M-commerce adoption is skyrocketing across the Middle East, according to new research from PayPal. 

A survey of over 17,500 consumers, commissioned by the payments firm and carried out by Ipsos, shows countries like Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel all boasting above-average proportions of mobile shoppers. 

Stats revealed that 57% of buyers from the UAE, including those in Dubai, had purchased goods or services with a smartphone in the past 12 months. Turkey followed closely behind on 53%, with Israel managing 37%. 

In the UK, where overall spend is much higher than in the Middle East, just 33% of consumers laid claim to purchasing via a smartphone. Similar levels of mobile adoption were seen in some of the biggest online economies, such as Russia (34%) and the US (31%). 

China led the way overall, though, with a staggering 68% of all online shoppers purchasing through a smartphone last year. 

Lagging behind

The research also laid out some of the stragglers in the crucial area of mobile commerce  - a market which is set to record  a compound annual growth rate of 42% between 2013-2016. 

According to PayPal, this is forecasted as far above the 13% recorded by e-commerce in general for the same period.

Not all European nations will be able to take advantage of this growth, though, as the findings outlined. In the Netherlands, for example, just 17% of shoppers have bought via a smartphone in the last year, with Denmark (20%), Sweden (21%) and even Germany (26%) also being viewed as relatively poor m-commerce areas.

A full review of the findings shows things stepping-up in other regions, and particularly in fast-growing e-commerce nations such as Brazil, Australia and Mexico. 

The likes of Denmark and Sweden can still take positives from how much their m-commerce adoption is likely to pick-up, according to PayPal forecasts. 

Readings for 2013-2016 back Denmark to see a 55% lift in smartphone spend, with Sweden (52%) and Norway (54%) leading growth for the European pack. 

Russia and the UK are expected to see lifts of 28% and 36% respectively, while Spain will continue its upward mobile trajectory by growing 46%.