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NZ vs the world: IAB NZ releases digital advertising revenue results
IAB New Zealand has revealed how New Zealand’s 2024 digital advertising revenue compares to its counterparts in Australia, the UK and the US.
Among the four markets, the U.S. led with a 14.9% increase – driven in part by election-related advertising – while the UK followed with 13.0% growth.
Australia’s digital advertising revenue growth outperformed its total media growth with an 11.1% uplift, and New Zealand mirrored this trend delivering a strong 10.8% increase and outperforming total media growth.
Valuable context
Angelina Farry, IAB New Zealand CEO says, “Comparing digital advertising trends across global markets provides valuable context for evaluating local performance. New Zealand’s growth trajectory has closely mirrored Australia’s since 2022, highlighting the shared momentum across both markets.”
| Market growth | NZ | AU | US | UK |
| 2023 vs 2022 | 4.3% | 3.7% | 7.3% | 11.0% |
| 2024 vs 2023 | 10.8% | 11.1% | 14.9% | 13.0% |
While digital advertising continues to grow across all four markets, the distribution of ad dollars reveals some regional differences in share:
- Search represents 47% share of the UK market, 44% in Australia, 40% in the US and 53% in New Zealand.
- Digital display represents 26% share of the UK market, followed by the U.S. at 25%, Australia at 11% and NZ at 10%.
- In Classified listings, Australia stands out with 16% share driven by strong local offerings, and New Zealand follows closely with 15.3%.
- Digital Audio is led by the US with 3%, the UK follows at 1.9%, Australia at 1.5% and New Zealand at 0.46%
The U.S. and UK markets report on market concentration in relation to investment. In 2024, the top 10 media companies represent 78% of the UK market and 81% of the US market.
IAB New Zealand chair Robert Hutchinson says, “IAB New Zealand is part of a global network spanning 45 chapters, enabling us to deliver meaningful cross-market insights.
“Reviewing these four key markets, we also see consistent strategic priorities emerging for 2025, including the continued expansion of video, the rise of retail media and eCommerce, growth in social video, the increased integration of AI and automation and a continued focus on privacy.”
