MUMBAI: The global mobile advertising size is pegged at $5.86 billion for 2011, according to a report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

APAC leads the geographical segments with a significant 25.9 per cent share of this figure. North America comes in second at 31.4 per cent while Europe ranks third with 25.9 per cent.

The research, based on identification of mobile ad spend reported by IABs, harmonizing the data, and employing statistical and econometric models to infer a global market size, further revealed that Latin America accounts for 3.5 per cent of the global market share while Middle East and Africa made up for 3.2 per cent of the total size.

IAB Europe president and CEO Alain Heureux said, “Hyper-personal and always-on, mobile has a tremendous potential as an advertising medium. We are recognizing the need for accurate and comprehensive data to support and provide evidence for its future growth. This is not just a local or even European affair. As many mobile campaigns are played out in a global ecosystem, the market we have to size spans across borders.”

IAB mobile marketing center of excellence vice president and general manager Anna Bager said, "As mobile accelerates its global footprint, it is vital that we measure the worldwide and regional opportunities for advertisers. This key IAB initiative provides an accurate gauge of mobile market developments across the globe, with the aim of helping our members and the industry achieve even stronger growth through mobile.”