Free dailies lead in circulation in Portugal, while circulation for free dailies in the Netherlands is also up in the first quarter of the year, Newspaper Innovation reported Tuesday.

Metro in the Netherlands has the second highest circulation, following De Telegraaf, and total free daily circulation in the country is up in 2008, compared to the same quarter last year.

Meanwhile, the most circulated newspaper in Portugal is free daily Global Noticias, which distributes 200,000 copies each day. The second and third most circulated newspapers in the country are also free dailies, Destak with 174,000, and Metro with 170,000. Correio da Manha, a paid paper, is in fourth place based on circulation, with 118,000, Newspaper Innovation reported.

When the Netherlands is looked at based on readership, Metro leads with 1.9 million readers each day. Spits is in second, with 1.8 million readers for a circulation of 458,000, an average of no less than 3.9 readers for each copy, according to Newspaper Innovation.