Fresh circulation figures show that consumers remain passionate about magazines.

In a world of free content on the TV, radio and Internet, the UK public bought well over one billion magazines in 2009 – and more than 85 per cent of UK adults continue to buy magazines.

PPA (the Periodical Publishers Association) chief executive, Barry McIlheney, said: "Readers have a unique relationship with their magazines. In an increasingly cluttered world, magazines offer an oasis of private time."

The latest ABC figures show that the circulation of consumer magazines fell by 1.3 per cent in the second half of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The UK economy shrank in all four quarters of the year. In 2008, the UK economy stopped growing and fell into negative economic growth in the second half of the year.

The figures also show that 250 regular frequency, paid-for consumer magazines were launched in 2009, compared with 251 in 2008.

Active lifestyle publications performed well. The athletics sector grew 38.3 per cent in the second half of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. Meanwhile the camping, walking and climbing sector rose by 11.5 per cent in the second half of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. Circulation in the cycling sector rose 11.8 per cent in the second half of 2009 compared with year-on-year figures.

The women’s sector recovered in the second half of the year. Circulations of women’s lifestyle/fashion magazines rose 4.7 per cent in the second half of 2009 compared with the previous year and circulations for women’s weeklies went up 2.9 per cent in the second half of last year compared with the same period in 2008.

Business and finance also continued to do well with the sector posting circulation growth of 5.7 per cent in the second half of 2009 compared with 2008.