The United Kingdom's media industry is expected to experience a 6 percent decline in advertising spending next year, "the worst of any developed country," Media Guardian reported Thursday. Initially, the figure was predicted to be a 3 percent growth.

Analysis firm Group M, WPP Group's media sales sector, revealed that national newspaper advertising will drop by 12 percent in 2009. Meanwhile, regional titles and business-to-business magazines will see a 13 and 14 percent drop, respectively.

The company's initial forecast of a 4 percent growth for the total ad expenditure in the country was changed to a 3 percent decrease. Online ad spend for 2009 was revised and is now predicted to have a growth of 4 instead of 20 percent, Media Guardian reported.

If Internet ad expenditure is subtracted from the total amount, then traditional media will experience a 10 percent drop in 2008 since last year. In 2009, meanwhile, offline outlets will see a 9 percent fall. There may be a global growth of zero percent next year, which is a 5 percent decrease from the year-on-year increase predicted earlier, Media Guardian reported.

The only fields to grow are public relations, with an expected rise of 2 percent in revenue, and market research, with a 1.8 percent upswing. TV advertising will drop by 6 percent, radio ads by 8 percent and consumer magazine ads by 8.5 percent.

"The UK's current economic problems are certainly very comprehensive, but this difference may also reflect optimism in the other countries which was extinguished here in September/October," Group M Future Director Adam Smith said, according to Media Guardian.