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2022 can be summarised in three overarching themes: post-pandemic consumer habits, how inflation influences our entertainment preferences, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The magazine and newspaper app Readly has compiled its annual reading trends report of 2022. For the first time, it includes user data from newspapers and reveals differences in reading behaviours.
The latest insights show that 286,000 digital issues were read 146 million times on the platform with readership spiking in categories such as News & Politics, Craft & DIY and TV, Film & Cinema.
The most popular time to read magazines is on Thursdays at 6pm, while for newspapers it is 7am on Sundays.
When looking at Readly’s 10 most popular categories based on the highest total readership, the category Travel & Regional has gained popularity with its share of the total readership increasing by 12 percent globally. The issues attracting most readers during the year were about domestic travel tips.
Covid-delayed weddings are also back. Based on average reading minutes per account, the wedding category has increased by 6 percent globally and as much as 12 percent in the UK.
Although post-pandemic travel is recovering, it’s evident that domestic travel is here to stay, possibly as a result of increased awareness about climate change and how we as consumers must change our behaviour, but also perhaps the effects of a tougher economic climate.
Another trend that has emerged through a combination of current events, is increased reading in category craft and DIY, with consumers looking to fix and mend instead of buying new. Again, environmental consciousness probably plays a part, but it is clearly also the consequence of increased inflation and the squeeze on consumers wallets.
Chris Couchman, Head of Content at Readly
Readers have been turning to needlework to tackle the cost of living crisis, with a 10 percent increase of average reading per account, globally in the category Craft & DIY.
Another form of low-cost entertainment is staying in, watching TV. The category TV, film & Cinema has close to 30-minute average reading per issue which represents 12 percent increase during 2022 compared to 2021.
Inflation and economic uncertainty, caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has also led to a spike in readership of newspapers and political magazines. 2022 has been a turbulent political year in many countries.
Chris Couchman
The monthly average number of newspaper readers who use Readly on a daily basis has increased by 23 percent this year compared to 2021. And average reading time in the magazine category News & Politics increased by 8 percent globally and a whopping 18 percent in the UK.
UK reading snapshot 2022
British readers have read 25M issues
9% of all titles read by UK users are foreign titles
Mobile usage is 14% for magazines and 11% for newspapers
Most read categories are:
- Celebrity & Entertainment (18% share of total readership)
- Cars & Motoring (10% share of total readership)
- Lifestyle (10% share of total readership)
9% of all titles read by UK users are foreign titles
Top issues with the highest total readership are:
- BBC Good Food, Nadiya Hussain’s Brilliant Bakes (monthly)
- Hello Queen Elizabeth 2 Goodbye Ma-am (weekly)
More trends and toplists are available in the full report.
