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August 12, 2010updated 13 Sep 2012 5:09pm

Mag ABCs: Top current affairs titles all put on sales

By Dominic Ponsford

All of the top three biggest-selling news and current affairs magazines in the UK grew their sales in the first half of this year.

Fortnightly satire title Private Eye remained top, growing 0.5 per cent year on year to an average circulation of 207,680.

Weekly current affairs giant The Economist grew 4.2 per cent to 195,244 in the UK and The Week continued its blockbuster run of ABC increases rising 6.7 per cent to 176,680.

The January to June ABC audit period includes the May UK general election which is likely to have helped increase sales in the current affairs sector.

Barclay brothers-owned right of centre weekly, The Spectator, lost sales year on year for a third successive period. It has now dropped from an all-time peak of 77,146 in the first half of 2008 to the current total of 70,366.

High brow current affairs monthly Prospect was the fastest growing current affairs title in the first half of this year, up 10.3 per cent to 30,480.

UK current affairs magazine sales for the first half of 2010 (source ABC)

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Figures given are average sale and change year on year

Private Eye ; Pressdram Ltd ; 207,680 ; 0.5%

 

The Economist – United Kingdom Edition ; The Economist Newspaper Ltd ; 195,244 ; 4.2%

Newsweek – Europe Edition ; Newsweek Inc (UK Branch) ; 189,922 ; 0.4%

The Week ; Dennis Publishing Limited ; 176,680 ; 6.7%

New Scientist – Worldwide Sales Excluding Australasia & US/Canada ; Reed Business Information Limited ; 101,046 ; -5.5%

Spectator ; Spectator (1828) Ltd ; 70,366 ; -6.3%

MoneyWeek ; Moneyweek Ltd ; 44,665 ; 8.2%

The Oldie ; Oldie Publications Ltd ; 37,441 ; 9.1%

Prospect ; Prospect Publishing Ltd ; 30,480 ; 10.3%

Investors Chronicle ; FT Business ; 29,167 ; -2.9%

BBC Sky at Night ; BBC Worldwide ; 21,084 ; N/A

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