Asia-Pacific will no longer produce huge increases in new social network users, but the sheer scale of the region means it should remain front and center for social media marketers. Facebook will remain on top, but TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are making waves.

Cash is on the decline everywhere, accounting for at most 44% of point-of-sale (POS) transaction value regionally and just 18% globally in 2021. Its share will drop to 10% worldwide by the end of 2025, with North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe leading the charge away from physical money.

Our inaugural global forecast for podcast listeners shows deepening engagement with the medium across all geographies, although at widely varying rates. This report covers 18 major markets in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.

In fact, India has the highest penetration of mobile phone internet users—98% of all internet users—in Asia-Pacific for the countries we forecast. India has the fastest-growing number of smartphone users in Asia-Pacific. The total will increase 5.8% this year to more than 500 million, accounting for more than half of the country’s mobile phone users.

The center of gravity for ad spending and digital ad spending overall remains North America and Asia-Pacific. Digital ad spending in North America will surpass a quarter trillion dollars this year ($258.61 billion), accounting for roughly 43% of the world’s total. Asia-Pacific will account for another 34%, at $205.04 billion. The US and China are the drivers of these figures, as usual.

China’s total media ad spending and digital ad spending will both grow at their lowest rates since we began tracking them in 2012, but the ad industry is nonetheless set for an eventful year in the world’s second-largest market.

Didi gets short shrift, again: Forced to delist from NYSE, the ride-hailing giant was made an example of by Beijing’s ruling. Now that China is loosening controls, Didi remains in delisting limbo.

Food delivery platforms in China struggle to maintain their pandemic gains: As consumers venture out to restaurants and stores, platforms like MissFresh and Meituan are looking for new ways to keep customers on the platform.

Stripe launched its in-store POS system in Singapore as the wider region sees growing digital payment use and demand for unified commerce.

The metaverse is expected to be a major disruptor across industries, but it's still early days for the emerging realm. In this report, we look at how different markets are embarking on their own metaverse business models.

New games, same ideology: Beijing regulators approved dozens of video games this week. But it may end up benefiting the broader tech sector and economy more than the gaming industry.

Mineral moon pies: Humans haven’t set foot on the moon in half a century, but plans are accelerating to return, this time for resource extraction. Geopolitical conflict could be a barrier.

Chipmakers faced with huge stockpiles: The war in Ukraine and China shutdowns are taking their toll on the PC and smartphone market. Manufacturers might have to pivot to produce chips for other uses.