Ad Spend Forecasts for the Next Five Years

In the advertising world, anticipating future trends is the cornerstone of staying relevant and competitive. As we look ahead from 2025 to 2030, the global advertising industry is entering a transformative phase—where technology, consumer behavior, and data privacy all play crucial roles in determining how ad dollars are spent. Ad spend forecasts for the next five years suggest a dynamic shift, where digital channels continue their dominance, and newer formats like CTV and retail media redefine audience targeting. For marketers, publishers, and media buyers, understanding these forecasts isn’t just about tracking numbers—it’s about uncovering opportunities and future-proofing your advertising strategy.

The Global Growth Trajectory of Ad Spend

Advertisers are driving strong growth in the global advertising industry. They are expected to push total ad spend beyond $1 trillion by 2030. This growth goes beyond inflation. It reflects major changes in how brands connect with consumers. Traditional media like print, radio, and linear TV is declining. Digital platforms are taking in most of the new investment. Emerging markets in Asia and Africa are also driving growth. These regions are seeing faster digital adoption and economic expansion. Advertisers are also investing more in data-driven marketing and AI automation. Real-time bidding platforms are improving targeting and performance. As a result, ad budgets are being used more strategically and efficiently.

Digital Ad Spend: The Core of Modern Advertising

Digital advertising is no longer just a part of the media mix—it is the media mix for many brands. With consumers spending most of their time online, digital ad spend is expected to grow by double digits each year. Paid search, social media advertising, programmatic display, native advertising, and video are central to this growth. The versatility of digital formats allows advertisers to meet users where they are, across devices, contexts, and moments. Additionally, the ability to track performance in real time provides marketers with the agility to optimize campaigns on the go. Expect search to remain stable, social to explode further, and retail media networks to claim a growing portion of the digital pie.

CTV & Video Ads: The Future of Brand Storytelling

As streaming platforms replace traditional TV, Connected TV (CTV) has emerged as a crucial avenue for brands. CTV combines the visual storytelling power of traditional television with the targeting and tracking capabilities of digital. Consumers are spending more time on platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube TV—all of which are scaling their ad-supported models. Ad spend forecasts indicate that by 2030, CTV will receive 3x more investment compared to 2025. Beyond long-form streaming, short-form video ads (such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels) are proving essential for reaching younger audiences. These videos are engaging, shareable, and performance-oriented—making them a key part of any omnichannel campaign.

Mobile Advertising: Dominating the Digital Ecosystem

Mobile isn’t the second screen anymore—it’s the primary screen. Whether it’s social browsing, online shopping, video streaming, or gaming, most user activity now happens on smartphones. That’s why mobile advertising is forecasted to reach over 75% of total digital ad spend by 2030. With features like geotargeting, click-to-call, mobile wallet integration, and app-specific engagement metrics, advertisers have the power to create hyper-relevant and personalized campaigns. Formats like rewarded video, native ads, and interactive app installs perform particularly well. And as mobile commerce grows, advertisers will increasingly align mobile ad strategies with real-time purchasing behavior, driving both awareness and conversion at scale.

AI, Automation & Smart Targeting

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a buzzword—it’s a cornerstone of modern advertising infrastructure. In the next five years, we’ll see explosive adoption of AI-driven tools that improve everything from creative testing to predictive targeting. AI will help advertisers understand consumer intent more accurately, generate better-performing ad creatives on the fly, and optimize ad delivery in real-time across platforms. Meanwhile, programmatic advertising—already a dominant force—will become more precise and cost-efficient with AI-enhanced algorithms. Smart targeting through AI ensures that campaigns reach not just the most people, but the right people, at the right time, with the right message. This intelligent automation will allow brands to achieve more with less spend, improving ROI in an increasingly competitive market.

Regional Outlook: Where Ad Spend Is Growing the Fastest

While North America and Europe still account for the largest share of global ad spend, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow the fastest in the next five years. Countries like India, Indonesia, and Vietnam are seeing rapid digital adoption, especially on mobile. This makes them ideal for advertisers targeting emerging markets. China remains a global leader in digital innovation. Platforms like WeChat, Douyin, and Alibaba drive massive ad ecosystems there. Latin America and Africa have smaller overall spends but show strong potential. Growing smartphone use, rising social media activity, and more local content make them attractive markets. Understanding regional ad spend trends helps global advertisers make better budget decisions.

Conclusion

As the advertising world evolves, businesses that thrive will be those that anticipate change and act on insight. The ad spend forecasts for the next five years tell a compelling story: digital will keep growing, CTV will boom, mobile will dominate, AI will take over optimization, and new regional markets will open up vast potential. Marketers must move beyond “what worked before” and build adaptive, data-driven strategies aligned with these trends. Now is the time to invest in tech infrastructure, reskill teams for AI and data fluency, and reallocate budgets toward future-forward formats. The next five years will reward those who are bold, agile, and strategic. Will you be one of them?