Sales slip for Sun's Sunday edition and Sunday Express

Rupert Murdoch's Sunday edition of the Sun and Richard Desmond's Sunday Express reported the largest month-on-month sales declines in the Sunday national tabloid and mid-market sectors respectively last month. The Sun's Sunday edition reported a 2.41% sales fall month on month in May to 2,242,132 – more than twice the average sales decline of the Sunday popular market as a whole, which shed 1.14% of circulation, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published on Friday. After selling 3,213,613 for its launch issue in the final weekend of February, the Sunday edition of the Sun has lost almost 1m sales. However, the paper's circulation now appears to have broadly stabilised at just over 2.2 million and it remains the largest title in the Sunday market by some distance. The gap between News International's tabloid and its closest rival, the Mail on Sunday, shrank once again and stands at 439,000. In April the gap was 496,000 and in March it was 600,000. The Mail on Sunday grew sales by 0.1% month on month to 1,802,491 copies in May. Year on year, the Mail on Sunday's circulation was down 6.06%. Northern & Shell's Sunday Express was the largest month-on-month faller in percentage terms of all Sunday tabloid titles, with sales down 3.19% to 512,596. Year-on-year sales were down 9.02%. There was more bad news for Murdoch in the quality market with the Sunday Times the biggest faller month on month, down 3.24% to 924,312. Year on year, sales were down 11.94%. All titles in the Sunday quality market suffered double-digit year-on-year falls except the Sunday Telegraph, which declined 6.87%, to 447,428, a month-on-month fall of 1.75%. In May the Independent on Sunday suffering the largest fall in the quality sector, of 17.09% to 125,373. The paper, which distributed 55,769 bulks weekly on average in May in addition to its paid-for circulation, reported month-on-month circulation up 2.9%. The Independent on Sunday's year-on-year comparison is adversely affected by the decision to virtually eliminate overseas distribution, although bulks have increased by 2,809 over the same period. In May 2011 the paper was sending 27,677 copies overseas each weekend on average, a figure that had dropped to just 476 last month. If the extra overseas distribution and fewer bulks from May 2011 are stripped out of the comparison, the paper's like-for-like year-on-year decline is just more than 1%. Several titles managed month-on-month rises, albeit small, with Trinity Mirror's Sunday Mirror up 0.54%, stablemate the People up 0.08% and the Observer up 0.05%. The Sunday Mirror was the only title to put on sales on both a monthly and annual basis with year-on-year circulation up 0.67%. The Observer, which is owned by Guardian News & Media, which also publishes MediaGuardian, reported a year-on-year fall of 13.74%, while the People fell by 3.93% compared with May 2011. Comparison with a year ago is adversely affected for the Observer by GNM's decision to halt overseas distribution. In May 2011 the paper was sending 18,000 copies abroad each weekend on average. If this figure is stripped out of the comparison the Observer's like-for-like year-on-year decline is 8.1%. The Sun Sunday Headine circulation: 2,242,132 month-on-month change: -2.41% year-on-year change: N/A Overseas: 48,447 Mail on Sunday Headline circulation: 1,802,491 Month-on-month change: +0.10% Year-on-year change: -6.06% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 1,704,809 (94.5% of total) Overseas: 96,911 Sunday Mirror Headline circulation: 1,094,265 Month-on-month change: +0.54% Year-on-year change: +0.67% Overseas: 36,709 Daily Star Sunday Headline circulation: 480,247 Month-on-month change: -0.41% Year-on-year change: +56.95% Overseas: 8,078 The People Headline circulation: 462,329 Month-on-month change: +0.08% Year-on-year change: -3.93% Overseas: 20,384 Sunday Express Headline circulation: 512,596 Month-on-month change: -3.19% Year-on-year change: -9.02% Overseas: 16,690 Sunday Times Headline circulation: 924,312 Month-on-month change: -3.24% Year-on-year change: -11.94% Overseas: 43,421 Sunday Telegraph Headline circulation: 447,428 Month-on-month change: -1.75% Year-on-year change: -6.87% Overseas: 9,926 The Observer Headline circulation: 252,780 Month-on-month change: +0.05% Year-on-year change: -13.74% Overseas: 0 Independent on Sunday Headline circulation: 125,373 Month-on-month change: +2.90% Year-on-year change: -17.09% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 69,604 (55.5% of total) Overseas: 476 Headline circulation includes lesser rate sales, subscriptions, bulks – copies sold to airlines, rail companies, hotels and gyms for a nominal fee and given free to the public – and distribution in Ireland and overseas. UK and Ireland paid-for circulation excludes bulks and overseas distribution; where this figure is not given, bulks and overseas distribution account for less than 5% of total circulation • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook