Which section of a printed newspaper do readers read most?

New research data from YouGov Profiles, which continuously surveys nationally representative American adults, sheds light on the sections most commonly read by those who subscribe to a newspaper and spend at least an hour each week with a printed copy.

Domestic news leads but not equally for everyone

Among adults meeting the criteria, three in five (61%) say they usually read the domestic news section. This makes it the most-read category overall, and one where women (67%) are more likely than men (59%) to be engaged.

Sports ranks second, read by 55% overall. But here, the gender difference swings the other way: 59% of men report reading the sports section, compared to 45% of women.

Lifestyle and culture sections skew female

Women are more likely to read several lifestyle-oriented categories. Half of women (53%) say they read the food and drink section, compared to 38% of men. The same pattern holds for fashion (47% vs. 32%), European news (48% vs. 36%), and film and video (41% vs. 26%).

Other cultural sections like arts and culture (29% of women vs. 22% of men) and puzzles/crosswords (29% vs. 25%) follow a similar trajectory, as do less prominent categories such as gossip (22% vs. 18%) and obituary pages (20% vs. 15%).

Men show higher interest in sports and editorial content

Outside of sports, the most-read sections among men include domestic news (59%), money (34%), and editorial pages (25%). While women outpace men in the money category (42% vs. 34%), editorial sections show an edge for men over women (25% vs. 21%).

Sections like cars and motoring, property, and the comment section see equal engagement from both genders, with each attracting around 17% or fewer.

International and niche sections hold steady readership

European news is read by 39% of Americans overall, with women again more likely to read this section (48% vs. 36%). A third of readers (33%) report reading other international or foreign news, with men more engaged (34%) than women (30%). Meanwhile, a range of more niche sections, including home/interiors (17%), diary pages (17%), and TV program details (22%), draw modest but consistent attention.

Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the US is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.