Forbes vs The Economist:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, The Economist had more branded searches than Forbes among magazines worldwide. The Economist was estimated to have 450K branded searches compared to Forbes’ 22.2K, and held a 35.6% Share of Search versus Forbes’ 1.8%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Forbes or The Economist?
Compare the magazines brands and creators work with. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for The Economist, Forbes. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | National Geographic | The Economist | Vogue | Time | Forbes | Wired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 53.2% | 19.6% | 8.8% | 16% | 1.4% | 0.96% |
| Nov 2025 | 54.6% | 24.6% | 11% | 7.4% | 1.5% | 0.99% |
| Dec 2025 | 53.6% | 24% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.7% | 25.1% | 7.5% | 9.2% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 59.1% | 21.7% | 8% | 8% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 58.6% | 21.6% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 50.9% | 22.8% | 10.2% | 12.4% | 2% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 53.2% | 23.8% | 13% | 7.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.5% | 31.1% | 11.4% | 7.6% | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.3% | 40.3% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.6% | 35.6% | 10.7% | 7.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Forbes and The Economist comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The Economist was ahead of Forbes in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Forbes’ estimated Share of Search among magazines worldwide moved from 1.4% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 22.2K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, The Economist’s estimated Share of Search among magazines worldwide moved from 19.6% to 35.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 450K.
How did search popularity change for magazines worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, The Economist lost estimated Share of Search among magazines worldwide, from 40.3% to 35.6%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Forbes worldwide fell 18.1% over 11 measured months, from 27.1K to 22.2K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Forbes’ and The Economist’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Forbes
1 branded search term
- forbes magazine
The Economist
1 branded search term
- the economist
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.