The digital age of media and online publishing was once poised as the death knell for print publications, but a new study from Melbourne-based market research body Roy Morgan proves Aussies are still committed to newspapers and magazines. 

Covering the 12 months leading up to March 2025, this year’s Roy Morgan Australian Readership report has plenty of good tidings for the print media industry. Based on a survey of 69,305 Australians aged 14 and over, results released on 20 May show that magazines remain a dominant force within the Australian news and entertainment landscape.

More than 11.2 million Australians over the age of 14 – equivalent to 49.2 percent of the population – read print magazines, a figure that balloons when including digital readership. More than 65 percent of the Australian population, or 14.9 million people, consume magazine articles via smartphone, tablet or personal computer. 

Six magazine categories see readership figures in excess of one million people

Perhaps reflecting the growing concerns surrounding cost of living in recent years, the most widely read magazine category is Food & Entertainment, offering readers insights into where they can make savings on their weekly shop. 

In total, magazines in this category represented more than 30 percent of the population with a readership of 7.17 million – over three million more than any other category. 

Free-to-read titles such as Coles Magazine and Woolworths’ Fresh Ideas magazine were dominant category leaders. Coles Magazine observed a 2.4 percent rise in readership to 5.2 million in March 2025. Coles Magazine also represents the most-read magazine in Australia, with Fresh Ideas occupying the second spot overall. 

Meanwhile, other leading magazine categories include Home and Garden in second place, with a total readership of 4.14 million. General Interest titles garnered third place with 3.96 million readers. 

Seven of the top 25 most widely read titles saw increased readership

Of the 25 top titles, seven magazine titles saw an increase in readership. The most significant increase was observed by Australian Geographic, followed by National Geographic in second place and House & Garden in third place, demonstrating a pronounced interest in publications exploring the natural world.

With nine publications recording readership figures exceeding one million across print and digital platforms, Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said magazines remained an effective medium for reaching audiences of all ages. 

“The most widely read magazines draw large and valuable audiences for advertisers to their print editions, with over 1.7 million people now reading Better Homes & Gardens, over 1.1 million that read The Australian Women’s Weekly and over 1 million reading National Geographic,” Levine said in a statement.

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