Significant events at home and around the world drove record reader engagement with News & Politics last week as 2025’s second week began. More than 235m category page views were two-fifths higher than 2024’s average as constantly evolving news stories, such as the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, dominated the agenda.
Topical News
The year is barely a fortnight old, yet a series of significant events – including the Los Angeles wildfires, the UK cold snap and calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs – has driven record News & Politics engagement. Page views exceeded 235m last week, up +42% vs. the 2024 average.
Business & Finance page views also saw notable growth, rising by 22% last week. This increase was fuelled by concerns over UK borrowing costs due to bond market instability and ongoing business apprehensions about higher taxes, as outlined in the Autumn Budget.
In line with these economic issues, Personal Finance engagement grew by +18%. At the start of the year, Brits often prioritise switching financial products, leading to a two-fold increase in Personal Debt page views.
Seasonal Events
Careers page views rose by +27% last week as ‘Job-search January’ continued and in advance of National Apprenticeships Week next month. Content topics driving growth included Apprenticeships (3.5x) and Job Search (+48%).
Pupils and students began new terms and semesters last week following the festive break to boost Education, with category engagement up by +24%. January deadlines for primary and university applications drove the Primary and University education topic page views to 4.4x and 2.3x higher growth.
Planning Ahead with Reading the Nation
Our latest annual planning guide, Planning Ahead with Reading the Nation, is is here. Copies of our 2025 guide are available in print or digitally. Request a copy of either here.
