More than half of all digital advertising investment in Germany this year will be spent on mobile ads, according to a new report by eMarketer.

The research company – since last year owned by Axel Springer – predicts that that mobile ad spending in Germany will reach €3.16bn ($3.5bn), representing 57.2% of the total. It will be the first time mobile has passed the 50% threshold.

Total media spend in the German market in 2017 will reach €18.4bn ($20.4bn), up 1.4% year-on-year. Digital will be the largest type of media, benefiting from 30% of total spend, while TV continues to “hold its own”, growing 2.5% to €4.7bn ($5.2bn).

In comparison, eMarketer anticipates that newspapers will fall behind TV in terms of ad spend, taking a 24% share worth €4.4bn ($4.9bn), despite the benefits of a highly-educated, older population.

“Germany’s ad marketplace is remarkably well balanced, offering brands a wide spectrum of options to reach various target audiences,” said Karin von Abrams, principal analyst with eMarketer.

“Of course advertiser outlays will continue to shift towards digital platforms and mobile devices in particular. But the entire industry is also benefitting from the country’s very encouraging economic growth.

“Even the political and social uncertainties arising from factors such as the US presidential election and the UK’s Brexit vote haven’t dented the underlying stability and strength of Germany’s finances. This is very reassuring not just for Germany but for the larger European industry picture.”