List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation

Newspapers have been widely distributed in the United Kingdom for hundreds of years.

Sales rose during the 1800s and continued to do so until the middle of the 20th century, when they reached their peak circulation, however since then their readership has significantly declined.

At the start of the 19th century, the highest-circulation newspaper in the United Kingdom was the Morning Post, which sold around 4,000 copies per day, twice the sales of its nearest rival.

As production methods improved, print runs increased and newspapers were sold at lower prices.

[1] Pubs would typically take in one or two papers for their customers to read, and through this method, by the 1850s the newspaper of the licensed trade,[clarification needed] the Morning Advertiser, had the second highest circulation.

[2] The availability of multimedia news platforms has accelerated this decline in the 21st century, and by the close of 2014, no UK daily or Sunday newspaper had a circulation exceeding two million.

[7] In February 2018 The Sun's 40-year dominance at the top of the circulation charts was eclipsed by the free Metro newspaper for the first time.

[8] In May 2020 the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which records and audits sales, stated that monthly publication of circulation figures would no longer be automatic, as publishers were concerned that they had become a "negative narrative of decline".

The first newspapers to decline to publish circulation figures were The Telegraph, The Sun and The Times.