Caribbean ad spend in 2026: what we know
One widely shared study says the Caribbean spends US$1.2 billion a year on ads, 38% of it digital. Here is what holds up, what doesn't and how to plan.
A March 2026 study from Hope Research Group says Caribbean businesses spend about US$1.2 billion a year on advertising, with 38% of it now going to digital channels. They are handy numbers, so it is worth knowing where they come from and how far you can lean on them when you set a budget.
The short version: the direction of travel is believable, and several individual numbers are not. Digital is clearly growing and radio still reaches most adults, but the country-level spend and platform figures do not line up with independent data.
The headline numbers
Hope Research Group is a market research firm that says it has worked in the region since 1985. Its 2026 media and advertising report makes these regional claims for 2025:
- Total ad spend of about US$1.2 billion across 21 markets
- Digital at 38% of spend, up from 22% in 2020
- Digital growing about 15% a year, while TV, radio and print are flat or falling 2% to 4% a year
- Radio reaching 78% of adults every day
- A forecast of US$1.65 billion by 2030, with digital at 55%
The report says these come from regional advertising associations, agency reports and its own estimates. It does not publish its underlying survey data, so none of these figures can be checked from outside.
Market table: where the money sits
The report breaks spend down for six markets. These are Hope Research Group's estimates, not audited figures.
| Market | Total ad spend | TV | Radio | Digital | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominican Republic | US$310M | 38% | 15% | 35% | 12% |
| Jamaica | US$280M | 32% | 20% | 36% | 12% |
| Trinidad & Tobago | US$245M | 35% | 18% | 34% | 13% |
| Bahamas | US$165M | 30% | 16% | 42% | 12% |
| Cayman Islands | US$85M | 22% | 14% | 52% | 12% |
| Barbados | US$72M | 28% | 22% | 38% | 12% |
Source: Hope Research Group. "Other" covers outdoor, print and cinema.
There is a problem with the arithmetic. These six markets add up to about US$1.16 billion, which leaves only around US$40 million for the other 15 markets, including Haiti, Guyana and the Eastern Caribbean. That seems too low, so either the regional total or the country figures are off. The Cayman number also implies close to US$1,000 of advertising per resident, which is very high for a territory of under 90,000 people.
Meta, YouTube and the rest of digital
The report says Facebook and Instagram take 55% of Caribbean digital ad spend, with Google Search and YouTube taking about 28%. That matches what most local marketers see: Meta is where small businesses spend first.
Its platform reach figures are harder to accept. Compare them with DataReportal, which publishes audience numbers drawn from the platforms' own ad tools:
| Share of internet users, late 2025 | Hope Research | DataReportal |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook, Jamaica | 74% | 37% |
| Facebook, Trinidad & Tobago | 78% | 64% |
| Instagram, Jamaica | 55% | 43% |
| Instagram, Trinidad & Tobago | 60% | 58% |
Sources: Hope Research Group, DataReportal Jamaica, DataReportal Trinidad and Tobago.
The gap on Facebook in Jamaica is large. DataReportal counts 928,000 Facebook users there against 1.1 million on Instagram, and its figures suggest TikTok's adult audience is bigger than either. Internet use is also higher than the study claims: DataReportal puts it at 89.5% in Jamaica and 84.7% in Trinidad and Tobago, against a regional average of 74% in the Hope report.
For planning, use the platforms' own audience estimates in Meta Ads Manager and TikTok Ads Manager. They are free, current and specific to the country and age group you want.
Radio and TV still matter
The report's case for traditional media is the part most local media buyers would recognise. It puts daily radio reach at 82% in Jamaica, 80% in Trinidad and Tobago and 76% in Barbados, and says local evening news is still the top-rated programming in all three. It suggests putting 15% to 20% of a total media budget into radio to reach adults over 35.
Independent data points both ways. Trinidad and Tobago's telecoms regulator reports radio revenue rose 6.7% in 2024, but Jamaica's 2023 All Media Survey, as reported by Prism Marketing, put radio listenership at about 28% of the population, far below the report's 82%. Our radio post has the details. Still, the advice holds as a starting point: if your customers are older or listen during the drive to work, radio deserves a test.
What digital growth still misses
More ad money does not help if the click goes nowhere. A common pattern in Caribbean tourism, events and retail is a strong Instagram page paired with a website that loads slowly on a phone, an unclear offer and no easy way to book or pay.
Very often the real sale happens on WhatsApp. The report says 45% of Caribbean small businesses used WhatsApp Business in 2025, though it gives no source for that figure. Whatever the exact number, a phone that rings into someone's personal WhatsApp, with no hours, catalogue or quick reply, loses customers you have already paid to reach. Our post on WhatsApp-first commerce covers this in more detail.
What this means for your budget
- Plan market by market. Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Cayman behave differently, and a single regional campaign usually wastes money in at least one of them.
- Split by age. Under-35s spend their time on TikTok and Instagram, while radio and evening news still reach older adults.
- Fix the page before you raise the spend. A fast mobile page with a clear offer and a working WhatsApp or payment link usually does more than a bigger ad budget.
- Treat forecasts with care. The 2030 projection is a straight-line extension of past growth, and the report says so.
What to watch
The useful next step would be an audited ad spend survey for the English-speaking Caribbean, which does not exist publicly today. Until then, check any regional figure against the platforms' own tools and your own sales data before you move money. If you are setting a 2027 budget, start with one market, measure what actually turns into sales and grow from there.