MUMBAI: Global ad revenues rose just 1.9 per cent to $76.6 billion in the first quarter of 2013 as compared with the year-ago period, according to Nielsen‘s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report, as gains in Latin America and Asia were offset by a reduction in Europe and flat spending in North America.

Latin America showed particularly strong growth of 11.9 per cent in Q1, with increases reported in all countries across the region. In Asia, there was 5.8 per cent growth, led by China, Indonesia and the Philippines, all up by about 20 per cent. There were gains across all Asia markets except for Japan, which reported a 1.1 per cent decrease.

Europe was down by 4.4 per cent, with Nielsen noting it is unlikely there will be any improvements in the short term. North American ad revenues were stable. In the Middle East and Africa, meanwhile, there was a 2.9 per cent improvement. Problems persist for the region though, with Egypt‘s ad revenues dropping 20 per cent in the past year.