NZ Press Readership
Nielsen CMI and Roy Morgan data for NZ newspapers and magazines. Auckland focus for press; national for magazines. Readership figures — not circulation.
Data sources & caveat: Statistics on this page combine independently-measured survey data (Nielsen CMI Q4 2024, Roy Morgan December 2025) and publisher-reported figures. Readership methodologies differ between Nielsen CMI (average-issue readership) and Roy Morgan (monthly survey-based). Publisher brand audience figures combine multiple formats measured differently and should not be compared directly to single-format survey data. Always verify data with your agency or directly with the research organisations before making investment decisions.
Readership vs Circulation — why this matters
Circulation = number of copies sold or distributed. Readership = number of people who read it (each copy is typically read by 2–5 people). Media sellers default to circulation when readership is unavailable or lower. Always ask for readership figures — specifically Nielsen CMI average issue readership or Roy Morgan survey data — not just copies distributed. The gap between the two can be 2–4x.
Auckland newspaper readership
Average issue readership (how many people read each individual edition). Nielsen CMI Q4 2024 unless noted.
| Title | Publisher | Format | Readers per issue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Herald (daily) | NZME | 404,000 | Average issue readership (Nielsen CMI Q4 2024). Print edition still NZ's highest-circulated daily. | |
| NZ Herald (brand, weekly) | NZME | Print + Digital brand | 2,300,000 | Combined brand audience across print, digital, and video. Not a single-issue figure — don't compare directly to print-only numbers. |
| Herald on Sunday | NZME | Print (Sunday) | 303,000 | Average issue readership (Nielsen CMI Q4 2024). NZ's most-read Sunday paper. |
| Sunday Star-Times | Stuff | Print (Sunday) | 159,000 | Roy Morgan mid-2025. Down from historic highs; readership declined ~30% over 5 years. |
The NZ Herald brand weekly figure (2.3M) combines multiple formats measured by different methodologies — do not compare directly to the 404,000 average-issue print figure.
National magazine readership — top 10
Monthly readership (number of different people who read the magazine in a month). Roy Morgan December 2025. Readership, not circulation.
| # | Title | Publisher | Monthly readers | Age skew | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AA Directions | AA (NZ Automobile Association) | 388,000 | 35–60+ | Member magazine; high loyalty readership |
| 2 | NZ Woman's Weekly | Are Media | 365,000 | 35–65+ female | Longest-running NZ consumer magazine; female-skewed |
| 3 | NZ House & Garden | Are Media | 295,000 | 35–60 female | Premium lifestyle; affluent female audience |
| 4 | NZ Listener | Are Media | 218,000 | 45–65+ | TV guide + current affairs; declining but loyal older base |
| 5 | Next | Are Media | 198,000 | 25–44 female | Younger female lifestyle |
| 6 | Dish | Are Media | 174,000 | 30–55 | Food/cooking; broad adult appeal |
| 7 | NZ Gardener | Are Media | 152,000 | 45–65+ | Niche but loyal; strong regional reach |
| 8 | Fish & Game NZ | Fish & Game NZ | 130,000 | 30–55 male | Member publication; highly engaged niche |
| 9 | Kia Ora (Air NZ) | Air New Zealand | 114,000 | 25–54 | Inflight magazine; readership estimated from passenger volumes |
| 10 | NZ Life & Leisure | Are Media | 96,000 | 40–60 | Upmarket lifestyle; strong AB demographic index |
Publisher network reach
Combined monthly audience across each publisher's portfolio. Unduplicated — readers of multiple titles counted once per publisher.
Largest magazine publisher in NZ by readership. Formerly Bauer Media.
Largest NZ newspaper group by audience. Monthly brand figure, not weekly.
Second-largest NZ newspaper group; primarily Wellington and South Island strength.
Fact-checking publisher claims
What newspaper and magazine publishers say vs what Nielsen CMI and Roy Morgan data shows.
"The New Zealand Herald reaches 1.2 million people daily" (NZME advertising collateral)
NZME's 'daily brand audience' of 1.2M combines print readers (~404,000/day), website unique visitors (averaged daily from 1.96M monthly uniques), video streams, and email newsletter opens. Each of these is measured differently. The print readership figure (Nielsen CMI) is the most rigorously measured. The combined number is real but should not be read as 1.2M people reading the physical Herald each day.
"NZ Herald on Sunday is New Zealand's most read Sunday paper" (NZME)
True per Nielsen CMI Q4 2024. Herald on Sunday readership (~303,000) exceeds Sunday Star-Times by approximately 144,000 readers. The gap has widened as Sunday Star-Times circulation has declined.
"2.7 million New Zealanders read newspapers" (Stuff / NZME joint industry claim)
Roy Morgan mid-2025 puts total newspaper readership (print and digital editions) at approximately 2.7M. This uses 12-month cumulative readership, not average-issue figures. Average-issue figures are significantly lower. Make sure you know which metric your agency is buying against.
"1.65 million New Zealanders read magazines" (Are Media / industry)
Roy Morgan December 2025 survey estimates approximately 1.65M NZers read at least one magazine per month (print or digital). Are Media accounts for the largest share of this. Readership has declined from ~2.1M in 2019 but appears to be stabilising.
Super Media view
Print press audiences have declined materially over the past decade, but the readers who remain are disproportionately valuable. NZ Herald print readers skew 45+, higher-income, and are decision-makers at a rate above the general population. For the right advertiser, print still delivers quality over quantity.
Magazine readership has held up better than press. Are Media's portfolio continues to deliver engaged, category-loyal audiences. The key buying question is not reach — it's context. A reader in NZ House & Garden is in a different mindset than the same person scrolling Facebook. Media pricing rarely accounts for this.
The most common error we see with press buying is comparing a publisher's brand reach figure with a competing channel's rated reach — these are apples to oranges. Always ask: same metric, same measurement methodology, same time period.