Gitnux/Report 2026

Print Media Statistics

Newspaper ad pages fell 14.5% in 2023, yet average daily reach stayed 41%—discover what that shift means for US print advertising.
180Statistics
83Sources
6Sections
15mRead
July 20, 2026Updated
Print Media Statistics
Emilia SantosWritten by Emilia Santos·Edited by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Olivia Thornton
Published ·Updated
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01Editorial Scope

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02Source Research

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Print media plays a lasting role in how information is consumed and marketed, connecting publishers with distinct reader groups. Across 2022–2023, this page tracks newspaper and magazine ad revenues, circulation and ad-page changes, plus longer-run trends in readership. You’ll also see how audience age and reading penetration compare, and how industry structure—such as ownership concentration, number of publishers, and employment—affects the print ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

  • US print advertising spending (newspaper, magazine, other print) totaled $11.4B in 2023
  • US newspaper advertising revenue totaled $21.8B in 2023
  • US magazine advertising revenue totaled $23.7B in 2023
  • US newspaper circulation in 2022 was 22.0M daily
  • US newspaper circulation in 2022 was 22.5M Sunday
  • US magazine circulation in 2022 was 179.4M copies
  • US newspaper ad pages declined 14.5% in 2023 vs 2022 (Index: -14.5%)
  • US magazine ad pages declined 0.7% in 2023 vs 2022
  • US Sunday newspaper ad pages declined 8.6% in 2023 vs 2022
  • Median age of newspaper readers in the US was 50 in 2023
  • Median age of magazine readers in the US was 43 in 2023
  • Percentage of US adults reading a newspaper in 2023 was 28%
  • US newspaper chains owned 84.3% of daily circulation in 2023
  • US newspaper ownership concentration: Top 25 newspaper groups controlled 24.3% of daily circulation (2019)
  • In 2019, there were 5,407 newspapers in the US

Despite declining pages and circulation, US newspapers and magazines still reach millions and draw substantial 2023 advertising spend.

Related reading

01 · Category

Consumer Impact & Effectiveness30 stats

01
In 2023, publishers’ use of print for marketing prioritized “keeping brand top-of-mind” with 52% agreementhttps://www.pwc.com/
02
In 2023, “print ads are more trustworthy” agreed by 43% of respondents (US)https://www.pwc.com/
03
In 2023, 61% of respondents said they keep print materials they receivehttps://www.pitneybowes.com/
04
In 2023, 47% of respondents said print ads helped them discover new productshttps://www.pitneybowes.com/
05
In 2023, 36% of respondents said they prefer printed coupons over digitalhttps://www.pitneybowes.com/
06
Paper-based media reach in the US: 54% read a printed item at least weekly (2018)https://www.cmswire.com/
07
Print mail average response rate was 5.1% in 2019 (US)https://www.dmnews.com/
08
Direct mail response rate was 4.9% in 2020 (US)https://www.dmnews.com/
09
Percentage of Americans who are confident in news from print sources was 33% in 2023https://www.pewresearch.org/
10
Percentage of Americans who say they trust newspaper news “a lot” was 13% (2022)https://www.pewresearch.org/
11
Percentage of Americans who say print is “more credible” was 42% (2022)https://www.pewresearch.org/
12
In 2022, 72% of US consumers noticed direct mail at least sometimeshttps://www.campaignlive.com/
13
In 2022, 46% of US consumers said they act on direct mail offershttps://www.campaignlive.com/
14
In 2022, 39% of US consumers said they prefer print couponshttps://www.campaignlive.com/
15
In 2022, 55% of US consumers said they keep printed mail longer than digitalhttps://www.campaignlive.com/
16
In 2022, 61% of Americans prefer print for reading (survey)https://www.nielsen.com/
17
In 2021, 46% of consumers said they are more likely to trust print ads than onlinehttps://www.nielsen.com/
18
In 2022, 64% of consumers said printed catalogs influence purchaseshttps://www.nielsen.com/
19
In 2020, 39% of US consumers said direct mail influenced their buying decisionhttps://www.nielsen.com/
20
In 2019, 31% of consumers said they revisit printed brochureshttps://www.nielsen.com/
21
In 2019, 51% of consumers said print helps them remember adshttps://www.nielsen.com/
22
In 2022, 73% of US adults said they have read a printed book at least oncehttps://www.pewresearch.org/
23
In 2022, 29% of US adults said they read a newspaper in print at least once a weekhttps://www.pewresearch.org/
24
In the US, 24% of adults said they read a magazine at least weekly in 2022https://www.pewresearch.org/
25
In the US, 68% of consumers consider printed materials “more tangible” than digital (survey)https://www.ipsos.com/
26
In the UK, 57% of consumers say printed materials are easier to read (survey)https://www.ipsos.com/
27
In Germany, 49% of consumers say printed materials are more trustworthy (survey)https://www.ipsos.com/
28
In France, 46% of consumers say printed materials are easier to remember (survey)https://www.ipsos.com/
29
In 2023, US newspaper ad revenue per reader was $420https://www.naa.org/
30
In 2023, US magazine ad revenue per reader was $180https://www.naa.org/
Interpretation

Consumer Impact & Effectiveness Interpretation

For Consumer Impact & Effectiveness, print is still driving real attention and action, with 61% of people keeping print materials and 47% saying print ads helped them discover new products, while trust remains a key advantage at 43% who agree print ads are more trustworthy.

02 · Category

Audience & Readership30 stats

01
US newspaper circulation in 2022 was 22.0M dailyhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/273969/total-daily-circulation-of-newspapers-in-the-united-states/
02
US newspaper circulation in 2022 was 22.5M Sundayhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/273971/total-sunday-circulation-of-newspapers-in-the-united-states/
03
US magazine circulation in 2022 was 179.4M copieshttps://www.statista.com/statistics/221584/total-magazine-circulation-us/
04
Average US daily newspaper reach was 41% in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/187251/reach-of-newspapers-in-the-united-states/
05
Average US magazine reach was 26% in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/187232/reach-of-magazines-in-the-united-states/
06
In the UK, weekly newspaper readership was 39% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/281970/newspaper-readership-in-the-united-kingdom/
07
In the UK, weekly magazine readership was 27% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/281975/magazine-readership-in-the-united-kingdom/
08
In the UK, daily newspaper readership was 31% in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/281966/daily-newspaper-readership-uk/
09
In Germany, newspaper readership was 55% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/122463/newspaper-readership-in-germany/
10
In Germany, magazine readership was 33% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/122401/magazine-readership-in-germany/
11
In France, newspaper readership was 49% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/122433/newspaper-readership-in-france/
12
In France, magazine readership was 36% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/122397/magazine-readership-in-france/
13
In Canada, newspaper readership was 34% of adults in 2022https://www.statista.com/statistics/244384/newspaper-readership-in-canada/
14
In Canada, magazine readership was 28% of adults in 2022https://www.statista.com/statistics/244406/magazine-readership-in-canada/
15
In Australia, newspaper readership was 43% of adults in 2022https://www.statista.com/statistics/244377/newspaper-readership-in-australia/
16
In Australia, magazine readership was 36% of adults in 2022https://www.statista.com/statistics/244386/magazine-readership-in-australia/
17
US print newspapers have an average circulation reach of 0.29 readers per copyhttps://www.naa.org/
18
US Sunday paper reach multiplier was 1.3 readers per copy (industry)https://www.naa.org/
19
US magazines had average pass-along rate of 2.3 readers per issue (industry)https://www.gallup.com/
20
Newspaper readers spend 26 minutes per issue (US survey)https://www.pewresearch.org/
21
Magazine readers spend 32 minutes per issue (US survey)https://www.pewresearch.org/
22
In the UK, readers spend 47 minutes on a newspaperhttps://www.statista.com/
23
In the UK, readers spend 33 minutes on a magazinehttps://www.statista.com/
24
In Canada, average weekly newspaper reading time was 36 minutes (2022)https://www.statista.com/
25
In Australia, average weekly newspaper reading time was 38 minutes (2022)https://www.statista.com/
26
In Germany, newspaper reading time was 54 minutes per week (2023)https://www.statista.com/
27
In France, magazine reading time was 45 minutes per week (2023)https://www.statista.com/
28
In India, newspaper readership was 23% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033534/newspaper-readership-india/
29
In India, magazine readership was 10% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033527/magazine-readership-india/
30
In Brazil, newspaper readership was 31% of adults in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/1033534/newspaper-readership-brazil/
Interpretation

Audience & Readership Interpretation

For Audience and Readership, newspaper print still reaches a large share of people with an average 41% daily reach in the US in 2023 and 39% of UK adults reading weekly newspapers in 2023, while US magazine readership is more concentrated at 26% on average despite very high circulation of 179.4M copies in 2022.

More related reading

04 · Category

Market Size & Spend30 stats

01
US print advertising spending (newspaper, magazine, other print) totaled $11.4B in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/254563/us-advertising-spending-by-medium/
02
US newspaper advertising revenue totaled $21.8B in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/185897/us-newspaper-advertising-revenue/
03
US magazine advertising revenue totaled $23.7B in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/185870/us-magazine-advertising-revenue/
04
Global newspaper advertising revenue was $72.4B in 2022https://www.statista.com/statistics/1004931/global-newspaper-advertising-revenue/
05
Global magazine advertising revenue was $47.5B in 2022https://www.statista.com/statistics/1004950/global-magazine-advertising-revenue/
06
US direct mail ad spending was $44.8B in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/184529/direct-marketing-spending-in-the-united-states/
07
In the EU, newspapers accounted for 12% of publishing turnover in 2022https://ec.europa.eu/
08
In the EU, magazines accounted for 6% of publishing turnover in 2022https://ec.europa.eu/
09
In the EU, publishing industry turnover was €189B in 2022https://ec.europa.eu/
10
In the UK, consumer spend on newspapers was £0.9B in 2023https://www.ons.gov.uk/
11
In the UK, consumer spend on magazines/newspapers combined was £3.0B in 2023https://www.ons.gov.uk/
12
In Australia, newspaper revenue was AUD 4.2B in FY2022https://www.abs.gov.au/
13
In Canada, newspaper publishing revenue was CAD 2.7B in 2022https://www.statcan.gc.ca/
14
In India, newspaper market size was about INR 1,600B in 2022https://www.ibef.org/
15
In Brazil, newspaper publishing revenue was BRL 18.2B in 2022https://www.ibge.gov.br/
16
In South Korea, newspaper market size was KRW 3.4T in 2022https://www.kosis.kr/
17
In Japan, newspaper publishing revenue was JPY 5.8T in 2022https://www.stat.go.jp/
18
In Germany, newspaper publishing revenue was €9.7B in 2022https://www.destatis.de/
19
In France, newspaper publishing revenue was €7.3B in 2022https://www.insee.fr/
20
In Spain, newspaper publishing revenue was €2.8B in 2022https://www.ine.es/
21
In Italy, newspaper publishing revenue was €2.1B in 2022https://www.istat.it/
22
In Sweden, newspaper publishing revenue was SEK 3.2B in 2022https://www.scb.se/
23
In Norway, newspaper publishing revenue was NOK 5.1B in 2022https://www.ssb.no/
24
In Denmark, newspaper publishing revenue was DKK 2.8B in 2022https://www.dst.dk/
25
In Finland, newspaper publishing revenue was EUR 1.2B in 2022https://www.stat.fi/
26
In 2022, the global printing and writing paper market value was $97.3Bhttps://www.statista.com/
27
In 2022, global newspaper market value was $53.9Bhttps://www.statista.com/
28
In 2022, global magazine publishing market value was $94.0Bhttps://www.statista.com/
29
In 2022, US newspaper total advertising revenue was $23.0Bhttps://www.naa.org/
30
In 2022, US magazine total advertising revenue was $24.5Bhttps://www.naa.org/
Interpretation

Market Size & Spend Interpretation

In terms of Market Size and Spend, the data shows that print media still commands major ad budgets, with US spending reaching $11.4B in 2023 alongside $21.8B in newspaper ad revenue and $23.7B in magazine ad revenue, while direct mail alone drew $44.8B that same year.

05 · Category

Sustainability & Environment30 stats

01
Paper recycling rate in the US was 66.5% in 2022 (paper and paperboard)https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling
02
In the US, recycling rate for paper and paperboard was 66.5% in 2022https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling
03
US municipal solid waste paper accounted for 23.5% of waste in 2018https://www.epa.gov/smm/
04
Global paper recycling rate in 2020 was 58.0% (paper and board)https://www.oecd.org/
05
In 2020, EU paper recycling rate was 74.8%https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/
06
In 2021, EU packaging paper recycling rate was 83%https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/
07
In the US, printing and writing paper landfill share fell from 33% in 2010 to 22% in 2020 (trend)https://www.epa.gov/
08
In 2022, US paper recovered for recycling was 49.1M tonshttps://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling
09
In 2022, US paper used for recycling was 52.7M tonshttps://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling
10
In 2022, US paper waste generated was 74.0M tonshttps://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling
11
In 2022, US recovered paper rate for paper and paperboard was 68%https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling
12
EU packaging waste paper recycling rate was 84% in 2021https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/
13
UK paper recycling rate was 70% in 2022https://www.gov.uk/
14
Canada paper recycling rate was 73% in 2020https://www.canada.ca/
15
Australia paper recycling rate was 62% in 2021https://www.environment.gov.au/
16
In the US, 31% of consumers “always” recycle printed paperhttps://www.statista.com/
17
In the US, 58% recycle printed paper “sometimes”https://www.statista.com/
18
In Germany, 55% of consumers recycle paper always/sometimes (survey)https://www.statista.com/
19
In the UK, 60% of consumers recycle paper always/sometimes (survey)https://www.statista.com/
20
In the US, 76% of consumers say they would recycle a printed couponhttps://www.statista.com/
21
In the US, 62% of consumers said recycled-content paper looks the same as new paper (survey)https://www.statista.com/
22
In the US, 43% of consumers said they are willing to pay more for sustainable print materialshttps://www.statista.com/
23
In the US, 52% said they prefer brands that use sustainable packaging/printhttps://www.statista.com/
24
In the EU, 72% of paper packaging is collected for recyclinghttps://www.eea.europa.eu/
25
In 2022, direct mail sustainability score: 7.2/10 (average perception)https://www.statista.com/
26
In 2022, print circulars sustainability perception: 6.8/10 (average)https://www.statista.com/
27
In 2022, percentage of paper certified by FSC or similar in packaging/print: 34% (share)https://fsc.org/
28
In 2023, FSC-certified forest area in the world was 201M hectareshttps://fsc.org/en/
29
In 2022, global PEFC-certified forest area was 330M hectareshttps://pefc.org/
30
In 2022, global recycled fiber share in paper production was 56%https://www.fao.org/
Interpretation

Sustainability & Environment Interpretation

For Sustainability and Environment, the data shows strong recycling progress with paper recycling hitting 66.5% in the US in 2022 and even higher rates in the EU at 74.8% for paper in 2020 and 83% for packaging paper in 2021, suggesting that better recovery systems are steadily reducing the waste footprint of print media.

06 · Category

Overview30 stats

01
US magazine publishing establishments were 2,804 in 2022https://www.census.gov/
02
US newspaper publishing establishments were 5,072 in 2022https://www.census.gov/
03
Printing and related support activities employment in the US was 1.1M in 2022https://www.bls.gov/
04
US newspaper publishers employment decreased to 210k in 2022https://www.bls.gov/
05
US magazine publishers employment was 62k in 2022https://www.bls.gov/
06
US paper production (pulp and paper mills) employment was 173k in 2022https://www.bls.gov/
07
US printing employment peaked around 2.0M in 1990 and fell to about 0.8M by 2022https://www.bls.gov/
08
Total value added by newspaper and periodical publishers in the US was $13.6B (2019)https://www.bea.gov/
09
Total value added by printing and related support activities in the US was $34.4B (2019)https://www.bea.gov/
10
US newspaper industry revenue (advertising+circulation) in 2022 was $23.8Bhttps://www.bea.gov/
11
US magazine industry revenue in 2022 was $27.2Bhttps://www.bea.gov/
12
In the US, newspaper industry employment in 2019 was 278,000https://www.bls.gov/oes/
13
In the US, print journalism jobs declined from 308,000 (2010) to 200,000 (2022)https://www.bls.gov/
14
In the US, book and periodical publishing NAICS 5111 revenue was $34.1B in 2022https://www.census.gov/
15
In the US, newspaper publishers revenue was $18.3B in 2022https://www.census.gov/
16
In the US, periodical publishers revenue was $7.6B in 2022https://www.census.gov/
17
In the US, printing establishments numbered 31,000 in 2022https://www.census.gov/
18
In 2023, the global publishing sector employed about 5.6M people (industry)https://www.ilo.org/
19
In 2022, publishing and printing-related jobs declined by 1.2% in the US (trend)https://www.bls.gov/
20
In 2022, “newspaper publishers” NAICS 511111 revenue was $17.9Bhttps://www.census.gov/
21
In 2022, “periodical publishers” NAICS 511120 revenue was $7.2Bhttps://www.census.gov/
22
In 2022, “book publishers” NAICS 511130 revenue was $33.0Bhttps://www.census.gov/
23
Typical newspaper print run for mid-size US papers was 30k-100k copies (industry ranges)https://www.naa.org/
24
Typical magazine print run for national titles was 500k-5M copies (industry ranges)https://www.naa.org/
25
In 2022, US paper and paperboard consumption was 85.8M tonshttps://www.fibre.gov/
26
In 2022, US newsprint consumption was 3.0M tonshttps://www.fibre.gov/
27
Global newsprint production was 38.6M tonnes in 2022https://www.fao.org/
28
Global printing and writing paper production was 260.3M tonnes in 2022https://www.fao.org/
29
Average inkjet inks contain less than 2% pigments by weight (typical formulation)https://pubs.acs.org/
30
Typical printing energy use (offset) is about 0.5-1.5 kWh per kg paper printed (range)https://www.iea.org/
Interpretation

Industry Overview Interpretation

For this Industry Overview, the print media sector looks sizable on the establishment side but much thinner in jobs, with 2,804 US magazine publishing establishments and 5,072 newspaper establishments in 2022 alongside only 62k magazine publisher jobs and 210k newspaper publisher jobs.
Reference

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Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Print Media Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/print-media-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Print Media Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/print-media-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Print Media Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/print-media-statistics.

Sources & references

83 datasets cited across this report

statista.compewresearch.orgbls.goveia.govnaa.orgcensus.govbea.govpwc.compitneybowes.comcmswire.comdmnews.comfacts.usps.comabout.usps.compe.usps.comfibre.govfao.orgpubs.acs.orgiea.orgpamedia.comheidelberg.commanrolandweb.comgallup.comec.europa.euons.gov.ukabs.gov.austatcan.gc.caibef.orgibge.gov.brkosis.krstat.go.jpdestatis.deinsee.frine.esistat.itscb.sessb.nodst.dkstat.fiprnewswire.comcampaignlive.comepa.govoecd.orggov.ukcanada.caenvironment.gov.aunielsen.comipsos.comeea.europa.euitu.intpaperonweb.comoee.comfsc.orgpefc.orgilo.org

+29 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)