• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 9, 2012

Internet advertising rose 16% in 2011, reaching $84.8 billion, compared with the previous year, accounting for more than 17% of all global measured advertising expenditures, according to a new report from GroupM.

How much did marketers spend per region? Those in North America led investing an estimated $34.5 billion; Asia-Pacific came in No. 2 with $24.8 billion, followed by Western Europe with $21 billion, according to the study -- This Year, Next Year: Interaction 2012.

The study released Monday by London-based GroupM Futures Director Adam Smith and New York-based GroupM Interaction Global CEO Rob Norman i part of GroupM's media and marketing forecasting series, drawn from data supplied by parent company WPP's worldwide resources in advertising, public relations, market research, and specialist communications. .

The study also forecasts that this year digital advertising spending will rise nearly 16% this year to $98.2 billion globally. In the 2012 forecast, North America once again ranks first with an estimated $38 billion in digital ad spend; Asia-Pacific follows with $31.4 billion followed by Western Europe with $23 billion.

In the U.S., digital advertising spending hit $32.2 billion in 2011, representing a 22% share of the overall domestic market and a 12% increase over the previous year, according to the study.  This year those figures are expected to reach $35.4 billion for a 23% share, up 10% increase over 2011.