As artificial intelligence moves beyond content generation to autonomous decision, making, a growing share of consumer purchases is expected to be influenced, or completed, by AI agents. According to a new report by WARC and PHD, global consumer spending facilitated by agentic AI is projected to more than triple from USD 944 billion in 2026 to USD 3.35 trillion by 2030, representing 3.8% of total global consumer expenditure, up from 1.3% this year.

Key findings include:

• Global consumer agentic AI spending will reach USD 3.35trn in 2030
• 3.8% of global consumer spending will be agent-facilitated by 2030, tripling from the 1.3% this year (equivalent to $944bn)
• Ten markets will account for two-thirds (67.9%) of the global consumer agentic AI spend in 2030
• US share of global agentic AI spend in 2030 will reach 31.9%
• Telecoms & utilities, financial services and travel & transport will be among the first to shift towards agentic AI

India is among the ten key markets, including the US, China, UK, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico, and South Korea, that will account for 67.9% of all global agent-facilitated spending by 2030.

The report, 'From Abundance to Agents, How the Delegation of Choice is Transforming Marketing,' says that AI agents are increasingly becoming intermediaries in the purchase journey, helping consumers navigate an expanding universe of products, services and content. While consumers are expected to retain control over most buying decisions in the near term, AI agents are likely to play a growing role in what consumers discover, compare and ultimately purchase.

The United States is projected to remain the largest market for agentic AI, accounting for USD 1.1 trillion, or 31.9% of global agent, facilitated spending by 2030. China is expected to follow with USD 505.8 billion, representing 15.1% of the global total, while the UK is forecast to contribute USD 131.2 billion, or 3.9%.

The report finds that AI agents are likely to have the greatest influence in categories characterised by complex decisions, structured data and repetitive transactions.

Among these, telecoms and utilities are projected to witness the fastest growth in agent, facilitated spending, rising 611.9% between 2026 and 2030 to USD 410.3 billion. The report attributes this to information, heavy products, recurring billing cycles and comparison, led switching behaviour that are well suited to AI automation.

Financial services are expected to see agent, facilitated consumer spending increase 235.3% to USD 237.9 billion, with AI assisting consumers in navigating complex financial products rather than replacing human judgement altogether.

Meanwhile, travel and transport is forecast to grow from USD 78.1 billion in 2026 to USD 275.6 billion by 2030, as AI agents increasingly manage trip discovery, itinerary planning and bookings.

Beyond high, value services, the report suggests AI agents will become deeply embedded in routine consumer purchases.
Agent, influenced spending on food is expected to reach USD 292.8 billion by 2030, driven by the category's high purchase frequency and relatively low decision complexity.

Similarly, media and publishing is forecast to grow to USD 367.8 billion, reflecting AI's expanding role in recommendations, subscriptions and content discovery.

The soft drinks category is projected to register one of the fastest growth rates, increasing more than fourfold to USD 304.8 billion, while retail spending facilitated by AI is expected to climb to USD 199.9 billion as comparison shopping and omnichannel purchasing become increasingly automated.