In general, advertising expenditures are closely related to the economic health of a given country or region, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), however, in 2020 advertising expenditures fell at a much faster rate then overall GDP in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2020, advertising expenditures accounted for 0.57% of GDP in the Asia Pacific region, down 6.9% YoY. In comparison, overall GDP was only down 0.3% YoY.
Advertising spend fell $13.3B YoY to $172.0B in 2020 in the Asia-Pacific region. As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, total ad spend will grow by $11.6B in 2021, reaching $183.6 by year-end. By year-end 2026, ad spend in the Asia-Pacific region will reach $228.4B.