The title, which launched in October, on sale for 20p on weekdays, recorded an average daily circulation of 171,415 in March, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations report.
This signalled a drop of 2.45 per cent on the previous month when the title claimed a sales hike of almost a third with circulation reaching 175,714.
In a statement today the Independent announced it would be launching the Saturday edition on 7 May, due to "popular demand", at a cost of 30p.
"With the growing success of the weekday edition of i, it is natural that we would want to add a Saturday edition," Simon Kelner, editor in chief of i and The Independent, said in a release.
"The demand from readers has been such that this is a no-brainer, and we are looking forward to producing a quality one-section companion to the weekend."
The i newspaper received special recognition at the Press Awards earlier this month when the the Cudlipp Award judging panel decided to complete its shortlist by commending the launch of i as "an example of journalistic innovation", even though it had not been entered.
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Related articles
- Futureproofing your newsroom: understand your USP in a crowded space
- How the i newspaper doubled its Instagram following in a year
- What did the 2010s mean for the media industry?
- JPIMedia steps up its mobile-first strategy with a new i newspaper app
- Nine tips on crafting the perfect headline for print and online
