Are Newspapers Still Popular in the UK? Current Reading Habits & Surprising Stats

Every morning, tens of thousands of Londoners squeeze into the Tube, dodging elbows and coffee spills. Amid glowing smartphone screens and earbuds blaring podcasts, it would seem that the humble newspaper should be extinct by now — but look around carefully. There’s always that one person, knees up, glasses on, wrestling with a broadsheet, making sure they don’t smack someone in the face with The Times. It’s 2025, and despite all things digital, physical newspapers remain a real, flickering presence on British public transport, in greasy spoon cafés, and on kitchen tables around the country. It’s not just nostalgia. There’s more to it than meets the eye.

The State of Print: Numbers You Won’t Believe

If you’re just looking at raw figures, you might think newspapers are on their way out. The UK's Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in May 2025 that daily circulation for print newspapers dropped by 10% from last year, with overall numbers hovering near 5.3 million daily copies. Compare that to the early 90s, when the total was over 16 million. The Sun still leads the way, selling more than a million copies daily, while The Times gets about 350,000. Local papers like the Yorkshire Post and Evening Standard have also seen major cuts, with the Standard going from a million free copies pre-pandemic to about 450,000 today.

But here’s the plot twist: these numbers aren't zero. Millions are still opening a fresh newspaper every day. Print isn’t dead yet. People still love reading news in black and white ink, even if they have a phone right next to their morning cuppa.

And if you want a true fact bomb: Over 35% of Brits aged 50+ have read at least one printed newspaper in the past week, according to Ofcom’s Media Nations 2025 report. The figure drops for the under 30s, but it’s far from vanishing. There's still a massive appetite for physical news, especially in older generations and in rural Britain, where 3G coverage is less reliable than your nan’s ancient toaster.

Why Do Brits Still Read Newspapers in 2025?

Let’s get honest. There’s something special about holding a real newspaper. Save your eye strain and forget about glare from your phone. Print just feels… different. Maybe it’s the earthy smell of paper, or the sound of pages turning. There’s a ritual to it, especially for those who grew up before iPads and Kindle fires. No need for Wi-Fi or battery percentage — you just pick it up and start reading.

Papers offer a sense of organization that digital news rarely matches. There are clear sections: world news at the front, crosswords at the back, sport, business, politics, and all the fluff in between. You notice stories you wouldn’t seek out online, like a lost dog in Liverpool, or a review of a play in Soho. It’s accidental discovery at its finest.

Don’t underestimate trust, either. There’s a solid core of readers who see a clear line between a reputable print front page and a clickbait news site. A study from YouGov in 2024 showed that 49% of UK adults trust traditional newspapers more than social media or online-only outlets. For big events — like elections, royal news, or a football final — many people buy a paper to keep as a memento. You can frame it. Try doing that with a Twitter feed.

The Local Paper’s Secret Power

If you think national papers are niche, local papers are pretty much Britain’s family albums. The Banbury Guardian isn’t chasing viral headlines; it’s covering local council bickering, road closures, and school fetes. For small towns, this matters. You probably won’t find the winner of the Bakewell Junior Bake-Off in The Guardian, but it’ll be page one of the local rag for sure.

Some residents still buy local papers every week out of habit, curiosity, or because they recognize the byline of a neighbour’s cousin. Local advertisers depend on them, and research from the News Media Association in February 2025 found that 71% of adults in towns and rural areas trust their local paper more than any national online news site. Even when print runs shrink, local news online sees heavy traffic, but the physical paper is still found dropped in pub corners and on kitchen counters. To many, it’s the last thread of community information holding everything together.

For local councils and businesses, a printed ad is seen as more permanent and official. There’s also a practical argument: older people, who may not use smartphones, rely on these papers for updates, events, and even obituaries. So, don’t be surprised if you pop into a post office in Devon and see a line of eager locals picking up the North Devon Gazette alongside their stamps.

The Digital Storm: How the Internet Changed UK News

The real plot twist is how newspapers have blended into our digital lives. Pretty much every major UK paper runs a slick website, an app, and some, like The Guardian, are all-in on podcasts, daily newsletters, and constant live updates. In fact, the latest Reuters Digital News Report says that 70% of adults access news online — and for the under-30 crowd, that number is closer to 90%.

But here’s where things get tricky. While everyone expected print to die out quickly, newspapers adapted. Subscriptions shot up for digital editions: The Times passed half a million paying online readers, and the Financial Times quietly reached about 1.3 million subscribers, most of them digital only. Paywalls, once a risky experiment, are now standard, and the Evening Standard’s digital daily newsletter just crossed 100,000 subscribers in London alone.

Social media means stories move faster than ever, but there’s also news fatigue and a flood of fake headlines. When you’re bombarded by endless push alerts, sometimes people just want to go back to basics, and that’s where print still finds new fans — even a few Gen Zers, according to a small but fascinating survey from City University of London in early 2025, which found that library trips for newspapers are up 18% compared to 2018, especially during exam periods.

Picking What Works: Tips for Modern Readers

If you’re puzzling over where to get your news fix, you’re hardly alone. Here’s the thing: it’s not a choice between paper and digital. You can mix and match to suit your mood. Feel tired of blinking at your screen? Grab a Saturday paper and enjoy coffee sans notifications. Love deep dives? Digital archives go back decades, and outlets like The Guardian let you customize your feed so you never miss a story on, say, Scottish politics or Eurovision scandals.

• For the best value: Look out for bundle subscriptions — many print newspapers throw in free digital access with a weekend delivery.
• Support local: If your town’s paper is still going, buying just once a week keeps small journalism alive and helps the community.
• Customize: Use RSS feeds or email digests if you want quick headlines without doomscrolling.
• Fact-check: Mix sources. Print for in-depth, online for breaking news. Always check at least two to avoid falling for spin.
• Make it social: Share a paper with a housemate, or debate a story in your local café — one newspaper can be the start of ten conversations.

The main takeaway? Newspaper readership in the UK is shrinking, but it won't vanish anytime soon. Whether you’re a digital devotee or a print loyalist, the key is being curious and open to mixing old and new. After all, the news isn’t going anywhere — it just changes form, like everything else.