Not a really eyebrow-raising headline, I know, but that's the rather unexciting conclusion I drew from looking at the latest circulation figures for Swedish media released this week. Last year's overall newspaper circulation in Sweden was down 1,8 per cent, which had Swedish media use many dramatic words, but the same number for Norway was – 2,6 per cent, just a wee bit more dramatic.

In Sweden, 75 per cent of all newspapers published three days a week or more lost circulation compared to the previous year, only 12 per cent saw an increase, according to Journalisten. Of the daily paid-for national newspapers, only Svenska Dagbladet, the Schibsted-owned broadsheet-turned-tabloid, and Dagens Industri, the financial daily, could record improved circulations. However, the overall decline among paid-for national titles might be partly explained by the ongoing Swedish freesheet war.

Incidentally, the second-biggest loser among the big city papers, Sydsvenskan, has an island in Second Life with a suggestion-box where you can submit your suggestions to the newspaper... (sorry, couldn't resist that one... )