15 Most Popular Magazines in the World

Walk to your nearest bookstore, and it seems there are a million options for magazines, but do you know which are 15 most popular magazines in the world?

A perfect day, in my opinion, is Sunday morning coffee, breakfast on the table and my favorite magazine in my hands. Although we are in the era of technology and everything is available to us on the Internet (even all magazines) some people still love to feel the paper in their hands and buy a favorite magazine to flip through the pages while drinking their morning coffee. There are a million of magazines around the globe and each country prints hundreds of different magazines every day, but there are some magazines published in millions of copies, and that makes them some of the best magazines in the world. From the most popular fashion magazines in the world to the upscale luxury magazines for the rich, there’s really something for every reader.

From National Geographic to Good Housekeeping, the best magazines in the world, are mainly the ones that have been around for a while now. Take a look at our list of the best selling magazines in the United States, and you will see my point. Obviously it takes time to build a loyal reader base. For example, the top fashion magazines in the world like Vogue and Vanity Fair to name a couple popular fashion magazines, have readers who rely on them to decide what their next season’s wardrobe will include.

Which are the top ten magazines in the world? What makes one magazine so popular? We decided to go beyond just ten (since there are so many) to answer those questions. Our list of most popular magazines 2017, is ranked by circulation, which is based upon the number of copies distributed, on average, for each issue. There are different kinds of topics for each magazine, and the most popular are fashion magazines, travel magazines and magazines about political issues are also very popular. Today, most of the topics are available on the Internet, as the development of technology has led to the fact that with just one click we can find out all the necessary information that is drawing our attention. However, magazine printing and the purchase of newspapers are still very much alive. Although the number of print media has dropped significantly in the last decade, it remains trendy, so it is necessary to process topics that are very interesting and current. For our research for top 15 most popular magazines in the world, we sought help from Audit Bureau of Circulations, Alliance for Audited Media, Consumer Reports and Statista.

Let’s take a look at the top 15 most popular magazines in the world. You might just find something new, to grab your curiosity.

15. People

Circulation 3,553,420

People is an American weekly magazine discussing celebrities and a magazine that writes about all different kinds of topics. It is issued by Time Inc. and has a readership of 46.6 million adults.

14. Ladies’ Home Journal

Circulation 3,831,072

Ladies’ Home Journal is an American magazine published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first issued in 1883, and eventually became one of the top women’s magazines of the 20th century in the United States of America.

13. Family Circle

Circulation 3,849,673

Family Circle is an American magazine that writes about home and decor. It is published 12 times a year, and it began printing in 1932 as a magazine distributed at supermarkets. Cowles Magazines and Broadcasting bought the magazine in 1962.

12. Woman’s Day

Circulation 3,919,488

Woman’s Day is an American women’s magazine that covers such topics as homemaking, food, nutrition, and fashion. The print edition is one of the Seven Sisters magazines.

11. Good Housekeeping

Circulation 4,427,964

Next in line our list of most popular magazines in the world is the Good Housekeeping, a women’s magazine. In this magazine, you can read about different kinds of topics for woman (or men), like cooking, recipes, and homes.

10. Game Informer

Circulation 4,364,170

Video games are big business, and gamers love to learn more about their favorite games and consoles. Game Informer is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles.

9. National Geographic

Circulation 4,493,110

National Geographic, next on our list of most popular magazines in the world, is the official magazine of the National Geographic Society. It has been published continuously since its first issue in 1888, nine months after the Society itself was established. In this magazine, you can read a lot about science, animals, and everything that is relevant to a different kind of science topic.

8. TV Magazine

Circulation 5,854,629

We’re about halfway through our list of top 15 most popular magazines in the world with a magazine about the TV ironically. TV Magazine is a weekly French television listings magazine, owned by the Le Figaro group. TV Magazine was started in 1987, and the magazine is distributed by Hachette Filipacchi.

7.  Sports Illustrated AutoPrimeurs

Circulation 6,010,904

This is by far, the most popular magazine that comes from Netherlands. The magazine deals with topics from the world of cars and circulation is 6,010,904 per year. This makes a lot of sense considering that Europeans love the sport of racing.

6. Reader’s Digest

Circulation 6,112,811

Reader’s Digest is an American family magazine, published ten times a year. It was Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York. The magazine was established in 1920, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace.

5. Better Homes And Gardens

Circulation 7,644,011

The magazine is published 12 times per year by the Meredith Corporation. It was founded in 1922 by Edwin Meredith, who had previously been the United States Secretary of Agriculture under Woodrow Wilson.

4. The Costco Connection

Circulation 8,196,081

As a big fan of Costco, I’m happy this one makes a list. The Costco Connection is a magazine sent free to all members of Costco. However, it can also be accessed online by anyone, free of charge. The magazine was established in 1987, and if you are interested in cooking or environmental topics, this is the best magazine for you.

3. ADAC Motorwelt

Circulation 13,643,161

ADAC Motorwelt is a German-language monthly automobile and travel magazine published in Munich, Germany. It is also the largest magazine in the country of Germany. It was established in 1925.

2. AARP The Magazine

Circulation 23,721,626

AARP The Magazine is an American bi-monthly magazine, published by the American Association of Retired People, AARP, which concentrates on maturing issues. Established in 1958, it was actually known until 2002 as Modern Maturity.

1. The Watchtower

Circulation 50,000,000

The Watchtower is a religious magazine published by Jehovah’s Witnesses, with around 55 million copies being circulated per bimonthly run. So this makes The Watchtower one of the most popular magazines in the world these days. If you’re interested, I’m sure you can ask for a copy the next time a Jehovah’s Witness is knocking at your door.

That wraps up our list of top 15 most popular magazines in the world. Let’s all support the print business and take up a few to read every so often.