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February 12, 2015

Economist leads the way amid booming UK magazine digital edition sales

By Dominic Ponsford

The Economist is the UK magazine with the top selling digital edition with average audited sales of 50,000.

The title has increased digital edition sales by 300 per cent year on year. A digital edition subscription is included when subscribers pay for a combined print and digital subscripton package (which also includes online access).

The Times Educational Supplement was the fastest-growing digital edition with sales up 17-fold year on year.

BBC History Magazine has also seen particularly strong digital growth, with sales up 36 per cent year on year to 16,000 a month.

ABC classifies digital editions as digital versions which are almost identical to the print one (this table does not include Kindle sales and paid-for apps).

On average, digital magazine editions rose by 33.1 per cent year on year.

Overall digital editions still account for a small proportion of total UK magazine sales.

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Print magazine editions had a total average per-issue circulation of 45,795,836 in the second half of 2014. Digital editions totalled 714,655, according to ABC.

UK magazine digital edition sales in the second half of 2014 (source ABC)

(tip: use ctrl+f to find a particular title)


Title Circulation % change y/y
The Economist –  United Kingdom Edition 49,976 295.3
The Economist –  Asia Pacific Edition 31,310 109.8
The Week Magazine 27,627  
The Economist –  Continental Europe Edition 26,427 54.9
T3 17,791 -20.3
Times Educational Supplement 15,592 1,690.10
BBC History Magazine 15,122 35.8
BBC Top Gear Magazine 14,140 5.5
Stuff 12,903 -13.7
Attitude 12,701 27.4
GQ 12,516 2.8
Time Magazine – EMEA (excluding BI/SA) 12,211 98.9
Slimming World Magazine 11,653 50.6
Empire 11,625  
Total Film 11,429 -5.8
BBC Good Food 10,757 -5.8
MacFormat 9,541 18.7
Men's Health 9,490 -8.2
National Geographic Magazine 9,259  
Vogue 8,528 2.6
New Scientist – Worldwide Sales   Excluding Australasia and US/Canada 8,347 434
Wired 8,316 1.2
Photography Week 8,026 -9.7
Vanity Fair 7,724 -11
N Photo 7,184 6.2
OK! Magazine 6,775 -1.3
New Scientist – US/Canadian Sales 6,402 -23.3
Edge 6,347 3.5
Digital Camera Magazine 5,916 6.1
Cycling Plus 5,824 5.6
Esquire 5,658 13.9
Cosmopolitan 5,494 -20.6
Time Magazine – British Isles (BI) 5,356 101.2
Women's Health 5,169 -27.1
Elle Decoration 4,950 -13.3
Glamour 4,783 0.1
New! 4,508 3.9
What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision 4,418 10
BBC Focus 4,339 -1.2
Airliner World 4,319 26.7
Photo Plus 4,289 8.2
Elle (U.K.) 4,206 -22.1
Grazia 4,190  
HELLO! 4,187 -34.7
Woman and Home 4,151 33.3
Living etc 4,102 29.2
Red 3,826 8.9
F1 Racing (UK Edition) 3,810 29.7
The Economist –  Middle East/Africa Edition 3,736 18
Jamie Magazine 3,581 16.9
SFX 3,421 37.9
FHM 3,386  
Grand Designs 3,352 -3.5
Linux Format 3,272 67.4
Playstation Official 3,265 47.4
New Scientist – Australasian Sales 3,249 392.3
Investors Chronicle 3,248  
Good Housekeeping 3,162 -11.2
What Mountain Bike 2,998 0.2
Car 2,942  
Autosport 2,882 34
Classic Rock 2,853 -15.6
Four Four Two 2,851 -3.6
PC Gamer 2,826 -3.5
Mountain Biking UK 2,822 -3.4
Lonely Planet Traveller 2,819 -14.8
Wallpaper 2,733 2.6
Look 2,701 47.7
Gramophone 2,662 32.4
Runner's World 2,587 -13.4
Harpers Bazaar 2,513 -35.9
Country Living 2,487 -5.9
Cyclist 2,449  
Q 2,383  
Psychologies Magazine 2,358 14.7
Fortune Magazine – Europe 2,296  
Olive 2,296 11
Times Higher Education 2,282 50.1
BBC Gardeners' World 2,267 39.3
Golf Monthly 2,241 14.7
Homes and Gardens 2,141 24.5
Tatler 2,132 9.8
PC Pilot 2,059 55.5
Health and Fitness 2,051 -31
Fast Bikes 2,027 -9.7
Marie Claire 2,027 0.3
Country Homes and Interiors 2,014 63.1
Zoo 1,985  
Inside Soap 1,982 -10.4
What's on TV 1,970 25.4
Ideal Home 1,952 2.5
Autocar 1,911 21.6
Bike 1,901  
What Car? 1,825  
Uncut 1,809  
Digital SLR Photography 1,788 -18.7
Yachting World 1,774 14.2
Official Xbox 360 Magazine 1,707 9.6
Instyle UK 1,690 -10.1
House and Garden 1,671 -18.2
Airforces Monthly 1,648 37.2
Classic and Sports Car 1,634 34.7
Now 1,630 -8.3
World Soccer 1,612 39.2
Doctor Who Magazine 1,604  
African Business 1,576 11
220 Triathlon 1,571 48.2
Gardens Illustrated 1,544 26.8
Amateur Photographer 1,520 10.7
Computeractive 1,503 22.8
Yachting Monthly 1,503 12.3
PC Pro 1,493 -5.9
Combat Aircraft Monthly 1,490  
Motor Cycle News 1,484  
Motor Sport 1,467  
Practical Boat Owner 1,443 17.4
Octane 1,393  
Prospect 1,393  
New Musical Express 1,389 6.3
Metal Hammer 1,373 -3.4
Woman and Home Feel Good Food 1,371 104
Practical Photography 1,356  
Chat 1,335 4.2
Star 1,331 20.7
BBC Wildlife 1,294 4.9
Women's Fitness 1,270 -21.2
BBC Sky at Night 1,260 13
World Of Interiors 1,255 -16.5
Closer 1,241  
Conde Nast Traveller 1,233 -11.9
Hornby Magazine 1,212 43.4
Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly 1,202 72.5
Heat 1,189  
25 Beautiful Homes 1,180 28.4
Ride 1,175  
BBC Music Magazine 1,170 49.4
Style at Home 1,158 13.2
BBC Easy Cook 1,143 -1.6
Cycling Weekly 1,138 17.6
The Tablet 1,134 45.4
Reveal 1,133 -27.6
Today's Golfer 1,131  
Games Master 1,130 35.8
Air International 1,106 22.6
Rugby World 1,096 28.6
House Beautiful 1,076 -12.2
Flypast 1,055 37.2
Mountain Bike Rider 1,054 15.8
TV and Satellite Week 1,040 62.2
Time Magazine – Southern Africa (SA) 1,027 82.1
Land Rover Monthly 1,021  
Motor Boat and Yachting 993 10
Wedding Flowers 987 54.5
Woman 959 1.7
Airfix Model World 906 40.7
Your Home 900 42.9
Cycle Sport 890 -15.6
Horse and Hound 873 21.1
Homebuilding and Renovating 871  
What Digital Camera 841 -9.4
Men's Running 832 59.7
Women's Running 795 39.7
Woman's Own 792 16.5
Web User 779 16.4
Essentials 744 27
Land Rover Owner International 733  
Performance Bikes 725  
Saga Magazine 722  
Conde Nast Brides 703 -50.7
Cycling Active 703 17.8
Prima 695 1.8
New African 679 5.6
BBC Countryfile Magazine 665 19.8
Country Life 654 40.9
The World of Cross Stitching 645 61.3
Cross Stitch Crazy 638 53
Practical Fishkeeping 621  
Pick Me Up 605 33.8
Homes and Antiques 601 -2
Digital Photo 588  
Railway Magazine 587 108.2
Prima Baby 577 -29.2
Who Do You Think You Are? 568 34.6
Classic Cars 537  
Practical Motorhome 484 68.6
The Field 463 41.2
Woman's Weekly 441 62.7
You and Your Wedding 441 -4.1
All About Soap 439 -47.2
The Lady 435  
Practical Caravan 430 40.1
Perfect Wedding 396 -26.8
Practical Classics and Car Restorer 394  
Beautiful Kitchens 387 2.1
Rock Sound 377  
Which Motorhome 371  
Soaplife 370 60.9
The Beano 362  
Peoples Friend 361  
Fly Fishing and Fly-Tying 339  
Real People 331 -20.8
Buses Magazine 324  
Ideal Homes Complete Guide to Xmas 312  
Computer Shopper 276 7
TV Times 274 26.3
Real Homes 256  
Best 223 41.1
Sporting Gun 222 56.3
Period Living 200  
The Shooting Gazette 199 95.1
Wedding (formerly Wedding and Home) 198 31.1
Anglers Mail 192 104.3
Shooting Times and Country Magazine 189 45.4
Angling Times 175  
Motorsport News 164 -4.7
Gurgle Magazine 160 -61.3
Amateur Gardening 147 8.1

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