Magazine Industry Statistics in Canada

The Canadian magazine industry, like most of the global print media industry, has faced many challenges and changes in recent years. As the number of people who read magazines has gradually decreased, the market has experienced a decline. However, the industry has found new opportunities to engage readers through digital formats. 

In this article, we explore the status of the magazine industry in Canada through statistics. You will find information on revenue, number of publications, and the most popular magazines in Canada among other interesting statistics that create a picture of the Canadian magazine industry. 

Magazine Industry Statistics for Canadians

• The magazine industry’s operating revenues fell by over 16% between 2019 and 2021. 
• Just under ¾ of small and medium-sized magazine publishers are profitable. 
• There are over 200 magazine publishers in Canada employing over 4,400 people. 
• The magazine industry’s advertising revenues fell by over 60% between 2013 and 2021. 
• Ontario’s magazine industry generated almost 60% of the industry’s revenue in 2021. 
• Over 70% of magazines in Canada are consumer magazines. 
• Around 65% of Canadians read magazines at least once a month. 
• More than a third of Canadians have set aside time specifically to read magazines.
• Globally, revenue from print magazine circulation is expected to fall by over 2%, while digital magazine circulation is predicted to increase by over 3% by 2026.

Magazine Industry Revenue

According to Statistics Canada, the magazine industry’s operating revenues fell by 16.4% between 2019 and 2021. The operating revenue was $982.8 million in 2021, the lowest since 2013 when comparative data became available. Between 2013 and 2021, the operating revenue of the Canadian magazine industry decreased by half. 

To combat the decline, many magazine publishers offer digital formats of their magazines with online subscription options. This has led to a $5.9 million increase in circulation sales in 2021. Between 2019 and 2021, the share of digital-only magazines rose from 9.5% to 11.1% of all magazine titles in Canada. Most of the magazines published in Canada, approximately 58%, were published in both physical and digital formats and 31% of magazines were print-only titles. 

According to the Government of Canada, small and medium-sized magazine publishers had an average revenue of $477,900 in 2022 and 73.7% of the publishers were profitable. The operating profit margin, based on data from Statistics Canada, was 9.3% in 2021. 

The statistics from Ibis World show that the Canadian magazine industry consists of 213 businesses. These statistics also reveal that the industry employs approximately 4,450 individuals. In 2019, there were 2,368 magazines in Canada. This was an 11% drop compared to 2016 when there were 2,652 active magazines. 

Advertising Revenue

Advertising is the most important source of revenue for magazine publishers in Canada. In 2021, 50% of all sales by magazine publishers in Canada came from advertising revenue, while circulation sales accounted for 36% and custom publishing for 4% of the sales. The remaining 6% came from customer printing and publishing, distribution services and events. 

As the number of readers of print magazines has fallen, so has the revenue from print advertising. Between 2013 and 2021, advertising revenues declined by 61%. However, there is some good news, too. As many magazines have become available as digital versions, the revenue from digital advertising sales increased by $7.6 million in 2021. 

However, print magazine advertising is still one of the most effective marketing there is. As an example, 44% of Canadians have visited an advertiser’s website after seeing their advert in a printed magazine. Another 46% have used or planned to use a coupon or promotion advertised in a print magazine. Furthermore, print advertising generates far fewer complaints than other types. For example, In 2017 there were 29 complaints about magazine adverts compared to 716 complaints about TV adverts. 

Much of Canada’s Magazine Publishing Industry Is in Ontario

In 2021, Ontario represented about 58% of the industry’s operating revenues. The operating profit margin in the province was 8.5%. In 2020, the magazine publishing industry contributed $467 million towards Ontario’s GDP. 

Within the province’s magazine publishing industry, advertising revenues fell by 62%,  circulation revenues fell by 35%, and custom publishing revenues fell by 24%. In 2021, 50% of Ontario’s magazine industry revenue came from advertising sales, 46% from circulation sales, and the remaining 4% from custom publishing. 

Most Magazines in Canada Are Consumer Magazines

At 71%, most magazines published in Canada are consumer magazines instead of trade or professional magazines. However, the share of B2B magazine titles is growing in Canada, especially in Ontario, where their share has increased from 12.4% to 32% between 2017 and 2021. The total number of magazines in all categories declined between 2014 and 2019. 

Magazine Readership in Canada

On average, 65% of Canadian adults access print or digital magazines every month. Around 42% of Canadians report they are reading fewer printed magazines and newspapers than they did before. 

Approximately 42% of Canadian magazine readers only read printed magazines, while 17% read both print and digital magazines. It is also common to access content from digital magazines indirectly through search engines or social media links rather than looking up the magazine directly. 

Age plays an important part in reading preferences. For example, 67% of Canadians aged between 50 and 69 read print magazines weekly. Among younger Canadians, aged between 21 and 34, only 44% read print magazines every week. Because this trend is likely to continue, the number of print magazine readers is predicted to fall further. 

The most common way to access digital magazines is on smartphones at 22%. The portion is higher among Canadians under 35 (44%) and those new to reading digital magazines (57%). 

Distribution of Magazines in Canada

Even though there has been a shift towards digital magazines, the distribution channels for magazines have not seen much change since 2019. Requested or controlled circulation magazines are the most common type, accounting for 40.9% of all magazines in 2021. Paid magazine subscriptions represented 23.7% of the total circulation. 

The distribution of free, promotional, and complimentary magazines has been declining since 2017. The restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic had a further impact on the distribution of free magazines since these magazines are often distributed in high-traffic areas. Between 2019 and 2021, the share of free, promotional, and complimentary magazines fell by 4.7%. 

Support for the Magazine Industry

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the magazine industry received support from the Canadian government. It received $15 million in 2020-21 through the Aid to Publishers scheme and $45 million through the Special Measures for Journalism budget. 

In 2021, the sector received further support through the Aid to Publishers funding: $21.5 million in stream 1 to eligible magazines and $10 million in stream 2. 385 print magazines and 65 digital magazines received support through the Aid to Publishers component in 2021-22. At the same time, 792 magazines that did not qualify for Aid to Publishers received support through the Special Measures for Journalism component. 

How Canadians Feel About Magazines

While the readership of magazines may have fallen, Canadians still see reading them as a good use of their time. 49% of Canadians feel that reading print magazines is a good use of their time. An additional 23% said reading digital magazines was a good use of time. The second activity was browsing a general website at 40% while watching television was third with 34%. 

When it comes to setting aside special time for an activity, magazines are more popular than other media. 79% of Canadians say they have set time aside to read magazines, compared to 59% who have done so to read newspapers. 35% have set time aside for using the internet, 17% for listening to the radio, and 15% for watching television.

In addition, when watching television or browsing the internet, Canadians are also more likely to multi-task than when reading magazines. For example, 38% of Canadians say they often surf the net while watching television and 26% of people using the internet use their mobile phones at the same time.

Most Popular Magazine Categories in Canada

The most popular categories among Canadian magazine readers are food, travel, and health. These are followed by home decor, celebrity/entertainment, and science and technology publications.

The most popular English-language magazines in Canada are:

• enRoute
• Sportsnet
• TSN
• TravelPulse Canada
• HELLO! Canada

The most popular French-language magazines in Canada are:

• Noovo Moi
• 7 Jours
• La Semaine
• Châtelaine
• Coup de Pouce

Global Magazine Industry Revenue from Advertising

Globally, the revenue from consumer magazines is forecast to decline by 2.1% by 2026 and magazine publishers are estimated to lose around $6.1 billion in revenues between 2021 and 2026.

This is driven largely by the loss of print advertising revenue, which is projected to decline by 8.9% CAGR. However, digital advertising revenues are forecast to rise by 4.2% CAGR. The revenue from print advertising is projected to be around UA$7.4 billion in 2026 and digital advertising around US$8.3 billion.

Google, Facebook, and Amazon account for 60% of global advertising revenue. This has led many magazine publishers to experiment with new revenue models, including e-commerce platforms, digital subscriptions, e-learning, and events.

Global Circulation Revenues

Global print circulation revenues are expected to fall to US$32.7 billion by 2026, representing a 2.3% decrease in CAGR. However, digital circulation revenues are expected to rise faster than print circulation is falling, at 3.3% CAGR and reach US$5.2 billion in 2026. However, this will still only account for 13.8% of total magazine circulation revenues.

Using Paywalls

One way magazines can increase their revenue is to use paywalls. This means that all or some of their content is only available for paying subscribers. A survey that included 95 magazine publishers from 11 countries found that 45.3% of publishers used intelligent paywalls, 39% used simple paywalls, and 15.8% used both types.

Conclusion

In recent years, the number of magazine readers has been declining in Canada. While the number of Canadians who read digital magazines has been on the rise, it has not risen fast enough to combat the falling number of people reading print magazines. This trend mirrors the global trend in magazine consumption.

Along with the reader numbers, the advertising revenue has fallen, too. However, print magazines are still an effective way to market with more people likely to take action after seeing a magazine advert or promotion.

To combat the falling trends, the industry is exploring new avenues for revenue, including paid subscriptions and e-learning. As younger Canadians are less likely to read magazines, in particular print magazines, the industry certainly has work to do to attract new readers.