The trend of decreasing subscriptions and increasing single-copy sales continued for the Canadian magazine industry, according to the latest FAS-FAX periodical report from the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which tracked sales and subs over six months, ending Dec. 31, 2010.

Total paid and verified circulation decreased 4.03% over the same period last year.

Total paid subscriptions, compared to the same period last year, decreased by 5.87%, from 5,349,667 to 5,035,472. Meanwhile, total single-issue sales increased by 6.09%, from 1,175,830 in the last half of 2009 to 1,247,459 in the last half of 2010.

The largest jump came from What’s Up, ‘Canada’s Family Magazine,’ which increased its total circulation 59.8% over 2009, from 58,409 to 93,313.

The two mags that took the biggest hits were Selection Reader’s Digest (French) and Reader’s Digest (English). The French version dropped 18.5%, 225,753 to 184,053 copies. The English version dropped by 17.6%, from 787,764 copies to 648,765. Even with the drop, the English version has the top circulation of a paid magazine in Canada.

Canadian Living is second on the list, with an average of 571,367 copies going out per month, a 0.4% increase over the same period in 2009.

Following that up is Chatelaine, which also saw a modest increase of 0.7% to 510,757 copies.

Maclean’s magazine, with an average circulation of 336,059, dropped 7.4% from 2009. Single copy sales continued to grow for the mag, though, with a 77.1% increase.

Two of the country’s English-language fashion magazines stayed fairly stable. Elle Canada had a 0.4% increase (131,263 copies) and Fashion had a 0.2% decrease (144,398). Flare had the biggest move with a 3.3% decrease (136,455).