PwC 29th Global CEO Survey, 2026 (press release)
TL;DR
PwC’s annual survey of 4,454 CEOs in 95 countries, fielded 30 September to 10 November 2025 and released at Davos on 19 January 2026. This page rests on PwC’s wire release; the report itself was not reachable.
- One in eight report both kinds of benefit. “Only one-in-eight (12%) CEOs say AI has delivered both cost and revenue benefits.” 33% report gains in either cost or revenue; 56% “have seen no significant financial benefit to date.” The three sum to 101%, so the 33% reads as one benefit, not both; at least one benefit is then about 45%.
- Depth goes with results. CEOs reporting both gains are “two to three times more likely” to have embedded AI extensively across products and services, demand generation and strategic decision-making.
- Confidence is at a five-year low. 30% are confident about revenue growth over the next 12 months (2025: 38%; 2022: 56%).
- Few can stop what does not work. “Only one in four CEOs” report disciplined processes to stop underperforming initiatives, tolerance of high innovation risk, or an innovation centre.
Key data
| Measure | Figure | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| AI delivered both cost and revenue benefits | 12% | CEOs |
| AI delivered gains in either cost or revenue | 33% | CEOs |
| No significant financial benefit from AI to date | 56% | CEOs |
| Confident about revenue growth, next 12 months | 30% (2025: 38%; 2022: 56%) | CEOs |
| Top concern: transforming fast enough (incl. AI) | 42% | CEOs |
Method and definitions
- Weighting: “The global and regional figures in this report are weighted proportionally to country nominal GDP.” Industry and country figures are unweighted. The 12% and 56% are global figures, so large economies count for more than their share of respondents.
- What counts as benefit: the CEO’s own judgement of AI’s cost and revenue effects. The release gives no question wording, period or threshold (such as a share of EBIT).
- “Strong AI foundations” is illustrated, not defined (“such as Responsible AI frameworks…”). The “nearly four percentage points higher profit margins” comes from “separate PwC analysis,” not this survey.
Scope and reliability
Self-report by CEOs; the question wording is not published. PwC sells AI and transformation services. The sample is large and the GDP weighting is stated. Figures in secondary coverage (30% higher revenue from AI, 26% lower costs) are not in the release and were not checked.
Dynamic-capabilities reading
digital-transforming/improving-digital-maturity: the survey links financial returns to how far AI is embedded and to “foundations” such as Responsible AI frameworks and enterprise-wide integration.digital-seizing/balancing-digital-portfolios: only one in four CEOs report disciplined processes to stop underperforming initiatives, which is the portfolio discipline this cell names.contextual/external-triggers: tariffs (20% highly exposed), cyber threats (31%) and macroeconomic volatility frame the AI findings.
How it connects
- enterprise-ai-adoption and the thread ai-maturity-measurement-comparison: the 12% is a strict, CEO-level measure of AI value. It counts CEOs, weighted by GDP, not organisations or initiatives.
- micro-productivity-trap: the concept page carries this survey’s figures second-hand, via the BBC panel.
- BBC AI Decoded: Peter Grant cites this survey (~4,500 CEOs, 95 countries, 56%, one in eight). The release words the one in eight as both cost and revenue benefits, and the 56% as no significant financial benefit from AI.
- Dutt & Chatterji: isolated, plug-and-play use cases as the reason task gains do not reach firm results.
What was actually ingested
The full PR Newswire UK release (PwC’s official wire copy), including the Notes to Editors. Not read: the report at pwc.com/ceosurvey and every PwC regional page tried (all HTTP 403). A trade magazine hosts a copy of the report PDF; not used, as it is not a PwC host.
Linked entities and concepts
- PwC: publisher. Its entity page notes that the BBC figures had not been traced to the PwC release; this page traces them.
- World Economic Forum: the survey was released at Davos; WEF is not its publisher.
- enterprise-ai-adoption, micro-productivity-trap: concepts.
Dangling (single-source mention, deferred): Mohamed Kande (PwC Global Chairman, quoted).