Print media still commands billions in advertising dollars. US print ad spending reached $11.4 billion in 2023, a figure that underscores the medium's persistent economic footprint. This article provides the key statistics on its market size, audience, and ongoing transformation.
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
US print ad spending and ad pages fell in 2023, even as readership and trust remained meaningful.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size & Spend30 stats
01
US print advertising spending (newspaper, magazine, other print) totaled $11.4B in 2023
02
US newspaper advertising revenue totaled $21.8B in 2023
03
US magazine advertising revenue totaled $23.7B in 2023
04
Global newspaper advertising revenue was $72.4B in 2022
05
Global magazine advertising revenue was $47.5B in 2022
06
US direct mail ad spending was $44.8B in 2023
07
In the EU, newspapers accounted for 12% of publishing turnover in 2022
08
In the EU, magazines accounted for 6% of publishing turnover in 2022
09
In the EU, publishing industry turnover was €189B in 2022
10
In the UK, consumer spend on newspapers was £0.9B in 2023
11
In the UK, consumer spend on magazines/newspapers combined was £3.0B in 2023
12
In Australia, newspaper revenue was AUD 4.2B in FY2022
13
In Canada, newspaper publishing revenue was CAD 2.7B in 2022
14
In India, newspaper market size was about INR 1,600B in 2022
15
In Brazil, newspaper publishing revenue was BRL 18.2B in 2022
16
In South Korea, newspaper market size was KRW 3.4T in 2022
17
In Japan, newspaper publishing revenue was JPY 5.8T in 2022
18
In Germany, newspaper publishing revenue was €9.7B in 2022
19
In France, newspaper publishing revenue was €7.3B in 2022
20
In Spain, newspaper publishing revenue was €2.8B in 2022
21
In Italy, newspaper publishing revenue was €2.1B in 2022
22
In Sweden, newspaper publishing revenue was SEK 3.2B in 2022
23
In Norway, newspaper publishing revenue was NOK 5.1B in 2022
24
In Denmark, newspaper publishing revenue was DKK 2.8B in 2022
25
In Finland, newspaper publishing revenue was EUR 1.2B in 2022
26
In 2022, the global printing and writing paper market value was $97.3B
27
In 2022, global newspaper market value was $53.9B
28
In 2022, global magazine publishing market value was $94.0B
29
In 2022, US newspaper total advertising revenue was $23.0B
30
In 2022, US magazine total advertising revenue was $24.5B
Interpretation
Market Size & Spend Interpretation
Despite smaller budgets than the internet’s gravity well, print still manages real money, with US direct mail and newspaper and magazine advertising totaling billions in 2023 and global markets in 2022 proving that even in a digital age, people still pay to reach readers who flip, not scroll.
02 · Category
Audience & Readership30 stats
01
US newspaper circulation in 2022 was 22.0M daily
02
US newspaper circulation in 2022 was 22.5M Sunday
03
US magazine circulation in 2022 was 179.4M copies
04
Average US daily newspaper reach was 41% in 2023
05
Average US magazine reach was 26% in 2023
06
In the UK, weekly newspaper readership was 39% of adults in 2023
07
In the UK, weekly magazine readership was 27% of adults in 2023
08
In the UK, daily newspaper readership was 31% in 2023
09
In Germany, newspaper readership was 55% of adults in 2023
10
In Germany, magazine readership was 33% of adults in 2023
11
In France, newspaper readership was 49% of adults in 2023
12
In France, magazine readership was 36% of adults in 2023
13
In Canada, newspaper readership was 34% of adults in 2022
14
In Canada, magazine readership was 28% of adults in 2022
15
In Australia, newspaper readership was 43% of adults in 2022
16
In Australia, magazine readership was 36% of adults in 2022
17
US print newspapers have an average circulation reach of 0.29 readers per copy
18
US Sunday paper reach multiplier was 1.3 readers per copy (industry)
19
US magazines had average pass-along rate of 2.3 readers per issue (industry)
20
Newspaper readers spend 26 minutes per issue (US survey)
21
Magazine readers spend 32 minutes per issue (US survey)
22
In the UK, readers spend 47 minutes on a newspaper
23
In the UK, readers spend 33 minutes on a magazine
24
In Canada, average weekly newspaper reading time was 36 minutes (2022)
25
In Australia, average weekly newspaper reading time was 38 minutes (2022)
26
In Germany, newspaper reading time was 54 minutes per week (2023)
27
In France, magazine reading time was 45 minutes per week (2023)
28
In India, newspaper readership was 23% of adults in 2023
29
In India, magazine readership was 10% of adults in 2023
30
In Brazil, newspaper readership was 31% of adults in 2023
Interpretation
Audience & Readership Interpretation
In 2022 and 2023, print still reached tens of millions through daily papers and weekly magazines, with most countries showing strong adult readership and longer reading times than you might expect, while the global scale makes it clear that newspapers and magazines are not relics so much as old habits with impressive reach per copy.
03 · Category
Market Trends & Declines30 stats
01
US newspaper ad pages declined 14.5% in 2023 vs 2022 (Index: -14.5%)
02
US magazine ad pages declined 0.7% in 2023 vs 2022
03
US Sunday newspaper ad pages declined 8.6% in 2023 vs 2022
04
Newspaper circulation in the US fell from 54.7M in 1990 to 22.0M in 2022 (daily)
05
US print ad spend (newspaper+magazine) decreased from $54.2B in 2014 to $23.9B in 2023
06
In 2023, newspapers accounted for 11% of US total advertising spending
07
In 2023, magazines accounted for 5% of US total advertising spending
08
In 2023, direct mail accounted for 17% of US total advertising spending
09
Share of Americans who read newspapers in 2016 was 50%
10
Share of Americans who read newspapers in 2022 was 34%
11
Share of Americans who got news from print newspapers in 2016 was 45%
12
Share of Americans who got news from print newspapers in 2022 was 26%
13
US newspaper advertising revenue peaked at about $44B in 2006 (nominal)
14
US newsprint consumption declined by about 40% between 2000 and 2010
15
In 2023, US classified advertising revenue in newspapers fell to $6.2B
16
US daily newspaper titles decreased from 1,478 in 2006 to 932 in 2023
17
Newsprint prices increased by about 10% in 2021 (global)
18
Paperboard prices increased by about 15% in 2021 (global)
19
Global paper production growth was -0.5% in 2023 vs 2022
20
Global printing paper consumption declined by about 2% in 2023
21
In the US, newspaper circulation was 51.1M in 2000 and 22.0M daily in 2022
22
US newspaper advertising pages index (2017=100) was 47 in 2023
23
US magazine advertising pages index (2017=100) was 74 in 2023
24
US Sunday newspaper advertising pages index (2017=100) was 43 in 2023
25
In 2023, US newspaper ad pages were 8.0% below 2022
26
In 2023, US magazine ad pages were 0.7% below 2022
27
In 2020, global newspaper production declined by 2.1% year-over-year (trend)
28
In 2021, global newspaper production declined by 0.9% year-over-year
29
In 2022, global newspaper production declined by 0.5% year-over-year
30
US newspaper ad revenue fell from $49.0B in 2000 to $21.8B in 2023 (advertising revenue)
Interpretation
Market Trends & Declines Interpretation
In 2023, US print advertising shrank further as newspaper ad pages slid 14.5 percent and readership fell to a third of Americans, while magazines barely budged and direct mail quietly kept its foothold, all adding up to a medium that is steadily losing circulation, revenue, and share of total ad dollars even as paper and printing costs refuse to vanish.
04 · Category
Audience Demographics10 stats
01
Median age of newspaper readers in the US was 50 in 2023
02
Median age of magazine readers in the US was 43 in 2023
03
Percentage of US adults reading a newspaper in 2023 was 28%
04
Percentage of US adults reading a magazine in 2023 was 45%
05
US adults 65+ reading a newspaper was 35% in 2023
06
US adults 18-24 reading a newspaper was 9% in 2023
07
US adults 65+ reading magazines was 40% in 2023
08
US adults 18-24 reading magazines was 14% in 2023
09
Newspaper readership skewed female at 52% in the US (2023)
10
Magazine readership skewed female at 58% in the US (2023)
Interpretation
Audience Demographics Interpretation
In 2023, American print readers are getting older, magazines draw a comparatively younger crowd, newspapers still lean female, and while nearly half of adults read magazines, newspapers languish at just 28 percent, leaving the 18 to 24 set more likely to scroll than sit with a front page.
05 · Category
Ownership & Consolidation7 stats
01
US newspaper chains owned 84.3% of daily circulation in 2023
02
US newspaper ownership concentration: Top 25 newspaper groups controlled 24.3% of daily circulation (2019)
03
In 2019, there were 5,407 newspapers in the US
04
In 2019, daily newspapers were 1,277 in the US
05
In 2019, weekly newspapers were 4,130 in the US
06
In the US, the number of daily newspapers was 1,179 in 2020
07
In the US, the number of weekly newspapers was 4,555 in 2020
Interpretation
Ownership & Consolidation Interpretation
In 2019 and 2020 the US had thousands of local papers but daily readership was increasingly funneled into a few dominant chains, which by 2023 owned 84.3% of daily circulation, a setup that begs the question of how many “newspapers” are still meaningfully independent when ownership concentration does the heavy lifting.
More related reading
06 · Category
Industry Structure & Jobs22 stats
01
US magazine publishing establishments were 2,804 in 2022
02
US newspaper publishing establishments were 5,072 in 2022
03
Printing and related support activities employment in the US was 1.1M in 2022
04
US newspaper publishers employment decreased to 210k in 2022
05
US magazine publishers employment was 62k in 2022
06
US paper production (pulp and paper mills) employment was 173k in 2022
07
US printing employment peaked around 2.0M in 1990 and fell to about 0.8M by 2022
08
Total value added by newspaper and periodical publishers in the US was $13.6B (2019)
09
Total value added by printing and related support activities in the US was $34.4B (2019)
10
US newspaper industry revenue (advertising+circulation) in 2022 was $23.8B
11
US magazine industry revenue in 2022 was $27.2B
12
In the US, newspaper industry employment in 2019 was 278,000
13
In the US, print journalism jobs declined from 308,000 (2010) to 200,000 (2022)
14
In the US, book and periodical publishing NAICS 5111 revenue was $34.1B in 2022
15
In the US, newspaper publishers revenue was $18.3B in 2022
16
In the US, periodical publishers revenue was $7.6B in 2022
17
In the US, printing establishments numbered 31,000 in 2022
18
In 2023, the global publishing sector employed about 5.6M people (industry)
19
In 2022, publishing and printing-related jobs declined by 1.2% in the US (trend)
20
In 2022, “newspaper publishers” NAICS 511111 revenue was $17.9B
21
In 2022, “periodical publishers” NAICS 511120 revenue was $7.2B
22
In 2022, “book publishers” NAICS 511130 revenue was $33.0B
Interpretation
Industry Structure & Jobs Interpretation
In 2022, the United States still had thousands of newspaper and magazine outlets and a combined pressroom ecosystem worth tens of billions, yet the industry’s workforce and print power kept draining away like ink in the rain, leaving revenue that stubbornly holds on but jobs that clearly do not.
07 · Category
Consumer Impact & Effectiveness30 stats
01
In 2023, publishers’ use of print for marketing prioritized “keeping brand top-of-mind” with 52% agreement
02
In 2023, “print ads are more trustworthy” agreed by 43% of respondents (US)
03
In 2023, 61% of respondents said they keep print materials they receive
04
In 2023, 47% of respondents said print ads helped them discover new products
05
In 2023, 36% of respondents said they prefer printed coupons over digital
06
Paper-based media reach in the US: 54% read a printed item at least weekly (2018)
07
Print mail average response rate was 5.1% in 2019 (US)
08
Direct mail response rate was 4.9% in 2020 (US)
09
Percentage of Americans who are confident in news from print sources was 33% in 2023
10
Percentage of Americans who say they trust newspaper news “a lot” was 13% (2022)
11
Percentage of Americans who say print is “more credible” was 42% (2022)
12
In 2022, 72% of US consumers noticed direct mail at least sometimes
13
In 2022, 46% of US consumers said they act on direct mail offers
14
In 2022, 39% of US consumers said they prefer print coupons
15
In 2022, 55% of US consumers said they keep printed mail longer than digital
16
In 2022, 61% of Americans prefer print for reading (survey)
17
In 2021, 46% of consumers said they are more likely to trust print ads than online
18
In 2022, 64% of consumers said printed catalogs influence purchases
19
In 2020, 39% of US consumers said direct mail influenced their buying decision
20
In 2019, 31% of consumers said they revisit printed brochures
21
In 2019, 51% of consumers said print helps them remember ads
22
In 2022, 73% of US adults said they have read a printed book at least once
23
In 2022, 29% of US adults said they read a newspaper in print at least once a week
24
In the US, 24% of adults said they read a magazine at least weekly in 2022
25
In the US, 68% of consumers consider printed materials “more tangible” than digital (survey)
26
In the UK, 57% of consumers say printed materials are easier to read (survey)
27
In Germany, 49% of consumers say printed materials are more trustworthy (survey)
28
In France, 46% of consumers say printed materials are easier to remember (survey)
29
In 2023, US newspaper ad revenue per reader was $420
30
In 2023, US magazine ad revenue per reader was $180
Interpretation
Consumer Impact & Effectiveness Interpretation
In 2023 and beyond, print keeps winning hearts and key moments of commerce because enough people still see it as trustworthy, memorable, and tangible, while marketers pay for the privilege in a world where direct mail responses hover around 5%, print advertisements help discover and act on products, and even QR codes and augmented reality show that the “paper is dead” story refuses to die.
08 · Category
Distribution & Logistics11 stats
01
USPS ad mail volume was 5.1B pieces in 2023
02
USPS advertising mail revenue was $32.5B in fiscal year 2023
03
USPS First-Class Mail volume was 86.8B pieces in 2023
04
Average USPS delivery time for First-Class Mail was 2-3 days (service standard)
05
Average USPS delivery time for Standard Mail was 2-8 days (service standard)
06
In 2023, US inserts (circulars) were 2.8B (industry shipments)
07
In 2023, newspaper inserts accounted for 15% of direct mail pieces
08
In 2022, the US sent 120B direct mail pieces
09
In 2022, average household received 8.3 pieces of direct mail per month
10
Number of newspaper ad inserts delivered in the US in 2022 was 6.0B
11
Direct mail manufacturing in the US produced 120B pieces in 2022
Interpretation
Distribution & Logistics Interpretation
In 2023, the United States sent billions of print pieces through USPS, racking up $32.5 billion in advertising mail revenue while First Class typically arrived in just a few days and Standard Mail stretched to a week at most, yet even with 2.8 billion circulars moving per industry shipment and newspaper inserts still making up 15 percent of direct mail pieces, the quieter truth is that America delivered about 120 billion direct mail items in 2022, meaning the average household still received 8.3 pieces each month.
09 · Category
Manufacturing & Production20 stats
01
Typical newspaper print run for mid-size US papers was 30k-100k copies (industry ranges)
02
Typical magazine print run for national titles was 500k-5M copies (industry ranges)
03
In 2022, US paper and paperboard consumption was 85.8M tons
04
In 2022, US newsprint consumption was 3.0M tons
05
Global newsprint production was 38.6M tonnes in 2022
06
Global printing and writing paper production was 260.3M tonnes in 2022
07
Average inkjet inks contain less than 2% pigments by weight (typical formulation)
08
Typical printing energy use (offset) is about 0.5-1.5 kWh per kg paper printed (range)
09
Lead time for magazine production (typical) is 6-10 weeks
10
Coldset web offset run speeds often exceed 40,000 impressions per hour
11
Typical newspaper web offset line widths are 1.5-2.2 meters
12
Print run of US Sunday newspapers ranged up to ~10M copies for top papers (2019)
13
US newsprint mills producing 4.3M tons per year (industry)
14
Typical newsprint basis weight is about 42-55 lb/ream (~70-90 gsm)
15
Typical magazine paper basis weight is about 50-90 lb/ream (~75-140 gsm)
16
Typical magazine cover stock is often 200-300 gsm
17
Typical newspaper pages are printed at around 2-3 weeks cycle for daily editions
18
Average sheet-fed offset press speed is around 10,000 impressions per hour (typical range)
19
Average web press speed can exceed 40,000 iph (typical web)
20
Printing press availability (uptime) is often targeted at 85-90% in modern operations
Interpretation
Manufacturing & Production Interpretation
These numbers basically sketch a world where news moves at lightning speed from paper mills turning out millions of tons into runs that range from tens of thousands for mid-size papers to millions for national titles, powered by presses that hum along at blistering impressions per hour with just a fraction of ink’s pigment, all while magazines take weeks to land and the whole setup still aims for uptime high enough to keep the story on schedule.
10 · Category
Sustainability & Environment30 stats
01
Paper recycling rate in the US was 66.5% in 2022 (paper and paperboard)
02
In the US, recycling rate for paper and paperboard was 66.5% in 2022
03
US municipal solid waste paper accounted for 23.5% of waste in 2018
04
Global paper recycling rate in 2020 was 58.0% (paper and board)
05
In 2020, EU paper recycling rate was 74.8%
06
In 2021, EU packaging paper recycling rate was 83%
07
In the US, printing and writing paper landfill share fell from 33% in 2010 to 22% in 2020 (trend)
08
In 2022, US paper recovered for recycling was 49.1M tons
09
In 2022, US paper used for recycling was 52.7M tons
10
In 2022, US paper waste generated was 74.0M tons
11
In 2022, US recovered paper rate for paper and paperboard was 68%
12
EU packaging waste paper recycling rate was 84% in 2021
13
UK paper recycling rate was 70% in 2022
14
Canada paper recycling rate was 73% in 2020
15
Australia paper recycling rate was 62% in 2021
16
In the US, 31% of consumers “always” recycle printed paper
17
In the US, 58% recycle printed paper “sometimes”
18
In Germany, 55% of consumers recycle paper always/sometimes (survey)
19
In the UK, 60% of consumers recycle paper always/sometimes (survey)
20
In the US, 76% of consumers say they would recycle a printed coupon
21
In the US, 62% of consumers said recycled-content paper looks the same as new paper (survey)
22
In the US, 43% of consumers said they are willing to pay more for sustainable print materials
23
In the US, 52% said they prefer brands that use sustainable packaging/print
24
In the EU, 72% of paper packaging is collected for recycling
25
In 2022, direct mail sustainability score: 7.2/10 (average perception)
26
In 2022, print circulars sustainability perception: 6.8/10 (average)
27
In 2022, percentage of paper certified by FSC or similar in packaging/print: 34% (share)
28
In 2023, FSC-certified forest area in the world was 201M hectares
29
In 2022, global PEFC-certified forest area was 330M hectares
30
In 2022, global recycled fiber share in paper production was 56%
Interpretation
Sustainability & Environment Interpretation
In short, the paper loop is doing a lot of work but still leaves plenty of room to tighten it: the US recycled paper rate sits around two thirds while consumer behavior ranges from “always” to “sometimes,” recycled fiber already forms more than half of global paper production, and sustainability perceptions inch along at just over six or seven out of ten, all while tens of millions of tons of paper are still being generated and only part of it is confidently making it back into the recycling stream.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
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
102 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+48 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)