Free dailies increase circulation

Free papers in metropolitan areas increase their circulation at the expense of their paid colleagues. Stockholm City increased circulation 32% to 531,000 readers last fall compared to the same period in 2003 and at this pace will be larger than Göteborgs-Posten in the next survey. Metro Stockholm gained 8% to 681,000.

Traditional (paid) dailies like Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet drop in circulation, DN down 2% to 897,000 and SvD down 2% to 468,000. Malmö-based Sydsvenskan drops 1% to 198,000 while Gotheburg’s Göteborgs-Posten increases 3% to 577,000 readers.

The tabloid Expressen is closing in on rival Aftonbladet. Expressen is up 2% to 1,207,000 readers while Aftonbladet is more or less stable at 1,425,000 readers.

All according to Orvesto research published in Dagens Media.