Circulation of daily newspapers in Germany 1991-2024
Daily newspaper circulation in Germany amounted to 10.2 million copies in 2024. Figures have been decreasing year after year in the last decade alone, a fact facing print media around the world, not just in Europe. For comparison, in 1991, German daily newspapers totaled 27.3 million copies in circulation.
National dailies
Germany counts various national daily newspapers among its print media, which are well-known among the population and still referenced, quoted, discussed, even if not as often as before. The leading tabloid in the country, the Bild Zeitung or simply Bild, reached around 6.93 million readers per issue in 2023. Further behind were the renowned Süddeutsche Zeitung, reaching almost 1.3 million readers per issue and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), reaching around 900,000 readers.
Digital challenges
A rising number of German households do not subscribe to a daily newspaper. The spread of internet access and mobile device use have influenced and changed consumer behavior regarding media content. One example being that it is easier to take a smartphone and browse on a newspaper website, also on the go, then buy, fold, unfold and carry around a newspaper. These are challenges the newspaper industry is facing long-term, as mobile and online media consumption increasingly becomes the norm.
