Statistical, Ecosystems and Competitiveness Analysis of the Media and Content Industries: The Newspaper Publishing Industry

The Newspaper Publishing Industry 
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4.2 
Economic health; turnover, circulation and employment 
4.2.1 Turnover 
The global newspaper publishing market in 2009 was estimated at USD 164 billion (PwC, 
2009). The United States (approx. USD 39 billion) and Japan (approx. USD 18 billion) are the 
largest newspaper publishing markets, followed by Germany (approx. USD 13 billion) and 
the United Kingdom (approx. USD 11 billion) (OECD, 2010). Based on PwC figures, the 
OECD estimates that, taken together, the EU27 has the largest turnover in the newspaper 
publishing industry, approximately USD 60 billion in 2006 (OECD, 2010). Given the fact that 
between 2006 and 2009, revenues in the newspaper industry generally have declined by an 
estimate of 14%, EU27 turnover in 2009 might be around USD 55 billion, approximately one 
third of the total global revenues (see Figure 22). In Figure 22, both absolute amounts (in 
billion USD) as percentages are shown. 
Figure 22: Newspaper publishing market in 2009, in billion USD and percentages
EU27; 55; 34%
USA; 39; 24%
Japan; 18; 11%
Australia; 4; 2%
Canada; 3; 2%
Other; 45; 27%
Source: TNO based on figures from EOCD, 2010 and PwC, 2009. 
So, while the newspaper publishing industry in the EY27 is declining, the EU as a whole still 
has the largest newspaper publishing industry, measured in turn-over, worldwide. 
4.2.2 Circulation 
In terms of circulation a somewhat different picture emerges. The Japanese newspaper 
Yomiuri Shimbun is the world’s largest paper – daily more than 10 million copies are printed. 
Europe is fairly underrepresented in the top-100 of largest newspapers (paid-for dailies). Of 
the top-100, 86% of the newspapers (measured in circulation) find their origin in Asia 
(predominantly in China - 25%, India – 22% and Japan - 17%), 10% in Europe and 4% in the 
United States (see Figure 23). In the top 10 of the world’s largest newspapers, two European 
newspapers are represented; the German newspaper Bild (3.3 million copies) and the English 
newspaper The Sun (2.9 million copies). US newspapers only have four newspapers in the top 
100 ranking (The Wall Street Journal - 2.0 million copies, USA Today - 1.9 million copies, 
The New York Times - 0.9 million copies and The Los Angeles Times - 0.7 million copies) 
(WAN IFRA, 2010).

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