Competitive Info: Washington Post Leads Print Circulation Declines In 2025.

The Washington Post recorded the steepest decline in print circulation among the nation’s 25 largest newspapers in 2025, according to new data, as the paper later undertook significant newsroom layoffs amid financial losses and subscriber backlash.

Average daily print circulation at the newspaper fell 21.2% in the six months ending in September 2025, dropping to 87,576 from 111,171 a year earlier, according to a report by Press Gazette citing data from the Alliance for Audited Media.

The Los Angeles Times experienced the second-largest drop, with average daily print circulation declining 19.8% to 63,492 over the same period.

Across the industry, print circulation continued to contract. The combined average daily circulation of the top 25 newspapers fell 12.5%, with all but one publication reporting declines.

The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times were particularly affected following subscription cancellations tied to decisions not to publish endorsements of Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 presidential election, according to the Press Gazette report.

In the months that followed, the Washington Post reduced its newsroom by roughly one-third, cutting more than 300 journalists, including its entire sports department. The layoffs came as the paper faced losses exceeding $100 million in 2025 and declining web traffic, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The cuts occurred despite appeals from staff to owner Jeff Bezos. The workforce reductions also followed internal tensions after Bezos outlined a new direction for the opinion section focused on free markets and personal liberties following President Trump’s re-election.

Other major newspapers also reported circulation declines. The Wall Street Journal, the largest by circulation, saw its print circulation fall 12.9% to 412,428. The New York Times reported an 8.6% decline, while the New York Post’s circulation decreased 4.2%.

The Villages Daily Sun, a Florida-based newspaper ranked 25th, was the only publication among the group to post an increase, with print circulation rising 4.2% to 48,716.