A Newspaper Association of America analysis of the latest Fas-Fax data from the Audit Bureau of Circulations for the six-month period ending March 31 shows that roughly half the daily newspapers — 405 of 814 newspapers reporting — gained circulation.

According to ABC statistics released in March, the average total daily circulation for the 814 newspapers reporting was 49,966,190, a slight drop of 0.1 percent (from 50,022,875) over the same period a year ago. Sunday circulation mirrored daily sales. For the 640 newspapers reporting, their total circulation fell the same percentage amount, to 54,318,384 from 54,393,420.

“The circulation figures are in range with what we’d expected,” said John Sturm, NAA president and chief executive officer. “With this, however, newspapers are finding new and cost-effective ways to gain and retain subscribers.”

Top 10 going strong

Nearly all of the top 10 biggest newspapers by largest reported circulation saw a slight increase in their circulation numbers.

USA Today maintained its top spot as the nation’s largest newspaper. It reported a daily circulation of 2.602 million, a decline of nearly 7,700, or .3 percent from 2.61 million from last September.

The Wall Street Journal had an increase of 1 percent or nearly 20,000 new readers, to 1.82 million subscribers. No. 3 The New York Times had a marginal increase of 1,100 readers, for a total circulation of 1.67 million, ABC figures indicated.

No. 4 Los Angeles Times and No. 10 The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported circulation increases of nearly 20,000 each. The Times reported readership of 1.39 million. Of the top 10, The Inquirer also posted the largest percentage jump in circulation, 2.7 percent, to 768,237 readers.

The five other top papers:

• No. 5 The Washington Post, up .1 percent to 1.04 million.

• No. 6 Chicago Tribune, up .4 percent to 1.01 million.

• No. 7 New York Daily News, up 1 percent to 810,533.

• No. 8 The Denver Post/Rocky Mountain News, up .1 percent to 790,508.