The latest Roy Morgan Australian Readership report highlights the sustained popularity of magazines in Australia, with more than 14.8 million Australians aged 14+ connecting with magazine content across print and digital platforms.
This figure represents 65.6% of the population, while more than 11.5 million Australians (51.1%) continue to read print magazines, showing the medium’s ongoing relevance in an increasingly digital age.
Michele Levine, CEO of Roy Morgan, said: “Magazines are holding steady, reaching two-thirds of Australians across print and digital platforms. Their ability to deliver targeted, quality audiences remains unmatched, with significant growth across key categories.”
Top 25 Magazines by print readership – Sept. 2024 (Magazines in bold are up on a year ago)
The report, covering the 12 months to September 2024, reveals that print readership has held steady, with six magazine categories experiencing year-on-year growth. Among the standout performers are the Food & Entertainment, Home & Garden, and General Interest categories, which continue to attract significant audiences.
Food & Entertainment remains the nation’s most-read magazine category, reaching 7.4 million Australians, or 32.8% of the population. This category is dominated by supermarket free titles, including Coles Magazine, which increased its readership by 7.6% to 5.3 million, and Woolworths’ Fresh Ideas, with 4.7 million readers. These publications underscore the value of accessible and practical content in driving engagement.
Home & Garden magazines also experienced growth, with 4.3 million Australians now engaging with titles in this category. Better Homes and Gardens continues to lead, with a readership of 1.8 million, an increase of 1.1% from the previous year. Bunnings Magazine follows closely, recording a 4.9% rise to 1.9 million readers, while House & Garden saw a 4.5% increase to 727,000 readers.
*Total cross-platform audience includes print (average issue readership) and digital (website visitation and app usage), in an average 4 weeks. #For additional detail on the platforms available for each magazine visit the Roy Morgan website.
General Interest magazines attracted over 4.1 million readers, representing an 18.4% share of the population. Notable growth was seen in titles such as National Geographic, which rose by 4.2% to 1.05 million readers, and Australian Geographic, which increased by 5.2% to 512,000 readers.
The Business, Financial & Airline category achieved the most substantial growth, with an 8% increase in readership to 1.4 million. The Qantas Magazine stood out with a 9.2% rise to 536,000 readers, highlighting the appeal of niche and premium content in a highly competitive market.
Free supermarket magazines, including Coles Magazine and Fresh Ideas, continue to dominate overall readership numbers. These titles remain an essential touchpoint for advertisers, combining broad reach with targeted, contextually relevant opportunities. Bunnings Magazine further supports this trend, reaching 1.9 million Australians, a 4.9% increase compared to last year.
Digital engagement is also on the rise, with ten Australian magazines now boasting cross-platform audiences exceeding one million. Better Homes and Gardens leads the pack with over 2.2 million combined readers, followed by Woman’s Day with 1.9 million and The Australian Women’s Weekly with 1.6 million. These figures demonstrate how magazines are successfully bridging print and digital channels to reach diverse audiences.