News

Newspapers 2009

Two daily newspapers and 21 non-daily newspapers were published regularly in Iceland in last year. The total circulation of dailies was 138,000 copies per issue an average and 70,000 copies of non-dailies. Since the previous year, the number of dailies has declined by three. The number of published dailies has not been lower since the 1910s. The total circulation of daily newspapers declined by 140,000 copies between 2008 and 2009. In last year, the circulation of non-dailies increased by 12,000 copies since 2008. From 1995 the number of non-daily newspapers has somewhat declined, or from 25 papers when at peak down to 21.

Circulation of daily newspapers dropped from 278,000 copies in 2008 down to 138,000 in 2009, or by 140,000 copies, after having increased consistently since 2001 when the first free daily was introduced to the market and later with entrance of the second free daily in 2005. Since 2008, the publication of other of the two free dailies has ended, and two of the three paid-for dailies have been changed to weeklies.

In 2009, there were 21 non-daily newspapers published, or one less than in the previous year. Two of the non-dailies are national papers, 19 are regional and local papers. Of the non-dailies published in last year 11 were paid-for papers and 10 free papers.

The total circulation of the non-daily press in last year numbered 70,000 copies an average, thereof three fourths were circulation of the regional and local papers. In recent past, circulation of regional and local non-daily newspapers has declined somewhat, about 32,000 copies since 2007, when the circulation reached its all-time-high of 82,000 copies.

Circulation of national non-daily newspapers has in recent years not exceeded 10,000 copies. In 2009, the total circulation of nationwide non-dailies reached 18,000 copies.

About the information
Statistics Iceland collects annually information from newspaper publishers. In some instances circulation for individual papers is estimated.

Daily newspapers are defined as papers issued 4 times and more frequently in a week, and non-daily newspapers are defined as papers issued 1–3 times in a week.