List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation
At the start of the 19th century, the highest-circulation newspaper in the United Kingdom was the Morning Post, which sold around 4,000 copies per day, twice the sales of its nearest rival. As production methods improved, print runs increased and newspapers were sold at lower prices. By 1828, the Morning Herald was selling the most copies, but it was soon overtaken by The Times.
Pubs would typically take in one or two papers for their customers to read, and through this method, by the 1850s the newspaper of the licensed trade, the Morning Advertiser, had the second highest circulation. Sales of The Times were around 40,000, and it had around 80% of the entire daily newspaper market, but Sunday papers were more popular, some boasting sales of more than 100,000. Later in the century, the Daily News came to prominence, selling 150,000 copies a day in the 1870s, while by 1890, The Daily Telegraph had a circulation of 300,000. Sunday newspaper sales also grew rapidly, with Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper being the first to sell one million copies an issue.
The press was changed by the introduction of halfpenny papers. The first national halfpenny paper was the Daily Mail, which became the first weekday paper to sell one million copies around 1911. Circulation continued to increase, reaching a peak in the mid-1950s; sales of the News of the World reached a peak of more than eight million in 1950. Since the 1950s, there has been a gradual decline in newspaper sales. The availability of multimedia news platforms has accelerated this decline in the 21st century, and by the close of 2014, no UK daily or Sunday newspaper had a circulation exceeding two million. The overall circulation of newspapers declined by 6.6% in 2014–15.
In February 2018 The Sun's 40-year dominance at the top of the circulation charts was eclipsed by the free Metro newspaper for the first time.
Daily newspapers
2020 to present
Figures shown are average circulations for January of each year. Regardless of immediate source, all figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 2020 |
| Metro | |
| The Sun | |
| Daily Mail | |
| Evening Standard | |
| Daily Mirror | |
| The Times | |
| Daily Express | |
| Daily Star | |
| i | |
| Financial Times | |
| The Guardian | |
| Daily Record | |
| City A.M. |
2010-2019
Figures shown are average circulations for January of each year. Regardless of immediate source, all figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
| Metro | ||||||||||
| The Sun | ||||||||||
| Daily Mail | ||||||||||
| Evening Standard | ||||||||||
| Daily Mirror | ||||||||||
| The Times | ||||||||||
| The Daily Telegraph | ||||||||||
| Daily Express | ||||||||||
| Daily Star | ||||||||||
| i | ||||||||||
| Financial Times | ||||||||||
| The Guardian | ||||||||||
| Daily Record | ||||||||||
| City A.M. | ||||||||||
| The Independent |
2000–2009
Figures shown are average circulations for January of each year. Only newspapers with circulations of more than 100,000 copies per day in January 2009 are listed. Regardless of immediate source, all figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 |
| The Sun | ||||||||||
| Daily Mail | ||||||||||
| Daily Mirror | ||||||||||
| The Daily Telegraph | ||||||||||
| Daily Star | ||||||||||
| Daily Express | ||||||||||
| The Times | ||||||||||
| Financial Times | ||||||||||
| The Guardian | ||||||||||
| Daily Record | ||||||||||
| Evening Standard | ||||||||||
| The Independent |
1950–1999
Figures shown are average circulations for each year. Figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 1997 | 1992 | 1987 | 1980 | 1976 | 1966 | 1961 | 1956 |
| The Sun | ||||||||
| Daily Mirror | ||||||||
| Daily Mail | ||||||||
| Daily Express | ||||||||
| The Daily Telegraph | ||||||||
| The Times | ||||||||
| Daily Star | ||||||||
| Daily Record | ||||||||
| The Guardian | ||||||||
| Financial Times | ||||||||
| The Independent | ||||||||
| Today | ||||||||
| Daily Herald | ||||||||
| Daily Sketch | ||||||||
| Daily Worker | ||||||||
| News Chronicle |
Before 1950
Figures shown are average circulations for each year. Figures from after 1931 originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations;those from 1852 and 1838 originate from stamp duty returns. Those from 1910, 1921 and 1930 are the most uncertain and rely on information originating from T. B. Browne's Advertiser's ABC.| Title | 1947 | 1939 | 1930 | 1921 | 1910 | 1863 | 1852 | 1838 |
| Daily Express | ||||||||
| Daily Mirror | ||||||||
| Daily Herald | ||||||||
| Daily Mail | ||||||||
| News Chronicle | ||||||||
| The Daily Telegraph | ||||||||
| Daily Sketch | ||||||||
| The Times | ||||||||
| Manchester Guardian | ||||||||
| Daily Worker | ||||||||
| Financial Times | ||||||||
| Morning Advertiser | ||||||||
| Daily Chronicle | ||||||||
| Daily News | ||||||||
| Morning Post | ||||||||
| Morning Star | ||||||||
| Morning Herald | ||||||||
| North British Daily Advertiser | ||||||||
| Morning Chronicle |
Sunday newspapers
2010 to present
Figures shown are average circulations for January of each year. Only newspapers with circulations of more than 100,000 copies in January 2010 are listed. Regardless of immediate source, all figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 |
| The Sun on Sunday | |||||||||||
| The Mail on Sunday | |||||||||||
| The Sunday Times | |||||||||||
| Sunday Mirror | |||||||||||
| Sunday Express | |||||||||||
| The Sunday Telegraph | N/A | ||||||||||
| Daily Star Sunday | |||||||||||
| The Observer | |||||||||||
| The Sunday People | |||||||||||
| Sunday Mail | |||||||||||
| Sunday Post | TBA | ||||||||||
| Independent on Sunday | |||||||||||
| News of the World |
2000–2009
Figures shown are average circulations for January of each year. Only newspapers with circulations of more than 100,000 copies in January 2009 are listed. Regardless of immediate source, all figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 |
| News of the World | ||||||||||
| The Mail on Sunday | ||||||||||
| Sunday Mirror | ||||||||||
| The Sunday Times | ||||||||||
| Sunday Express | ||||||||||
| The Sunday Telegraph | ||||||||||
| The People | ||||||||||
| Daily Star Sunday | ||||||||||
| Sunday Mail | ||||||||||
| The Observer | ||||||||||
| Sunday Post | ||||||||||
| Independent on Sunday | ||||||||||
| Sunday Business |
20th century
Figures shown are average circulations for each year. Figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 1997 | 1987 | 1980 | 1976 | 1966 | 1961 | 1956 | 1947 | 1935 |
| News of the World | |||||||||
| Sunday Mirror | |||||||||
| The Mail on Sunday | |||||||||
| The People | |||||||||
| The Sunday Times | |||||||||
| Sunday Express | |||||||||
| The Sunday Telegraph | |||||||||
| Sunday Mail | |||||||||
| Sunday Post | |||||||||
| The Observer | |||||||||
| Independent on Sunday | |||||||||
| Scotland on Sunday | |||||||||
| Reynolds News | |||||||||
| Sunday Dispatch | |||||||||
| Sunday Graphic | |||||||||
| Empire News | |||||||||
| Sunday Chronicle | |||||||||
| Sunday Referee |
19th century
Figures shown are average circulations for each year. Figures originate from stamp duty returns.| Title | 1863 | 1853 | 1838 |
| Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper | |||
| Weekly Times | |||
| News of the World | |||
| Reynold's Weekly | |||
| Illustrated London News | |||
| Weekly Dispatch | |||
| Bell's Life in London | |||
| Sunday Times | |||
| Weekly Chronicle | |||
| Bell's Weekly Messenger |
Regional newspapers
Figures shown are average circulations for each year. Figures originate from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.| Title | 2016 | 2011 | 2006 | 1994 | 1980 | 1956 | 1948 | 1945 | 1939 |
| Express & Star | |||||||||
| Press and Journal | |||||||||
| Manchester Evening News | |||||||||
| Liverpool Echo | |||||||||
| Belfast Telegraph | |||||||||
| The Courier | |||||||||
| The Irish News | |||||||||
| Eastern Daily Press | |||||||||
| The Herald | |||||||||
| Hull Daily Mail | |||||||||
| The Sentinel | |||||||||
| Newcastle Chronicle | |||||||||
| Shropshire Star | |||||||||
| Leicester Mercury | |||||||||
| Evening Express | |||||||||
| Yorkshire Post | |||||||||
| The Northern Echo | |||||||||
| Glasgow Evening Times | |||||||||
| North Wales Daily Post | |||||||||
| South Wales Evening Post | |||||||||
| Teesside Gazette | |||||||||
| The News | |||||||||
| Birmingham Mail | |||||||||
| Derby Telegraph | |||||||||
| Echo | |||||||||
| Edinburgh Evening News | |||||||||
| Nottingham Post | |||||||||
| Bristol Post | |||||||||
| The Star | |||||||||
| Southern Daily Echo | |||||||||
| The Herald | |||||||||
| Yorkshire Evening Post | |||||||||
| Coventry Telegraph | |||||||||
| South Wales Echo | |||||||||
| The Press | |||||||||
| Telegraph & Argus | |||||||||
| Bournemouth Daily Echo | |||||||||
| Sunderland Echo | |||||||||
| The Argus | |||||||||
| Lancashire Evening Post | |||||||||
| Bolton News | |||||||||
| Evening Standard | |||||||||
| Liverpool Post | |||||||||
| Evening News | |||||||||
| The Star | |||||||||
| Manchester Evening Chronicle | |||||||||
| Glasgow Evening Citizen | |||||||||
| Birmingham Evening Despatch | |||||||||
| Yorkshire Evening News | |||||||||
| Glasgow Evening News | |||||||||
| Liverpool Evening Express |