<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/99
000 C000000 0000759828
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 JOHN HANCOCK INVESTORS TRUST
001 B000000 811-4173
001 C000000 6173751702
002 A000000 101 HUNTINGTON AVENUE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02199
002 D020000 7603
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 JOHN HANCOCK ADVISERS, INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-8124
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02199
008 D040001 7603
012 A000001 STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
012 B000001 84-1867445
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02110
013 A000001 ERNST & YOUNG LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
013 B030001 02116
014 A000001 SIGNATOR INVESTORS, INC.
014 B000001 8-13995
<PAGE> PAGE 2
014 A000002 JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS, INC.
014 B000002 8-43582
015 A000001 INVESTORS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02106
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 66
019 C000000 JOHNHANCOC
020 C000001 0
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 0
022 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000001 13-2726611
022 C000001 961820
022 D000001 3924
022 A000002 SOLOMON BROTHERS
022 B000002 13-3082694
022 C000002 26063
022 D000002 24341
022 A000003 GOLDMAN SACHS
022 B000003 13-5108880
022 C000003 15589
022 D000003 15514
022 A000004 MERRILL LYNCH
022 B000004 13-5674085
022 C000004 15159
022 D000004 15906
022 A000005 MORGAN STANLEY
022 B000005 13-2655998
022 C000005 13019
022 D000005 8115
022 A000006 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES
022 B000006 22-2347336
022 C000006 9945
022 D000006 2720
022 A000007 J.P. MORGAN
022 B000007 13-3224016
022 C000007 6890
022 D000007 3925
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 A000008 CHASE SECURITIES
022 B000008 13-2633612
022 C000008 6606
022 D000008 2739
022 A000009 GREENWICH CAPITAL
022 C000009 5376
022 D000009 3650
022 A000010 BEAR STEARNS
022 B000010 13-2975144
022 C000010 5075
022 D000010 4227
023 C000000 1120663
023 D000000 145776
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
028 A010000 0
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 0
028 B010000 0
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 0
028 C010000 0
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 0
028 D010000 0
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 0
028 E010000 0
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 E040000 0
028 F010000 0
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 0
028 G010000 0
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 0
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
038 000000 0
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 150000
048 A020000 0.650
048 B010000 50000
048 B020000 0.375
048 C010000 100000
048 C020000 0.350
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 300000
048 K020000 0.300
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 N
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 3.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 18.0
062 N000000 9.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 69.0
062 Q000000 1.0
<PAGE> PAGE 6
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 12.8
064 A000000 N
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 Y
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 N
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 N
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 N
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 151766
071 B000000 153014
071 C000000 158101
071 D000000 96
072 A000000 6
<PAGE> PAGE 7
072 B000000 6336
072 C000000 15
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 510
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 46
072 J000000 36
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 26
072 M000000 4
072 N000000 9
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 22
072 S000000 2
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 15
072 X000000 670
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 5681
072AA000000 0
072BB000000 525
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 7236
072DD010000 5668
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.7275
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 1
074 B000000 5502
074 C000000 0
074 D000000 154848
074 E000000 332
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 2482
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 2763
074 M000000 12
074 N000000 165940
074 O000000 3184
<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 P000000 268
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 414
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 162074
074 U010000 7799
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 20.78
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 6270
074 Y000000 1597
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 167098
076 000000 18.31
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 N
077 C000000 N
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
077 Q010000 Y
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
087 A010000 COMMON SHARES
<PAGE> PAGE 9
087 A020000 410142103
087 A030000 JHI
088 A000000 Y
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 N
SIGNATURE SUSAN S. NEWTON
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 000
<NAME> JOHN HANCOCK INVESTORS TRUST
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1999
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1999
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 160,036,752
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 160,681,770
<RECEIVABLES> 5,244,768
<ASSETS-OTHER> 12,020
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 961
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 165,939,519
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 3,184,366
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 680,807
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 3,865,173
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 162,907,780
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 7,798,646
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 7,782,963
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 63,713
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (1,542,165)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 645,018
<NET-ASSETS> 162,074,346
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 15,145
<INTEREST-INCOME> 6,335,555
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 669,377
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 5,681,323
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (524,702)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (7,236,306)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> (2,079,685)
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 5,667,545
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 15,683
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 7,421,129
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 49,935
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (1,017,463)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 509,757
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 669,377
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 167,098,461
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 21.78
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.73
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (1.00)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.73)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 20.78
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.81
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0
</TABLE>
