Smartphones were the fastest-growing platform for Australian news media in 2015, according to emma data.

Statistics show readership on mobiles up 17 per cent year on year to 3.6 million, with 521,000 new readers using their phones to access newspaper media over the past year.

The under 40s demographic drove most of this growth, increasing 14 per cent from 2.2 million to 2.5 million.

While readership of news media on PCs and laptops is still strong at 9.6 million, readers are shifting their platform preferences to smartphones, in line with the ongoing trend among Australians of accessing news, information and entertainment on the go. Tablet readership was steady at three million readers.

While digital readership continues to grow, print continues to deliver more readers than digital. Some 13.8 million readers, or 77 per cent of the population, read print newspapers, compared with 11.5 million reading on digital devices.

Although print readership is down five per cent year on year, the combined readership of print and digital newspaper media remained steady at 16.3 million, or 92 per cent of the population.

"The strong growth in smartphone readership demonstrates the continuing relevance of trusted news brands," chief executive of The Newspaper Works Mark Hollands says.

"Print newspapers, however, remain a vital source of news, information and entertainment for 77 per cent of the population."

According to the emma data to October 2015, the Sydney Morning Herald finished on top as Australia's highest reaching title across platforms with a total audience of five million readers. The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph follows with four million and then Melbourne's Herald Sun on 3.8 million.

Sources: emmaTM, 12 months to October 2015. Readership based on last four weeks. Trends compared with 12 months to October 2014. Survey conducted by Ipsos MediaCT, people 14+, Nielsen Online Ratings, October 2015 and October 2014, people 14+ only. ^ Deloitte Media Consumer Survey 2014