Global advertising group Dentsu has revised down its 2026 global advertising spending forecast in a mid-year update, citing economic uncertainty linked to geopolitical tensions, while raising its outlook for 2027.
The company said global advertising spending growth is projected at 5.0% in 2026 and 5.5% in 2027, after a stronger-than-expected 5.8% expansion in 2025. Dentsu said the moderation was “informed by economic uncertainty tied to geopolitical tensions.”
The revision marks the second consecutive year Dentsu has issued a mid-year adjustment to its annual global advertising spending forecast. The latest downgrade follows a sharper downward revision issued in December 2025.
Dentsu said the global advertising economy would continue to outpace the broader global macroeconomy in 2026.
Media industry publication MediaPost said Dentsu’s revisions left its composite global advertising growth forecast for 2026 unchanged at 7.7%, while increasing projections for 2025 and 2027 by one-tenth of a percentage point.
Dentsu did not revise its 2028 forecast, which remains at 5.2%.
Regional Forecast Changes
Regionally, Dentsu cut its forecast for advertising growth in the Americas to 4.8% for 2026, down from the 5.2% projection issued in December 2025.
The company also lowered its outlook for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region to 3.6%, a reduction of six-tenths of a percentage point.
In contrast, Dentsu raised its Asia-Pacific forecast by half a percentage point to 5.9%.
Industry forecasts from other media investment and research firms have also pointed to continued global advertising growth despite economic and geopolitical uncertainty. GroupM forecast global ad revenue would surpass $1 trillion earlier than expected, while MAGNA reduced parts of its 2025 U.S. advertising outlook because of weaker economic visibility and lower consumer confidence.
