The youth press market - France

The children's press market covers all print titles aimed at an audience under 18 years of age. It can be segmented by age category: children's magazines (0-6 years), children's magazines (6-9 years), junior magazines (8+ years) and teenagers' magazines (12+ years). The children's press boasts a wide variety of publications in three main genres: educational, entertaining and adolescent. The children's press market in France is largely dominated by three national leaders: Bayard Presse/Milan, Disney Hachette Presse and Fleurus Presse. There are currently 334 children's magazines, with over 10 million readers . While this figure may seem substantial, according to the ACPM, the print media market is in constant decline. The sharp decline in physical sales of newspapers and magazines, marked by a 50% drop in readership between 2010 and 2023 , therefore appears to be structural, and the market threatened by the population's disinterest in print media in favor of digital information and entertainment. However, one exception is the children's press, which seems to be holding up rather well in the face of the problems shaking up the world of print media. Indeed, the sector is recording 28% growth between 2015 and 2023. Historically, the first periodical for young people in France, Le Journal d'Éducation, was published in July 1768. The children's press developed in the second half of the 19th century, then evolved in the 20th century with technical progress and, in particular, the advent of images. In 1934, Le Journal de Mickey was published, still considered the oldest French children's magazine in existence.