U.S. Annual Advertising Spending Since 1919

Year

Total  Ad Spending (m.)

Ad Spending in News, Mags., Radio, TV (m.)

GDP (b.)

Ads as % of GDP

1919

1,930

734

78.3

2.5%

1920

2,480

831

88.4

2.8%

1921

1,930

940

73.6

2.6%

1922

2,200

1,018

73.4

3.0%

1923

2,400

1,103

85.4

2.8%

1924

2,480

1,189

87.0

2.9%

1925

2,600

1,282

90.6

2.9%

1926

2,700

1,356

97.0

2.8%

1927

2,720

1,433

95.5

2.8%

1928

2,760

1,495

97.4

2.8%

1929

2,850

1,561

103.6

2.8%

1930

2,450

1,379

91.2

2.7%

1931

2,100

1,221

76.5

2.7%

1932

1,620

1,001

58.7

2.8%

1933

1,325

832

56.4

2.3%

1934

1,650

936

66.0

2.5%

1935

1,720

1,065

73.3

2.3%

1936

1,930

1,191

83.8

2.3%

1937

2,100

1,305

91.9

2.3%

1938

1,930

1,182

86.1

2.2%

1939

2,010

1,232

92.2

2.2%

1940

2,110

1,311

101.4

2.1%

1941

2,250

1,400

126.7

1.8%

1942

2,160

1,352

161.9

1.3%

1943

2,490

1,639

198.6

1.3%

1944

2,700

1,790

219.8

1.2%

1945

2,840

1,923

223.1

1.3%

1946

3,340

2,262

222.3

1.5%

1947

4,260

2,723

244.2

1.7%

1948

4,870

3,091

269.2

1.8%

1949

5,210

3,243

267.3

1.9%

1950

5,700

3,633

293.8

1.9%

1951

6,420

4,080

339.3

1.9%

1952

7,140

4,552

358.3

2.0%

1953

7,740

4,942

379.4

2.0%

1954

8,150

5,161

380.4

2.1%

1955

9,150

5,866

414.8

2.2%

1956

9,910

6,342

437.5

2.3%

1957

10,270

6,580

461.1

2.2%

1958

10,310

6,509

467.2

2.2%

1959

11,270

7,183

506.6

2.2%

1960

11,960

7,585

526.4

2.3%

1961

11,860

7,510

544.7

2.2%

1962

12,430

7,896

585.6

2.1%

1963

13,100

8,284

617.7

2.1%

1964

14,150

9,018

663.6

2.1%

1965

15,250

9,761

719.1

2.1%

1966

16,630

10,734

787.8

2.1%

1967

16,870

10,887

832.6

2.0%

1968

18,090

11,718

910.0

2.0%

1969

19,420

12,723

984.6

2.0%

1970

19,550

12,702

1,038.5

1.9%

1971

20,700

13,293

1,127.1

1.8%

1972

23,210

14,921

1,238.3

1.9%

1973

24,980

16,042

1,382.7

1.8%

1974

26,620

17,009

1,500.0

1.8%

1975

27,900

17,935

1,638.3

1.7%

1976

33,300

21,579

1,825.3

1.8%

1977

37,440

24,470

2,030.9

1.8%

1978

43,330

28,322

2,294.7

1.9%

1979

48,780

31,954

2,563.3

1.9%

1980

53,570

34,937

2,789.5

1.9%

1981

60,460

39,167

3,128.4

1.9%

1982

66,670

42,811

3,255.0

2.0%

1983

76,000

49,057

3,536.7

2.1%

1984

88,010

56,765

3,933.2

2.2%

1985

94,900

60,663

4,220.3

2.2%

1986

102,370

65,029

4,462.8

2.3%

1987

110,270

69,141

4,739.5

2.3%

1988

118,750

74,004

5,103.8

2.3%

1989

124,770

77,841

5,484.4

2.3%

1990

129,590

79,758

5,803.1

2.2%

1991

127,570

76,580

5,995.9

2.1%

1992

132,650

79,931

6,337.7

2.1%

1993

139,540

83,797

6,657.4

2.1%

1994

151,680