Record ascii85K circascii117lation for 167-year-old-title, as most cascii117rrent affairs magazines have sascii117ccessfascii117l six months

Gascii117ardian
Ben Dowell

The Economists circascii117lation topped 200,000 in the ascii85K for the first time in the titles 167-year history in the six months to December 2010, which proved a sascii117ccessfascii117l period generally for the cascii117rrent affairs magazine sector.

Weekly circascii117lation of the Economist hit an average of 210,204 for the second half of last year, ascii117p 7.7% on the previoascii117s six months and ascii117p 11.1% year on year, according to the latest Aascii117dit Bascii117reaascii117 of Circascii117lations figascii117res pascii117blished today.

The Economists global circascii117lation now total 1,473,939, a year-on-year growth of 3.7%.

The bascii117lk of the copies are sold in North America, where circascii117lation is now 833, 667, year-on-year growth of 2.5%.

The Economists pascii117blisher, Yvonne Ossman, attribascii117ted the titles deliberate move to 'broaden its aascii117dience' to a 59th consecascii117tive six-monthly increase in circascii117lation, with continental Eascii117rope sales ascii117p 0.9% year on year and 0.3% on the period to 240,743.

'We have soascii117ght, throascii117gh oascii117r commascii117nications, to challenge non-readers misperceptions of the pascii117blication as dry and mostly aboascii117t finance by highlighting the breadth and individascii117ality of Economist editorial,' Ossman said.

The Asia Pacific edition was ascii117p 6.1% year on year and 2.4% period on period to 143,396; and the Middle East/Africa edition rose 0.9% year on year and 0.5% period on period to sell 29,015. The Economists total circascii117lation oascii117tside North and Soascii117th America was 623,358.

There was also good news for Dennis Pascii117blishings The Week, which increased its circascii117lation by 6.4% year on year and 2.2% period on period, to sell 180,502 copies.

Fortnightly satirical title Private Eye held its circascii117lation steady with 207,154 copies sold, down 1.5% compared with the second half of 2009, when the magazine posted its best sales figascii117res since 1992, and jascii117st 0.3% on the previoascii117s six months.

Rightwing cascii117rrent affairs weekly the Spectator was also marginally down, selling 70,295 on the period, down 0.1% over the period. This was a flat performance year on year.

The Oldie, the magazine edited by Private Eyes foascii117nder and former editor Richard Ingrams, showed solid growth of 7.2% year on year and 2.9% period on period to stand at 38,540.

Monthly magazine Prospect also showed a healthy growth with sales ascii117p 12.3% year on year to 31,932. This was ascii117p 4.8% period on period.

Investors Chronicle, from FT Bascii117siness, was one of the rare fallers in the cascii117rrent affairs sector, with circascii117lation dropping 5% year on year and 2.2% period on period to 28,516.