BRUSSELS –  Newspapers have become more popular over the past year: total circulation figures have increased to more than a half billion worldwide.  On average, 1.4 billion people read a newspaper every day. The Belgians seem to be the most attached to their daily paper: they spend an average of 54 minutes a day reading the paper.

This has emerged from a study by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). The study looked at 232 countries, which publish a total of 11,207 newspapers. There was an increase in sales on the newspaper market in every part of the world in 2006 except for North America, where total sales fell1.9 percent. The total sales in the other parts of the globe rose 4.61 percent to 556 million papers.

The revenue from advertising increased last year by 3.77 percent on average. The figures also took into account free newspapers. In Europe these free papers account for almost a third (31.9 percent) of total newspaper circulation, compared to 8 percent worldwide.

There was a fall in the total circulation in Belgium in 2006, but a strong increase in advertising revenue, which was up 19 percent. Belgium is also characterised by the most avid readers: on average a Belgian reads the paper for 54 minutes every day. In second place, with an average daily reading time of 48 minutes, are China, Finland and Brazil.

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news