How many people read news online in the UK? Which publishers are winning, and how is news consumption changing? We analyzed the latest Ofcom data to answer the questions about online news in Britain.
Reach & Usage
How Many People Read News Online in the UK? (2025)
97% of UK online adults visited a news service in May 2025. 69% (33.9 million) visit at least one news service daily.
UK adults spend an average of 10 minutes per day on news services. That is level with 2024, when time spent was 11 minutes.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ipsos iris
Who Spends Most Time on News? (2025)
Adults aged 55 and over spend 16 minutes per day on news services. 79% of this age group visits news services daily.
18-34 year olds' news time is declining, from 12 minutes in 2023 to 10 minutes in 2025.
Men spent 39% longer than women on top ten news services in 2024, averaging 4 hours 49 minutes versus 3 hours 28 minutes per month.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
Top News Publishers
What Are the Most Popular News Sites in the UK? (2025)
BBC is the most-visited news service with 77% reach (37.6 million). BBC daily reach is 33% (16.3 million).
The Sun is second with 45% reach (22.0 million). The Guardian became third with 44% reach (21.8 million), up from fifth in 2024.
BBC is the highest-ranking UK-based organisation overall at 82% reach. Both BBC and The Sun are the only news services with top 5 reach in all UK nations.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ipsos iris
Is The Sun Losing Readers? (2023-2025)
The Sun lost 2.1 million adults since May 2023, when reach was 55% (24.1 million).
The Sun dropped from 55% reach in 2023 to 49% in 2024 to 45% in 2025. The decline continues year after year.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
Is The Guardian Growing? (2025)
The Guardian became the third highest reaching news service with 44% reach (21.8 million), up from fifth in 2024.
The Guardian added 2.0 million adults year-on-year. It has the third highest daily reach at 10% (4.7 million).
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Who Uses BBC News? (2025)
BBC reach is highest among 65+ at 87% and lowest among 25-34 year olds at 75%.
Men who visited BBC spent twice as long as women in 2024, averaging 3 hours 7 minutes versus 1 hour 39 minutes per month.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
News Aggregators
How Many People Use Apple News? (2025)
Apple News reach is 28% (13.6 million), up from 25% (11.9 million) in May 2024.
Apple News combined with Weather app became the 5th highest reaching news service at 40% (19.0 million).
The Mirror was the most popular publisher on Apple News in 2024 at 9.28% (4.4 million).
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
How Many People Get News From Social Media? (2025)
59% of UK adults use some form of online intermediary for news. Meta (40%) and Google (32%) are the most used news intermediaries.
Four of the top 10 news sources are social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X.
Social media was the most prominent source for election news and information at 26% during the July 2024 UK General Election.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025, Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
News Distribution
How Is News Distributed Online? (2025)
Mirror distributed content accounts for 57% of time spent via external aggregators, rather than direct visits.
Independent distributed content is 47% via aggregators. Daily Express distributed content is 39% via aggregators.
News publishers are increasingly reliant on third-party platforms to reach their audiences.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Regional News
What Are the Top Regional News Sites? (2025)
Belfast Live reaches 55% (0.7 million) of Northern Ireland online adults.
Wales Online reaches 50% (1.1 million) of Wales online adults. Daily Record reaches 40% (1.6 million) of Scotland online adults.
Regional news sites achieve significant reach within their nations, often rivalling national publications locally.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025
Events & Engagement
Did the UK Election Affect News Consumption? (2024)
On July 5, 2024, the day after the UK General Election, 23.0 million adults (49%) visited BBC.
58% of 18-24 year olds were interested in news during the election period, compared to just 39% at other times.
Major events still drive significant spikes in news consumption, particularly among younger audiences who otherwise engage less with news.
Sources: Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2025](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2025/online-nations-report-2025.pdf)
- [Ofcom Online Nations Report 2024](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2024/online-nation-2024-report.pdf)
- Ipsos iris