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Worldwide sales of newspapers increased slightly last year, but their advertising revenues rose more sharply as the industry resisted competition from other media, according to a report published Monday by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).
"Overall, the audience for newspapers keeps on growing, both in print and online," Timothy Balding, chief executive officer of the Paris-based WAN told the organisation's annual congress here when unveiling its annual survey of world press trends.
"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."
Here are the main figures in the report:
- Sales of newspapers increased by 0.5 percent in 2005, and by six percent over the past five years.
- Newspapers' advertising revenues were up by 5.7 percent, the biggest increase for four years. The revenues were up by 11.7 percent over five years.
- The increase in sales is largely accounted for by sales in Asia.
- 439 million newspapers are sold every day, against 414 million in 2001, while more than one billion people read a newspaper.
- 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 six percent of all global newspaper circulation and 17 percent in Europe alone.
- The number of dailies sold in the world dropped by 0.3 percent in 2005 but has increased by 8.1 percent since 2001.
- 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 biggest markets for newspapers are China (96.6 million sold every day), India (78.7 million) Japan (69.7 million), the United States (53.3 million) and Germany (21.5 million).
- The distribution of daily newspapers increased in 35 percent of the 216 countries studied (28 percent over five years).
- On a continental basis sales increased in Asia by 1.7 percent compared to 2004, in Latin America by 3.7 percent and in Africa by 0.2 percent. They dropped in Europe by 0.2 percent, in North America by 2.5 percent, in Australia and Oceania by two percent.
- In the 25-nation European Union sales were slightly down (0.6 percent) in 2005, and by 5.2 percent over five years.
- In the United States the sales of dailies, especially evening papers, dropped by 2.3 percent (four percent in five years).
- In China sales increased by 8.9 percent and eighteen percent over five years.
- In Russia the number of dailies has increased to 491 from 485 en 2004, although reliable figures are not available.
- In Latin America, especially Brazil, sales were up four percent, but dropped 11.4 percent over a five year period.
- Indian newspaper sales increased seven percent in 2005 and 33 percent in the five-year period.
- In Japan sales dropped by 0.9 percent. That did not stop the Japanese from unlodging Norwegians as the world's biggest buyers of newspapers. Finland and Sweden come in second and third place.
- As regards advertising receipts more than 20 countries increased their takings, especially South Africa, Germany, China (19 percent),the United States (1.5 percent), India (23.1 percent), Russia (16 percent).
- Use of online newspapers increased by 8.7 percent in 2005 and by 200 percent over five years.
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AFP 051417 GMT 06 06
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