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ABCs: Sun back over 3m but Star is only climber

By Press Gazette

The circulation of The Sun climbed back over three million in January but The Daily Star was the only tabloid or mid-market newspaper to achieve a year-on-year rise.

Richard Desmond’s Star extended the run of year-on-year circulation increases it has been enjoying since it slashed its cover price to 20p in November 2008.

Last month the Star’s circulation rose 1.41 per cent year-on-year to average 779,376, figures released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Despite a year-on-year fall of 4.43 per cent The Sun still managed to push its circulation back over three million with a month-on-month increase of 5.02 per cent to take it to 3,006,565.

The biggest faller of the dailies was the Daily Mirror as it recorded a year-on-year fall of 10.86 per cent to an average circulation of 1,366,891 last month.

The circulation of all tabloid or mid-market Sunday newspapers fell year-on-year yet all but the Sunday Express was up month-on-month with the News of the World leading the way with a 6.90 per cent increase to an average weekly circulation in January of 2,984,469.

National newspaper circulations for January (source ABC) with percentage change year on year

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National Morning Popular

  • Daily Mirror, 1,218,425 -10.86
  • Daily Record, 323,831 -8.60
  • Daily Star, 779,376 1.41
  • The Sun, 3,006,565 -4.43

National Morning Mid Market

  • Daily Express, 674,640 -8.38
  • Daily Mail, 2,120,347 -3.64

National Sunday Popular

  • Daily Star Sunday, 358,814 -0.20
  • News of the World, 2,984,469 -1.54
  • Sunday Mail, 395,126 -10.63
  • Sunday Mirror, 1,124,620 -9.60
  • The People, 532,975 -10.36

National Sunday Mid Market

  • Sunday Express, 585,023 -9.58
  • Sunday Post, 337,398 -7.88
  • The Mail on Sunday, 2,048,008 -4.07

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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