Executive summary
Marketing budgets stayed at 7.7% of company revenue in 2025, the same as 2024. Paid media was the biggest line, and a large share of CMOs said they planned to reduce spending on agencies and on labor.
Key findings
- 7.7% Budgets held flat as a share of revenue
Marketing budgets were 7.7% of company revenue in 2025, unchanged from 2024. - 31% Paid media is the largest line
Paid media took about 31% of marketing budgets, according to Marketing Brew's report; Gartner's release gives 30.6%. - 39% Agency and labor cuts planned
39% of CMOs said they planned to reduce agency budgets, and 39% planned labor reductions. - 22% / 22% / 21% Martech, labor and agencies share the rest
Martech, labor and agencies accounted for about 22%, 22% and 21% of budgets, each down from 2024.
Methodology
Gartner surveyed marketing leaders in February and March 2025 in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe, across industries, mostly at companies with annual revenue above $1 billion.
Gartner publishes an annual survey of marketing leaders on how much their companies spend on marketing and where it goes. The 2025 edition was announced on May 12, 2025.
How to read it
The sample is mostly very large companies (annual revenue above $1 billion) in North America, the UK and Europe, so the percentages describe that group, not small or mid-sized businesses. The figures are self-reported by marketing leaders, and Gartner’s full report is behind its paywall; the numbers here come from the publisher’s press release as reported by trade media.
Sources
- Marketing Brew: Marketing budgets stagnate from 2024 to 2025, report (opens in a new tab)
- Gartner (via Business Wire): 2025 CMO Spend Survey reveals marketing budgets have flatlined at 7.7% (opens in a new tab)
The page returned an access error when fetched directly; the survey dates, regions and sample were confirmed from trade coverage.