Digital Media Tops Half of Global Ad Spend for First Time in 2024

August 15, 2025 by guest author, John Berkovich

PQ Media released its 12th Annual Edition of the Global Advertising & Marketing Spending Forecast, and the results bode well for out-of-home display technology. The comprehensive report includes econometric data and a detailed analysis of digital and traditional media spending, growth, trends, and projections by media platform across twenty countries, including China, the United States, and India. 

Global overall advertising and marketing spending rose 8.7 percent in 2024 to $1.776 trillion. Within that total, advertising grew 7.9 percent to $791.67 billion, while marketing climbed 9.4 percent to $984.49 billion. The sector is on track to grow by a further 5.3 percent in 2025. 

In the traditional advertising and marketing segment, global spending declined 4.1 percent in 2024 to $841.09 billion. Traditional advertising fell 4.5 percent to $422.01 billion, and traditional marketing dropped 3.7 percent to $419.08 billion. This category is expected to experience a slight rebound, with a projected 0.2 percent increase in 2025. 

Meanwhile, global digital and alternative (D&A) advertising and marketing surged 13.3 percent in 2024 to $935.07 billion, representing 52.6 percent of the overall market – a significant development that reflects the changing ways people consume media. D&A advertising rose 12.1 percent to $369.66 billion, and D&A marketing expanded 14.1 percent to $565.41 billion. This segment is expected to post another strong year in 2025, with a projected increase of 9.9 percent. 

What does all this number-crunching mean? Companies and governments are spending more on advertising than ever, but they are increasingly seeing the benefits of turning to digital media to convey their message. The growth is expected to ramp up as out-of-home display technology continues to replace traditional outdoor advertising media.