Newspapers With The Highest Circulation In The World

By Oishimaya Sen Nag on May 10 2018 in Society







The Asahi Shimbun is a major newspaper in Japan. Editorial credit: Osugi / Shutterstock.com.

Despite the growing popularity of online news sites, people across the world still prefer to have their morning cup of coffee with a newspaper in hand. Newspapers are published in different languages at different locations in the world. Some are also distributed internationally while others have restricted local or national distribution. The newspapers with the highest circulation in the world are as follows:

1. Yomiuri Shimbun

The Yomiuri Shimbun is the most circulated newspaper in the world. It is published in some of the major cities in Japan including Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka. It is one of the country’s five national newspapers and belongs to the Yomiuri Group. The headquarters of this publication is based in Tokyo. The newspaper was started in 1874. At the time of its founding, it was a small daily newspaper owned by the Nisshusha newspaper company. Over the years, the ownership of the publication changed hands. Several improvements were also made to it. By 1941, it had become the most read daily in the Tokyo area. After that, there was no looking back. Currently, the Yomiuri Shimbun is published twice daily and printed in different local editions.

2. Asahi Shimbun

The second most circulated newspaper in the world is also a Japanese publication, the Asahi Shimbun. The headquarters of this publication house is based in Osaka. The publication was first launched on January 25, 1879. Initially, it was just a four-page illustrated paper that had a circulation of only 3,000 copies. Financial support from the government since 1882, strengthened the publication. The newspaper continued to grow to become one of Japan’s five national newspapers.

3. USA Today

The USA Today, the third most popular newspaper globally is an American daily with worldwide distribution. The newspaper is the Gannett Company’s flagship publication. It was first printed in 1982. Al Neuharth, an American businessman, and columnist was the founder of the daily. The headquarters of this publication is located in McLean in the US state of Virginia. The USA Today is printed in 37 places in the country and 5 other international destinations. It is distributed in all states of the US as well as DC and Puerto Rico. The international edition is distributed in Canada, the Pacific Islands, Asia, and Europe.

4. Dainik Bhaskar

India’s largest-circulated daily newspaper, the Dainik Bhaskar, is the world’s fourth most circulated newspaper. The publication that first started in 1958 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, is owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group. The newspaper is printed in Hindi and is distributed in 14 states of the country. Several editions of the newspaper exist. It is printed in the four languages of Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, and English.

5. Dainik Jagran

Another Indian daily, the Dainik Jagran, is the second largest newspaper in the country by circulation and the fifth largest in the world. A BBC-Reuters survey labeled it as India’s most credible news source. The Jagran Prakashan Limited company owns the publication. The Dainik Jagran was launched in 1942 in Jhansi as a publication to voice the sentiments of the nationalists against the oppressive British rule in the country. The second edition of the newspaper was inaugurated in Kanpur in 1947. Subsequent editions followed till it became one of the most read newspapers in the country.

6. Mainichi Shimbun

Another Japanese newspaper also features on the list of the world’s most circulated newspapers. The Mainichi Shimbun is published twice daily. The group also has other publications like a news website in English, a weekly and a bilingual news magazine, books, paperbacks, etc. The Mainichi Shimbun has its origins in two newspapers, the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun and the Osaka Mainichi Shimbun. The former was founded in 1872 and the latter in 1876. Although both were merged in 1911, the two publishing companies continued to publish them independently. It was only in 1943 that the two editions were printer under one name, the Mainichi Shimbun.

7. Reference News

The newspaper with the largest circulation in China, Reference News, is the world’s seventh most circulated newspaper. Reference News was first published on November 7, 1931. The Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese government’s official news agency, owns the publication. The publication team carefully selects news and stories from across the world and publishes them in the newspaper. Prior to the 1980’s, the Reference News was the only media through which the public of China had access to news from the outside world. Currently, however, social media sites and other publications are providing competition for the publication. The Reference News is also published in a number of minority group languages like Korean, Kazakh, and Uighur.

8. Amar Ujala

The Hindi language Indian newspaper of Amar Ujala is the eighth most circulated newspaper in the world. The publication has 19 editions that are distributed in seven Indian states and also a union territory. The newspaper was founded just after India’s independence in 1948 in the Indian city of Agra.

9. The Times of India (TOI)

The Times of India, published in English, is one of India’s most popular newspapers. It is part of The Times Group that is owned by the Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. The newspaper is the oldest English newspaper in India that is still published. The first edition of The Times of India was printed in 1838. The publication was ranked as one of the six best newspapers in the world by the BBC in 1991.

10. The Nikkei

The tenth most circulated publication in the world is also a Japanese publication. The newspaper is Nikkei Inc.’s first publication. It is regarded as the largest financial newspaper in the world.

Newspapers With The Highest Circulation In The World