Top Digital Economy Trends to Watch in 2025

A few years ago, nobody talked about ChatGPT, and spending a fortune on TikTok ads would have been considered a risk.

Today, things couldn't be more different. When experts predicted what would be at the forefront of the global market, there were skeptics, but today, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc, are at the forefront of the global market. AI-related breakthroughs are surfacing on a daily basis. This goes to show it's worth it to pay attention to market trends, and in this article, we'll go over the digital economy trends in 2025.

There's still Q3 and Q4 in 2025, plus whatever these trends might be, they'll show us a glimpse of what to expect in 2026, as well.

AI has massively impacted the way how data is being collected and analyzed. On the other hand, consumers want more transparency and personalization than ever. Add to that the current state of politics and global power struggles, and it's obvious that markets will behave differently across all industries.

Putting the Consumer at the Center of Digital Research

2025's market research is focused on the consumer, which makes perfect sense because the market is oversaturated with products and services.

Every product has a competitor, and the way you get attention and loyalty is through personalization. Companies are leaving broad demographic labels in the past, and they're looking at micro-patterns such as what people browse or how they interact with brands on social media.

The reason this change is possible is the explosion of real-time data. You no longer need to wait weeks for the results of the latest survey; now, you see consumer behavior unfold live.

Mobile surveys make it easier to reach people where they are, and with augmented and virtual reality testing, researchers can observe how someone interacts with a product in a realistic setting before it even comes close to being launched.

However, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with all this access. Consumers are aware, more than ever, of how their data is used. It's no wonder that governments worldwide are tightening regulations. 6dbab2cb53e8ab30651768e80c5b8e19

Trust and insight have the same value now, which means your company has to prove it's collecting and storing data ethically.

Current Digital Economy Trends (2025)

• The U.S. digital economy reached $4.9 trillion (18% of total GDP) – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

• The U.S. digital economy has more than doubled in growth since 2020 – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

• The U.S. digital economy supports 28.4 million jobs in the USA – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

• Global ad spend has reached $992 billion; digital ad spend accounting for 68.4% ($678.7 billion) – MAGNA

• Global digital transformation spending increased to $1 trillion (USD) from $469.8 billion in the last 5 years (16.5% CAGR) – Quixy

• Approx 66% of all engines (shopping, working, traveling, learning, etc.) in the $100 trillion (USD) global economy machine are being powered by digital platforms (apps, online stores, cloud, social media, AI) – Quixy

• Global datasphere went from 33 zettabytes (ZB) to 175ZB in 2025 – UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

• Global programmatic display ad market surpassed $202 billion (USD) – Business Research Insights

• 2.6 billion people (approx. 32.1% of the world's population) still don't have internet access – Reuters

• Major tech firms (Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet) invested $340 billion in AI data centers and towards AI's development – Barron's

• Major tech firms (Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet) have contributed over $7 trillion (USD) on global AI capex over five years – Barron's

• AI is a major driver of the U.S. economy; In one quarter, AI-related capital investments added 1.3 percentage points to a 3% increase in the U.S.'s GDP – McKinsey

• Global retail media is valued at $166 billion – AdIntelligent

• Search ad revenue has grown 7.3% so far in 2025 – Reuters

• Search advertising is approx. 40% of total global digital ad budget – Cropink

Digital Economy Trends Forecast (2026+)

• Global ad revenue projected to grow 6.1% in 2026, reaching $1.08 trillion (USD) – Reuters

• Global programmatic display ad market projected to reach $861 billion by 2033 (17.3% CAGR) – Business Research Insights

• Global programmatic display ad market will command 90% of all display ad spend by 2026 – Business Research Insights

• A 10% rise in mobile broadband penetration can boost GDP in third-world countries by up to 2% – Reuters

• Raising worldwide internet access by 7.1% to 75% (from the current 67.9%) would create 140+ million jobs – Reuters

• Forecasts predict global digital transformation spending to reach $3.4 trillion (USD) by 2026; a 240% increase from 2025 – MDPI

• India's digital economy is booming with a projection of the sector's value to surpass $1 trillion (USD) by 2030 due to quick commerce, D2C brands, mobile, and digital payments. – The Economic Times

• By the end of 2025, 10% of global GDP might be stored on blockchain-based systems – Deloitte

• 5G networks are projected to add $13.2 trillion (USD) to the global economy by 2035, enabling a broader adoption of 6G and extended reality (XR) technologies – Qualcomm

• The projected growth of the global social media ad spend is 18.1% in 2026 – EMARKETER

• Global retail media is expected to surpass $200 billion by the end of 2026 – AdIntelligent

Which Factors Matter Most in Digital Market Research in 2025

Market research looks very different in 2025 than it did 5, 10, or 20 years ago.

If you own a company, you now have to watch the bigger picture that includes politics, culture, technology, and consumer expectations.

Online Presence

Websites underlie everything in the digital economy market:

• They're mandatory for digital marketing, e-commerce, SEO, content, and link building.

• They provide a base for social media, ads, and data collection (first-party data).

• As platforms decentralize, owning your own website will become a key resilience strategy – Business Insider

Being visible online is a prerequisite for growth, and online presence strategies (e.g., SEO, ads, social media, etc.) are a foundation for how businesses attract potential customers and build brands and trust.

Businesses that fail to invest in building (and maintaining) their online presence are risking not gaining enough or losing existing visibility, especially in competitive markets.

Companies that specialize in online presence – such as a link building agency, advertising agency, marketing agency, etc. – can help businesses with their odds of being in front of their competitors.

Sustainability and ESG-Driven Research

It's no longer enough to know what a product does.

The modern consumer also wants to know how it's made and what impact it has on the planet. Investors are putting more money in businesses that show they're responsible and sustainable.

This means that research has to include things like carbon emissions and supply chain ethics, not just sales and customer satisfaction.

Market Uncertainty Caused by Geopolitics

Political decisions can change the markets in an instant.

An election in the U.S. can rewrite the rules of trade, and policy decisions made by Russia can affect prices all over the world. The economic moves China makes have a ripple effect on manufacturing and tech, and on top of all this, Europe is not setting stricter rules for how data and AI are used.

Not only do the companies need to track what their customers want, but they also need to up their research game to prepare for the unexpected changes in policies and trade.

Cross-Border and Cultural Market Insights

Global expansion is exciting, but it's also very risky without local knowledge.

For example, country A is all about digital wallets and credit cards, but country B still prefers cash above all else.

Levels of trust in online businesses are all over the place, and research has to capture their cultural differences to turn them into strategies that actually work in practice.

Assuming that one approach will fit everywhere is likely to result in ineffective strategies.

Data Security and Trust

Data collection doesn't work if people don't trust you, and after years of headlines about leaks and misuse, consumers are borderline paranoid about what they share.

Companies that can prove their systems are secure have a better chance of getting honest, useful responses.

The way to build trust is through encryption and blockchains because protecting data has become a competitive advantage. It's no longer just compliance.

Conclusion

Market research used to be something that was treated almost as a secondary activity, but now it's a necessity, and it isn't likely to change.

But if you're able to treat research as something you do on a regular basis and not a one-time thing, you'll be more likely (and accurate) in identifying and responding to new trends.