From 2006 to 2022, both print and digital newspaper readership decreased in Italy. While in 2006 almost 13 million people read newspapers on a regular basis (at least five times per week), in 2022, only 4.9 million people were doing so. The decrease is even sharper where occasional readers are concerned - i.e. those who read newspapers at least once a week, with the number falling from over 33 million in 2006 to just over 15 million in 2022.
Written articles? No, thanks
This sharp decline could be explained in different ways. One of the most obvious reasonings could be attributing it exclusively to the fall in print press sales. Beside the overall decline of print newspapers however, a mild decrease occurred in online news consumption as well. This is clear evidence of the fact that not only sales of printed newspapers decreased, but also that this decline has not been counterbalanced by an increase of online copies. Because of this reason, it is possible to conclude that Italians are, in general, less and less interested in reading written articles. Instead, they prefer to inform themselves through social networks and TV, as this statistic shows.
A different trend across Europe
The conclusion proposed in the previous paragraph cannot be generalized for all European countries. Indeed, across Europe, the share of people reading online newspapers and magazines increased by almost ten percent from 2013 to 2017 , while Italy seems not to follow such European trend.
Number of newspaper readers in Italy from 2006 to 2022, by reading frequency
(in 1,000 readers)
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Istat. (February 22, 2024). Number of newspaper readers in Italy from 2006 to 2022, by reading frequency (in 1,000 readers) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/535901/newspaper-readership-by-frequency-italy/
Istat. "Number of newspaper readers in Italy from 2006 to 2022, by reading frequency (in 1,000 readers)." Chart. February 22, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/535901/newspaper-readership-by-frequency-italy/
Istat. (2024). Number of newspaper readers in Italy from 2006 to 2022, by reading frequency (in 1,000 readers). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/535901/newspaper-readership-by-frequency-italy/
Istat. "Number of Newspaper Readers in Italy from 2006 to 2022, by Reading Frequency (in 1,000 Readers)." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 Feb 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/535901/newspaper-readership-by-frequency-italy/
Istat, Number of newspaper readers in Italy from 2006 to 2022, by reading frequency (in 1,000 readers) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/535901/newspaper-readership-by-frequency-italy/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Number of newspaper readers in Italy from 2006 to 2022, by reading frequency (in 1,000 readers) [Graph], Istat, February 22, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/535901/newspaper-readership-by-frequency-italy/