UK Advertising Spend

The Advertising Association/ WARC Expenditure Report is the most trusted source of advertising spend data. Every quarter, AA/WARC provides detailed spend figures by surveying all major media in the UK. The Report also includes comprehensive forecasts for the next two years, helping agencies, analysts, media owners and advertisers allocate budgets, analyse risks and make better-informed decisions based on reliable data.

Latest figures

Next report due October 2026

AA/WARC updates advertising expenditure report to capture evolving UK media landscape and records £46.7bn media investment in 2025

The Advertising Association and WARC worked with industry stakeholders to update channel definitions, simplify public reporting, and include new standalone channels....

UK ad spend rose 11.4% to £12.5bn in Q3 2025

Latest forecasts predict ad spend will exceed £50bn for the first time in 2026. London, January 29, 2026: The latest Advertising...

UK ad spend forecast to reach £12bn during this festive period

Latest forecasts also project total ad spend will top £46bn in 2025. London, 30 October, 2025: UK advertising spend is expected...

As a Front Foot member you will receive exclusive access to the Executive Summary of the AA/WARC Expenditure Reports each quarter.

In addition, Front Foot members receive a discount on subscriptions to access to the full AA/WARC Expenditure Report Hub. This will give you:

  • Comprehensive data and forecasts for all major UK media, updated quarterly
  • Interactive advertising spend dashboard – allowing users to customise datasets according to preference
  • Full access to all historical advertising spend data (back to 1982)
  • Ready-to-use charts and datasets by product sector, medium and format
  • Economic trends

Learn more about subscribing here.