The world continues to face geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty - but KPMG’s 11th CEO Outlook shows that leaders are positive, if cautious, about the future.
CEO confidence in the global economy has hit a five-year low, according to the KPMG 2025 Global CEO Outlook, as corporate leaders focus strategic investments in AI, talent and risk resilience to sustain and fuel future growth.
The annual survey of more than 1,300 global leaders reveals a cautious outlook among CEOs, driven by persistent geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.
The challenging landscape is prompting a shift in leadership approach, with many adapting their growth strategies to navigate today’s complex world. 68 percent of CEOs are confident in the current trajectory of the world economy – down from 72 percent last year and continuing a long-term trend of declining confidence.
- AI remains a top investment priority, with 69 percent of CEOs planning to allocate 10–20 percent of their budgets to AI over the next 12 months.
- However, CEO confidence in the global economy has dropped to 68 percent – its lowest level since 2021.
- Despite ongoing economic pressures, 92 percent of leaders are planning to increase headcount over the next 12 months.
- 70 percent of CEOs are concerned about competition for AI talent, and 77 percent highlighting workforce upskilling as a challenge.
- 61 percent of CEOs now express confidence that they can meet their net-zero goals by 2030, a significant increase from 51 percent in 2024.
Methodology
The 11th edition of the KPMG CEO Outlook, conducted with 1,350 CEOs between 5 August and 10 September 2025, provides unique insight into the mindset, strategies and planning tactics of CEOs.
All respondents oversee companies with annual revenues over US$500M and a third of the companies surveyed have more than US$10B in annual revenue. The survey included CEOs from 11 key markets (Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, UK and US) and 12 key industry sectors (asset management, automotive, banking, consumer and retail, energy, infrastructure, healthcare, insurance, life sciences, manufacturing, technology, and telecommunications).
NOTE: some figures may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
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