Print Media

The German print media landscape is characterised by great diversity, but is also undergoing a profound transformation. There are currently 352 daily newspapers, 27 weekly newspapers and 7 Sunday newspapers that appear regularly in Germany. In addition, there are 2450 consumer magazines and 3753 industry journals.

The national daily newspapers with the highest circulation are Bild, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Handelsblatt. In the regional sector, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung and Rheinische Post are the leaders. In addition, some important weekly newspapers or magazines such as Die Zeit, Der Spiegel or Bild am Sonntag are published.

Like all around the world, the industry is facing major challenges. The circulation of printed newspapers has fallen continuously in recent years. At the same time, digital formats such as e-papers are gaining in importance.

Despite the decline in the print sector, newspapers still reach a good three quarters of the population every week with their print and digital editions combined. The industry is increasingly focusing on digital strategies to attract new readers and retain existing ones.

In 2025, Media Ownership Monitor Germany expanded its print database to include market-leading regional and local newspapers. The expansion added 19 new titles to the analysis. This reflects a fundamental reality of German media: citizens consume news primarily through regional and local publications rather than national outlets. Excluding this level would mean missing how media ownership actually shapes public discourse at the regional level, where most Germans form their understanding of local and state politics. The regional press remains essential to monitoring where media power concentrates in Germany.