According to new data from eMarketer, U.K. mobile ad spending is growing faster than many analysts had anticipated. In fact, spending will be just shy of $1.59 billion in 2013 if the latest estimates prove accurate.

Between now and 2017, mobile advertising will drive overall ad expenditure in the UK, growing from 16.5% of digital ad spending and 7.2% of total media spending in 2013 to 44.4% and 22.9% in 2017, respectively.

The data was compiled and published in the report titled: “UK Digital Ad Spending: Driven by Mobile, Digital Will Soon Be Half of Ad Sector.”

Overall, eMarketer expects total UK mobile ad spending to approach $5.88 billion in 2017, which represents a gain of more than 270% from this year.

Specifically, investment in mobile advertising has already climbed fivefold between 2011 and 2013. That growth is expected to balloon eighteen-fold between 2011 and 2017.

Subscribers can access the full eMarketer report here.