Programmatic ad spend worldwide 2017-2026

According to the latest estimates, programmatically sold advertising was worth 418 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. This figure is expected to reach 725 billion by 2026.

What is programmatic advertising?

Programmatic advertising refers to the automated buying and selling of digital ad space. Unlike manual advertising, which relies on human interaction and negotiation between publishers and marketers, programmatic ad buying harnesses technology to purchase digital display space. This data-driven approach helps streamline and accelerate ad buying processes and ensure campaign efficiency, explaining why programmatic has become one of the most indispensable digital marketing tools worldwide.

Largest programmatic ad markets worldwide

The United States and Canada made up the largest programmatic advertising market worldwide in 2021. The two countries collectively accounted for over 40 percent of global programmatic ad investments that year, whereas advertisers in Asia claimed roughly one-third of the programmatic ad pie. Meanwhile, the shift towards automated ad buying is also taking hold across Europe. Based on the latest data, the value of Europe’s programmatic ad market has more than doubled since 2017, with spending forecast to hit the 100-billion-dollar mark by 2024.