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Segment information - Contributions by Geographical Area (Detail) - GBP (£) £ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | [3]
Disclosure of geographical areas [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue | [1] | £ 13,234.1 | £ 13,046.7 | [2],[3] | £ 13,146.4 | [2]
Headline PBIT | [4] | 1,560.6 | 1,651.2 | [3] | 1,793.1 |
Non-current assets | [5] | 15,638.8 | 17,692.7 |  |  |
North America [member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of geographical areas [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue | [1],[6] | 4,854.7 | 4,851.7 | [3] | 5,083.5 |
Revenue less pass-through costs | [6],[7] | 4,034.3 | 4,059.7 | [3] | 4,335.2 |
Headline PBIT | [4],[6] | £ 662.0 | £ 710.6 | [3] | £ 816.3 |
Headline PBIT margin | [8] | 16.40% | 17.50% | [3] | 18.80% |
Non-current assets | [5],[9] | £ 6,812.6 | £ 7,247.0 |  |  |
United Kingdom [member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of geographical areas [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue | [1] | 1,797.1 | 1,785.6 | [3] | £ 1,737.4 |
Revenue less pass-through costs | [7] | 1,390.1 | 1,393.8 | [3] | 1,390.0 |
Headline PBIT | [4] | £ 188.5 | £ 179.6 | [3] | £ 218.1 |
Headline PBIT margin | [8] | 13.60% | 12.90% | [3] | 15.70% |
Non-current assets | [5] | £ 1,743.3 | £ 2,067.9 |  |  |
Western Continental Europe [member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of geographical areas [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue | [1] | 2,628.8 | 2,589.6 | [3] | £ 2,455.7 |
Revenue less pass-through costs | [7] | 2,176.4 | 2,182.9 | [3] | 2,063.7 |
Headline PBIT | [4] | £ 261.5 | £ 289.4 | [3] | £ 249.8 |
Headline PBIT margin | [8] | 12.00% | 13.30% | [3] | 12.10% |
Non-current assets | [5] | £ 3,417.2 | £ 4,371.9 |  |  |
Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa & Middle East and Central & Eastern Europe [member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of geographical areas [line items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenue | [1] | 3,953.5 | 3,819.8 | [3] | £ 3,869.8 |
Revenue less pass-through costs | [7] | 3,245.7 | 3,239.3 | [3] | 3,355.0 |
Headline PBIT | [4] | £ 448.6 | £ 471.6 | [3] | £ 508.9 |
Headline PBIT margin | [8] | 13.80% | 14.60% | [3] | 15.20% |
Non-current assets | [5] | £ 3,665.7 | £ 4,005.9 |  |  |
[1] | Intersegment sales have not been separately disclosed as they are not material.
[2] | Figures have been restated, as described in the accounting policies.
[3] | Prior year figures have been re-presented in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations, as described in the accounting policies.
[4] | A reconciliation from operating profit to headline operating profit is provided in note 32.
[5] | Non-current assets excluding financial instruments and deferred tax.
[6] | North America includes the US with revenue of £4,576.5 million (2018: £4,576.1 million, 2017: £4,782.0 million), revenue less pass-through costs of £3,806.3 million (2018: £3,836.0 million, 2017: £4,089.9 million) and headline operating profit of £620.6 million (2018: £674.4 million, 2017: £773.5 million).
[7] | Revenue less pass-through costs is revenue less media, data collection and other pass-through costs. Pass-through costs comprise fees paid to external suppliers where they are engaged to perform part or all of a specific project and are changed directly to clients, predominantly media and data collection costs. See note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for more details of the pass-through costs.
[8] | Headline operating profit margin is calculated as headline operating profit (defined above) as a percentage of revenue less pass-through costs.
[9] | North America includes the United States with non-current assets of £6,373.9 million (2018: £6,791.9 million).

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