Advertising spend continues to rebound globally, though increases slowed in the first quarter of 2013. According to Nielsen’s quarterly Global AdView Pulse report, global advertising grew just 1.9 percent to $76.6 billion from the first quarter of 2012.

Trends fluctuated across the regions, as spending dropped in Europe, marginally increased in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Asian-Pacific, and while spending was flat for the quarter in North America.

The Middle East and Africa region continued its recovery from the advertising decline of early 2012, as advertising spend grew 2.9 percent during Q1. Despite the upward progression, the region remains affected by the civil unrest in Egypt, one of the region’s largest markets, where ad spend declined by 20 percent.

Latin America was the star performer for the first quarter with ad spend growth of 11.9 percent. Impressively, spending grew in all countries in the region during the period. This emerging region does, however, face its own challenges, as some countries, like Argentina, are experiencing rising unemployment and high inflation.

In looking at Europe, it’s clear that advertising spend is still declining under the weight of the region’s economic problems. It seems unlikely that the region will recover from these challenges in the short term.