Latest ABC figures show The Economist circulation holding steady at 1.6 million

LONDON - February 13, 2019 - Today’s release of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) July to December (JD19) certificates show that The Economist’s circulation is holding steady at 1,657,935, with slight growth from the previous period.

“As publications continue to face headwinds in a challenging media environment, we are buoyed by the enduring loyalty of our longer-term readers, and the keen interest in our journalism coming from new audiences” said Marina Haydn, EVP and Managing Director, Circulation at The Economist. "To uphold this momentum, our focus is fully on reader retention and fine-tuning prospect engagement going forward.”

This period marks just the third time that The Economist’s circulation has been reported and audited in a new format by ABC. Working in collaboration with ABC during its JD18 release, The Economist consolidated its reporting into one Print certificate and one Digital Publications certificate.

Global highlights include:

Worldwide (print + digital) circulation is 1,657,935 Global print circulation is 909,476 and Global digital circulation is 748,459 The print vs digital split is 55:45 Social audiences increased by more than 2million, reaching 52,407,699

UK highlights include:

UK edition circulation (ex-Ireland) is strong at 286,205 Digital circulation is steady at 133,133 Print circulation is 153,072 UK circulation accounts for 17% of global circulation Print: Digital split is 53:47

In March 2019, The Economist increased its subscription rates around the globe. Despite the price rise, circulation has held steady and readers continue to seek out The Economist’s trusted, independent global perspective. The Economist has also expanded the reach of its journalism with a recently revamped website and apps, and new products including a new podcast and newsletter “Checks and Balance” focused on the US 2020 presidential race.

The Economist joined ABC in 1949 and has been reporting transparent, audited and comparable trading information ever since. In 2016 The Economist worked with ABC to launch the very first worldwide brand report demonstrating their global reach using clear trusted data.

The Economist’s latest Worldwide Brand Report and audit certificates for all regions are available for download at www.abc.org.uk. You may view the Worldwide Brand Report here: https://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/49842649.pdf

For more information contact: JessicaKeating@economist.com or (+44)7533115249

ENDS -

About The Economist (www.economist.com)

With a growing global audience and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, ​The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications in the world. In addition to the weekly print and digital editions and website, ​The Economist publishes Espresso, a daily news app, Global Business Review, a bilingual English-Chinese product and Economist VR, a virtual-reality app. Economist Radio produces The Intelligence, a daily current-affairs podcast and several other podcasts a week. Economist Films produces short- and long-form video. ​The Economist maintains robust social communities on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium and other social networks. A recipient of many editorial and marketing awards, ​The Economist was recently named the most trusted news source in the 2017 Trusting News Project Report.