The measure shows how many individuals the BBC reached weekly with its news and entertainment content in the year 2016/17 and revealed that the BBC’s weekly global news audience has risen by 8% to 346 million, with TV, audio and social media driving the increase. The BBC World Service has seen an increase of 9% since last year, taking its total audience to 269 million.

Global News Ltd, which comprises BBC World News television and BBC.com, now has an audience of 121 million, an increase of 12%, with weekly BBC World News TV viewers rising to 99 million. World Service English saw a 14% increase to an audience of 75 million around the world.

The top ten markets for the BBC’s international news services are Nigeria (36 million), USA (34 million), India (28 million), Bangladesh (16 million), Egypt (15 million), Pakistan (13 million), Iran (13 million), Tanzania (10 million), Indonesia (7.6 million), and Canada (7.5 million).

“In a turbulent year for international news, with mounting concern about fake news and social media ‘filter bubbles’, more people than ever before are turning to the BBC for reliable, impartial information they can trust," said Francesca Unsworth, director of the BBC World Service group. “We will shortly launch the first new language services in the biggest expansion of the World Service since the 1940s. Today’s audience figures show the need for the BBC is greater than ever.”