Newspaper Subscriptions in Japan Fall below 50 Pct for 1st Time

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)--The newspaper subscription rate in Japan fell below 50 pct for the first time ever, a survey has found.

According to the fiscal 2026 survey by the Japan Press Research Institute, the proportion of respondents who have monthly subscriptions for newspapers dropped 0.3 percentage point year on year to 49.8 pct, the first reading below 50 pct since the survey started in 2008, when the share stood at 88.6 pct. The survey results were announced Saturday.

The latest survey, the 19th of its kind, was conducted between July 17 and Aug. 16, covering 5,000 people aged 18 or over across the country and receiving valid response from 2,676.

The share of respondents who get news from newspapers in a week also slipped below 50 pct for the first time, at 49.7 pct, coming in fourth. Television programs of commercial broadcasters ranked top, at 84.2 pct, followed by the internet, at 74.4 pct, and TV programs of public broadcaster Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, 69.7 pct. Radio programs ranked fifth, at 27.6 pct.

The latest survey asked questions regarding the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took office in October 2025, for the first time.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]