Note that this article provides historical figures only for selected papers only with very few updates since 2018. Newspapers such Guardian Australia, Crikey and The Saturday Paper are not listed.

There are several measures of circulation of newspapers. The Australian Bureau of Circulations (ABCs) Paid Media Audit Data provides independent verification of paid media distribution in Australia. Measures are also divided by electronic and print versions. The trend shown over the years is continuously declining for the print newspapers and surging for electronic newspapers since the 21st century.

Circulation of print newspapers Circulation of print newspapers is typically divided into Monday–Friday, Saturday/weekend and Sunday for each quarter. In 2017 the Audited Media Association of Australia announced that circulation figures were to be published every six months. The Herald Sun has the highest circulation in Australia. Based in one of the country's two major cities, Melbourne, it is the result of the amalgamation of the original Sun and Herald newspapers.

Title 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005The Australian Financial Review 139,834 44,635 48,844 54,430 57,451 64,270 68,425 73,158 75,339 79,201 87,702 88,264 86,182 85,373The Australian 88,581 94,448 98,757 102,222 104,774 116,854 126,901 133,081 136,268 134,100 140,000 133,000 131,538 133,841The Canberra Times 13,808 15,298 17,059 19,347 23,183 25,228 28,162 30,420 32,116 34,000 34,687 33,935 36,027 36,695Daily Telegraph 221,641 221,641 236,574 254,722 273,241 289,839 341,583 347,924 363,399 360,781 375,000 392,000 396,497 397,915The Sydney Morning Herald 78,789 88,634 97,530 107,127 114,634 136,623 161,169 189,803 204,421 208,210 209,508 212,700 212,078 210,085Northern Territory News 11,279 11,279 12,569 13,925 13,670 16,757 19,030 20,510 21,103 22,128 22,188 20,880 21,172 22,090The Courier-Mail 135,007 135,007 142,776 153,532 158,286 172,816 190,915 194,949 206,110 216,503 222,500 221,049 216,075 211,279The Advertiser 112,097 112,097 121,079 129,319 136,458 148,430 169,889 175,372 180,807 186,669 185,683 191,325 195,903 201,323The Mercury 28,265 28,265 30,075 31,765 33,111 35,821 40,638 41,443 44,221 46,758 46,985 48,886 49,601The Age 74,360 83,229 91,166 99,807 106,843 133,981 158,485 190,750 190,100 200,800 203,800 207,000 201,000 193,000Herald Sun 303,140 303,140 324,124 340,113 363,384 399,638 460,370 481,573 500,800 505,500 503,500 535,000 554,700 551,500The West Australian 128,365 153,431 136,076 152,357 158,400 172,188 190,251 188,947 192,230 195,211 194,862 203,328 205,610 207,914

+Weekend/Saturday PrintThe Australian Financial ReviewThe AustralianThe Canberra TimesDaily TelegraphThe Sydney Morning HeraldNorthern Territory NewsThe Courier-MailThe AdvertiserThe MercuryThe AgeHerald SunThe West Australian200290320297158720803353883994553177334332328049065308318900515598385871200386679295168728353410623916783177734644528111765194315250517650384976200487680300360710493412403737503193234225327838564905304200521000381079200589360291752687433426573603233244233391027436464297297500523500380417200690998293966673713427243639013151132682526969563554301000522400372608200792194299500631153400003640003115031666225980761985301000513000356844200892415301000599393270003582243186030960225606361813301500510500342787Jul-Sep 20083070005897831600034729932611310224256134292300503500336532Jul-Sep 20093021155600031894434830032810295056251486284500505000329911Jul-Sep 2010728983000783250003320663226027898224290360082273300495600Jul-Sep 2011718342837933177963155483924126463423867157292265704471644Jul-Sep 201269012277386451623180922654572896124845222497654469225976455197301466Jul-Sep 201362278250186373192740502319892531522157220045649440198537399730278332Jul-Sep 201455354231349262920214387Oct-Dec 201463621227486320942753802101151963619796317835045367180447362399255335Jan-Mar 201561911230182316522651112080531899919915317695145619178721353346249865Apr-Jun 201562643225206302802445871994721970918821717173043612172280347230265143Jul-Sep 201552892223526291442448631964061982119389517335442396168411Oct-Dec 201558523224691287502579431942071819818965416829342423166917347175239623Jan-Mar 201662345227465282102479461917281731818005016735742609164774342546242298Apr-Jun 201653121223926268942335461869181725217914916273140918159801335232232176Jul-Sep 201648009220945255712283601811131797918193216511039455152471317517219606Oct-Dec 201656141221930249402350911777221637117301415637438914152229322360207801Jan- Jun 201748773219242234702219961684701462416650211400537646144574306571216071

+Sunday PrintCANBERRA TIMESSUN-HERALDSUNDAY TELEGRAPHSUNDAY TERRITORIANSUNDAY MAIL (QLD)SUNDAY MAIL (SA)SUNDAY TASMANIANSUNDAY AGESUNDAY HERALDSUNSUNDAY TIMES (WA)2002390755597257269062708360185134540758245199350570647346037200339161542735734021254226112983406675922719450058263035200020043887752477772615324535615328334872597201945006030003540002005378445145427200302481161592033099861110200000620000354000200636892516394702125233866079753249736139121000062300034750020073467450500067150022340592440318179601342250006200003365002008343164832206630002265856517331346959930227500622000328000Jul-Sep 20083511647889065742423548566773305808225700615000320000Jul-Sep 20093500044794663835423498537764306556226900612500316544Jul-Sep 20104291996352692262450697529493057868226700593700293136Jul-Sep 20114104076061012198147988428414154945228826555684282000Jul-Sep 2012288083229596002362122045387126762551617193545524237269910Jul-Sep 2013253352737905165841818241518423948846901167775470326240486Jul-Sep 2014196522056674375601592334710820643540179135731396251Oct-Dec 2014215782273404892571445036306821460942645147017417442204892Jan-Mar 2015Apr-Jun 2015203122122804399261514434238120564340916139989400657193842Jul-Sep 2015Oct-Dec 2015197002008514523771536333973820026440232136043396574184012Jan-Mar 2016Apr-Jun 2016183051888064101371421431883020010238925128478384993184486Jul-Sep 2016172711826264017021491232184020002737926122547374918Oct-Dec 2016168421756524063261434330833919078937607123229368912173511Jan- Jun 2017157751646523784491277228988818246236212115056349252183128

Circulation of digital newspapers For the quarterly reporting period of the ABC data, from March to June 2016, Fairfax made the decision to remove its digital circulation numbers because it believes the figures, released by the Audited Media Association of Australia (AMAA), wrongfully suggest subscriptions at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are falling. In October 2017, The Australian owned by News Corp, claimed to be the first newspaper in Australia achieving over 100,000 paying online subscribers.

+Australian Financial ReviewThe AustralianCanberra TimesDaily TelegraphSydney Morning HeraldNorthern Territory NewsThe Courier-MailThe AdvertiserThe MercuryThe AgeHerald SunThe West AustralianJul-Sep 201573118139752478136009636157959Oct-Dec 20157501813816513349666866Jan- Mar 201677371134934Apr-Jun 20167901873470Jul-Sep 201680722113014307506716528Oct-Dec 201683833151719287586517517Jan- Jun 201785349305137937721319672Jan- Jun 201801357830114203030518029185770379301088016037

Circulation of local/community newspapers Local/Community newspapers tend to be distributed free of charge to a given community/area. A measure of paid print copies has no meaning in this circumstance. Readership tends to be measured by the number of copies distributed. Below are the distribution numbers for the quarter ending December 2016.

PublicationAverage Net Distribution