Asia-Pacific’s advertising spend growth will remain steady in 2026 despite tariff-driven uncertainty. As the region continues to lag other markets in growth and lose share of global ad spending, China and India will anchor momentum, supported by strong gains in connected TV (CTV), video, and retail media. In particular, premium video and AI-enhanced targeting will be key drivers across the region. However, regulatory headwinds in India and maturing CTV markets in Australia and Japan will temper growth.

Asia-Pacific ad spending growth will hold steady in 2026, despite tariff-driven volatility

Total media ad spending growth in Asia-Pacific will remain relatively steady in 2026, rising 6.5% YoY to $325.39 billion. That’s a modest 0.4 percentage point slowdown from 2025’s growth figure, reflecting a year marked by uncertainty stemming from US tariff policy. China will remain the region’s primary growth driver, with total media ad spending projected to increase 7.6% YoY in 2026.

Despite its scale, Asia-Pacific—the world’s second-largest regional ad market after North America—will again be the slowest-growing region in 2026. As a result, its share of global ad spending will continue to erode, falling from 29.5% in 2025 to 27.5% by 2029.

Digital ad spending in Asia-Pacific will grow faster than the global digital ad market in 2026, increasing 8.6% YoY, with India leading major markets at 9.6% growth. Increases will be supported by continued momentum in CTV ad spending, short-form video, and AI-enhanced targeting. Retail media will be a standout, with outlays projected to rise 17.2% in Australia, 11.7% in China, 11.6% in Japan, and 11.2% in India.