Prospect readers are…

Successful and influential

• 39% hold the position of company chair, managing director, director, senior manager or department head

Sought after

In the last year 26% have had an article or a book published and 30% have addressed a public meeting. They are largely
businessmen and women, professionals, academics or working in government and are affluent and generous:

• A 57% B 23% C1 16%
• Male 77%, Female 23%
• Their average personal income is £56,000 per year
• Their average household income is £80,00 per year
• 21% have personal incomes over £50,000
• They gave an average of £500 to charity each last year

Mature

• 6% are under the age of 25
• 18% are aged between 25 and 34
• 19% are aged between 35 and 44
• 20% are aged between 45 and 54
• 21% are aged between 55 and 64

Well educated

• 87% have a degree or higher
• 35% have Masters degrees
• 12% have a PhD or doctorate
• 44% have a professional or business qualification
• 41% are considering further studies

Cultured and enquiring

• At least once every two months
• 54% visit an art gallery or a museum
• 44% go to the cinema
• 27% attend a concert of classical music
• 35% attend a lecture or talk
• 28% attend a conference or seminar

Bibliophiles

The average Prospect reader spends £270 on books per year and collectively they spend over £13 million on books per annum.

• 81% spent over £100 on books last year
• 38% bought more than 25 books

Online

• 88% use the internet at home or at work
• 22% use the Internet for over 2 hours everyday

Career

Many Prospect readers have reached the top of their profession. 39% hold the position of company chair, managing director,
director, senior manager or department head. Prospect readers exert their influence across all employment sectors.

• 23% are in ‘the professions’ – including law, medicine, banking and finance
• 20% are in government or the civil service
• 18% are senior academics
• 17% are in the media, communications and publishing
• 11% are in IT and related professions
• 11% work for NGOs

Financial

Prospect readers have money to invest.

• 60% have a personal pension
• 11% have a stakeholder pension
• 42% have life insurance
• 49% own stocks and shares
• 67% own a PEP or an ISA
• 26% own unit trusts
• 11% invest in ethical funds

Property

The majority of Prospect readers own their own homes.

• 85% own at least one property
• 15% own more than one
• The average value of their primary residence is £416,500
• 5% are valued at over £1 million

Travel

Prospect readers are regular travellers. In one year:

• 33% took business flights
• 31% flew business or first class
• 10% of them travel transatlantic or to long haul destinations

Prospect readers can also afford frequent holidays. In one year:

• 82% went abroad on holiday
• 28% took 3 or more holdays abroad
• 78% had a holiday in the UK
• 65% took 1 or 2 abroad
• 62% took weekend/city breaks in the UK
• 38% took weekend/city breaks abroad

Cars

Prospect readers believe in independent travel:

• 76% own a car
• 22% own more than one car

Media

Prospect readers consider the news important. They read the following regularly, ie 3 out of every 4 issues:

• Daily newspapers:

  • Guardian 32%
  • The Times 22%
  • Independent 20%
  • Financial Times 14%
  • Daily Telegraph 10%

• Sunday newspapers

  • Observer 30%
  • Sunday Times 21%
  • Independent on Sunday 12%
  • Sunday Telegraph 10%

• Magazines

  • Economist 28%
  • The week 16%
  • Private Eye 15%
  • London Review of Books 13%
  • Spectator 13%
  • New Scientist 10%
  • History Today 8%
  • New Statesman 7%

• Specialist periodicals

  • Academic journals 41%
  • Specialist political journals 19%
  • Think tank publications 18%
  • Reports on international affairs 11%

Information technology

Prospect readers have embraced the digital revolution both at work
and outside the workplace

• 68% own desktop computers
• 46% own laptop computers
• 53% own digital cameras
• 83% own mobile phones
• 57% own a digital television
• 35% pay a subscription for extra digital TV Channels

Food & Drink

Prospect readers also enjoy life

• 74% drink wine regularly
• 23% buy 12 or more bottles a month
• 11% have a wine collection of over 40 bottles
• 70% buy from supermarkets
• 39% buy from a wine dealer
• 27% buy from an off licence
• 18% buy on trips abroad
• 17% buy from a wine warehouse

Total Press Research survey 2005