The Irish News has maintained its position as the UK and Ireland’s best-selling regional daily newspaper, latest figures reveal.
Indeed the Irish News sold close to seven million papers last year – easily outstripping all other locally-produced Northern Ireland titles.
Figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), which monitors the sale of most publications in Britain and Ireland, show that in the second half of last year (July-December), the Irish News had an average overall daily circulation of 21,181.
That keeps the paper at the top of a UK league table ahead of the Aberdeen Press & Journal (20,542 daily sales), the Dundee Courier (15,737), Eastern Daily Press (11,778), Liverpool Echo (9,628) and Yorkshire Post (8,876).
It was the first full six-month period under the new editorship of the Irish News by Chris Sherrard, who succeeded Noel Doran into the role in February 2024.
The News Letter’s daily circulation currently averages 5,858 each day, while the Belfast Telegraph is among a number of titles which have chosen not to have their paper sales officially audited by the ABC.
IntoMedia Group chief executive Dominic Fitzpatrick said: “These latest figures reinforce the ongoing challenges faced by regional newspapers, but The Irish News continues to hold its position as the UK and Ireland’s top-selling regional daily, which is a testament to our readers’ trust and the dedication of our editorial and commercial teams.
“While circulation trends shift across the industry, our commitment to delivering quality, independent journalism remains as strong as ever. We will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our audience across both print and digital platforms.”
Annette McManus, chief marketing officer at IntoMedia Group, added: “At a time when the publishing landscape is rapidly changing, we’re incredibly proud that The Irish News has maintained its position as the best-selling regional daily.
“This result reflects not just the strength of our journalism, but the loyalty of our readers and advertisers.
“And as we look ahead, our priority remains clear: to innovate and ensure that trusted, high-quality news reaches our audience wherever and however they choose to engage with it.”
Regional dailies audited average daily circulation from July to December 2024:
- Irish News 21,181
- Press & Journal Aberdeen 20,542
- The Courier, Dundee 15,737
- Eastern Daily Press 11,778
- Liverpool Echo 9,628
- Express & Star 9,443
- Yorkshire Post 8,876
- Aberdeen Evening Express 8,457
- Shropshire Star 7,551
- The Northern Echo 7,528
- Essex Echo 6,885
- The Scotsman 6,698
- The Sentinel 6,513
- East Anglian Daily Times 5,904
- Newcastle Chronicle 5,880
- News Letter 5,858
- Manchester Evening News 5,827
- Southern Daily Echo 5,385
- Dundee Evening & Weekend Telegraph 5,007
- Leicester Mercury 4,997
- Portsmouth News 4,921
- Bournemouth Daily Echo 4,761
- The Press, York 4,607
- Derby Telegraph 4,536
- The Argus, Brighton 4,425
- South Wales Evening Post 4,212
- Hull Daily Mail 4,104
- Sheffield Star 4,081
- Birmingham Mail 3,965
- Dorset Echo 3,869