Google’s advertising revenues are now bigger than the entire US newspaper industry combined, according to new figures published by the Newspaper Association of America.

It has just published its newspaper advertising statistics for 2011 that say the industry posted total ad revenues of $23.9bn, according to Poynter.

Even with circulation revenue added in the number is still billions short of the almost $38bn Google recorded in ad revenues for 2011.

“Total advertising revenue was down 7.3 percent, a percentage point worse than in 2010. Print advertising was off 9.2 percent year-to-year. nDigital advertising revenue, after a comparatively weak fourth quarter, grew 6.8 percent for the year.

So the industry posted total ad revenues of $23.9 billion, a decline of $1.9 billion from the previous year. NAA does not have current numbers on circulation revenue and is only starting to assemble data on revenue from such activities as contract printing, events, or social media assistance to businesses.

Figure that those add roughly $10 billion, making newspapers a $34 billion industry. Google alone, by contrast, recorded revenues of $37.9 billion for 2011,” Poynter reports.

When Google reported its 2011 revenues in January they were up by 25% year on year to exceed $10bn (£6.46bn) in a single quarter for the first time.

Total ad revenues were $10.2bn (£6.59bn) during the last quarter of 2011, up 24.6% year on year, while across 2011 total ad revenues were $36.53bn (£23.59bn), up 29.4% year on year, suggesting a slow down towards the end of the year.