Roy Morgan: 15 Million Australians Read Magazines In Print & Online

Now 11.5 million Australians aged 14+ (53.4 per cent) read print magazines, up 5.1 per cent on a year ago, according to the results released today from the Roy Morgan Australian Readership report for the 12 months to March 2023.

This market broadens to 15 million Australians aged 14+ (69.9 per cent) who read magazines in print or online either via the web or an app, a small drop of 2.5 per cent from a year ago. These are the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Single Source survey of 65,863 Australians aged 14+ in the 12 months to March 2023.

Print readership increased for 15 of 17 magazine categories compared to a year ago including Food & Entertainment, Home & Garden, Health & Family and Mass Women’s and more

These readership increases occurred as Australians enjoyed a considerable easing of restrictions following the extensive lockdowns of 2021. Most COVID-19 restrictions were lifted by October 2022.

All top six magazine categories with total readerships over 1 million people, were up on a year ago. The most widely read category of Food & Entertainment magazines increased its print readership by 6.8 per cent to 7,416,000 ahead of General Interest magazines with a readership of 4,121,000, up 3.9 per cent.

The print readership of Home & Garden magazines, the third most widely read magazine category, was up 12.5 per cent to 4,090,000 and Mass Women’s magazines were up 6.2 per cent to 2,828,000. Also increasing were Health & Family magazines, up 14.6 per cent to 1,330,000 and Business, Financial & Airline magazines, up 21.7 per cent to 1,122,000.

There were also big improvements in Women’s Fashion, up 23.1 per cent to 917,000, Women’s Lifestyle up 12.9 per cent to 359,000 and Motorcyle magazines, up 13.6 per cent to 200,000.

Nine of the top 10 magazines increased their print readership over the past year with Better Homes & Gardens and Australian Women’s Weekly again the most widely read paid magazines

The top eight most widely read magazines increased their print readership over the last year and looking more broadly a impressive 20 out of the top 25.

Better Homes & Gardens is Australia’s most widely read paid magazine with print readership of 1,792,000, up 17.2 per cent on a year ago – the largest increase of any of the top 15 magazines – ahead of the Australian Women’s Weekly on 1,309,000, up 8.8 per cent. These two magazines continue to be the only two paid magazines with a readership of over 1 million.

In addition, National Geographic has an impressive and growing print readership, up 16.5 per cent to 955,000 to be Australia’s third most widely read paid magazine ahead of Woman’s Day, up 13.6 per cent to 810,000 ahead of Taste.com.au Magazine with a print readership of 718,000.

Coles magazine & Fresh Ideas are the most widely read with almost five million readers each

Australia’s two most widely read free magazines are Fresh Ideas (from Woolworths) with a growing print readership of 4,992,000, up 9.9 per cent on a year ago just ahead of Coles magazine with readership increasing 5 per cent to 4,974,000.

Bunnings magazine is the third most widely read free magazine with a print readership of 1,672,000, up 11.2 per cent on a year ago, ahead of the NRMA’s magazine Open Road (NSW) which rounds out the top four free magazines with a readership of 1,281,000, up an impressive 3.3 per cent on a year ago.

Other magazines to increase their print readership over the past year included House & Garden, up 12.7 per cent to 647,000, New Idea, up 5 per cent to 606,000, Take 5 Bumper Monthly, up 10.3 per cent to 580,000, That’s Life Mega Monthly, up 1.3 per cent to 561,000, Australian Geographic, up 12.1 per cent to 491,000, Gardening Australia, up 5.4 per cent to 452,000, Vogue Australia, up a large 29.8 per cent to 423,000, Qantas Magazine, up 21.9 per cent to 412,000 and TV Week, up 22.3 per cent to 412,000.

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