For years, companies looked to mature economies (like the U.S., Western Europe, Japan) as the engines of global growth. That era is ending. Indeed,in 2025, emerging markets represent over 60 % of global GDP growth, driven by a rising middle class, digital acceleration, and local innovation ecosystems that no longer imitate, they lead.

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The rules of global demand are changing fast.

Let’s look at where, why, and how.

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Growth is no longer where it used to be

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According to the IMF, seven of the ten fastest-growing economies in 2025 are outside the OECD. Asia remains dominant (India, Vietnam, Indonesia) but Africa and Latin America are rising fast, with countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and Colombia becoming new trade corridors for digital services and manufacturing.

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What matters most isn’t just GDP.

It’s where new consumers are born and how their behaviors differ from those in legacy markets.

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The rise of digital-first consumers

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Across emerging regions, the new middle class is young, connected, and mobile-only. In Southeast Asia, over 440 million people are now online shoppers, according to Google’s e-Conomy SEA 2024 report. In Africa, smartphone penetration has doubled in less than five years.
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These markets leapfrogged traditional retail to build ecosystems that live entirely online : social commerce, fintech, micro-entrepreneurship, and mobile payments are not trends there ; they’re infrastructure. For global brands, this means adapting to a world where customer journeys begin, and end, on a smartphone.

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Cultural pride as a growth engine

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A decade ago, “Western quality” was a selling point.

In 2025, authenticity and cultural pride drive purchasing decisions. Local consumers now favor brands that reflect their identity, language, and values.
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This shift is visible in fashion (Nigerian designers at Paris Fashion Week), tech (Indian SaaS startups going global), and entertainment (K-pop, Nollywood, and Turkish dramas dominating streaming platforms).

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The message : global expansion no longer means exporting Western culture, it means integrating with local ones.

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Sustainability meets affordability

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Another defining trait : emerging consumers care about sustainability but not at any price. A NielsenIQ report shows that 70 % of middle-class consumers in emerging markets value eco-responsibility, yet only 28 % are willing to pay a premium for it.
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Brands that succeed here focus on accessible sustainability with affordable solutions that improve quality of life without moralizing or inflating costs. Impact must be practical, not performative.

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The new playbook for expansion

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Entering emerging markets in 2025 isn’t about volume ,it’s about velocity and sensitivity.

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To thrive, companies must :

• Localize fast : adapt offers, pricing, and language in weeks, not months.
• Build trust : through transparency and long-term engagement, not just ads.
• Leverage data : to read evolving behaviors in real time.
• Collaborate locally : with influencers, distributors, and micro-communities that already hold consumer trust.

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Growth here rewards those who listen before scaling.

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But in fast-moving emerging markets, many teams simply lack the time to execute this playbook properly.

If that’s the case, one of the best specialists in our view is Ascesa, helping companies adapt their offer, refine their messaging, and run the early commercial groundwork directly on their behalf. This allows firms to move faster, avoid costly missteps, and build traction based on real signals rather than assumptions.

↪ Learn how to grow your business at ascesa.io

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Why this matters now

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The balance of global power is shifting, not in boardrooms, but in shopping carts. By 2030, emerging consumers will represent two-thirds of the global middle class (Brookings Institution).

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Their choices will shape everything : supply chains, marketing, technology, and even the politics of consumption. Ignoring these markets today isn’t caution, it’s obsolescence.

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