Perceptions of conditions for marketers improved strongly across Asia Pacific in February, according to Warc’s Global Marketing Index (GMI).

The region registered a 2.4 point increase on the previous month to reach 56.2, on a scale where a score over 50 indicates a positive trend. The growth was driven in part by marketing budgets in the region rising for the first time since October 2012.

The GMI, which combines trends observed in marketing budgets, trading conditions and staffing levels, also stood at 56.2 in February, up 1.2 point since January. The Americas remained the most positive region, with a score of 59.5, while Europe also improved to 53.1.

“The continued upward trajectory in headline GMI is encouraging,” Suzy Young, data and journals director at Warc, comments.

“The outlook for global marketing budgets has improved since the start of the year, with both the Americas and Asia Pacific recording positive growth,” Young adds.

The score for global marketing budgets was up 1.3 points to 51.7 in February, with gains across all three major regions.

Global trading conditions also improved, up 1.5 points from January to reach its highest reading since April 2012 – 59.4. Perceptions on this measure remained most positive in the Americas on 60.9, followed by Asia Pacific on 59.7 and Europe on 57.4.

The index for staffing levels strengthened to reach 57.6, increasing in all regions, to reach 62.1 in the Americas, 58.5 in Asia Pacific and 53.2 in Europe.