CEO Confidence High Despite the Global Chaos

You’d think with all the geopolitical disruption and rising costs, CEOs would be looking for the exit. But according to the latest survey from PwC, which talked to hundreds of leaders across more than 50 countries, confidence is surprisingly steady. Even as they navigate a volatile business environment, CEOs are maintaining their growth prospects. It turns out that "disruption" is simply the new normal.

The data shows that 42% of CEOs remain very or extremely confident about their revenue growth over the next 12 months—that’s actually up from 39% eight months ago. About a third (33%) say their confidence has increased, while only 26% reported a decline. As PwC Global Chairman Mohamed Kande put it, the organizations that can take a longer-term view and invest in AI capabilities are the ones positioned for future growth. Resilience is no longer just a defensive capability; it’s becoming a competitive advantage.

When you look at the three-year horizon, that confidence stays stable at 51%. But that doesn't mean it's easy. CEOs are reporting much sharper increases in energy costs than in other operating expenses. Nearly one in five (19%) reported energy costs jumping by more than 10% due to global shocks, compared to just 12% who saw similar spikes in non-energy costs. This has made pricing decisions a major challenge for 27% of leaders, followed closely by supply chain management at 26%.

Interestingly, the companies moving fastest on AI are seeing the biggest payoff. More than half of CEOs (51%) have seen a shift in AI’s business impact recently, and 39% are already reporting positive outcomes. PwC is calling this "techno-resilience." Companies that combine long-term thinking with strong AI foundations are 74% more likely to report AI success and 66% more likely to express strong confidence in future revenue than those who are lagging behind. In this environment, standing still is effectively moving backward.