Over 80% of Japanese CEOs see positive signs in their company’s growth, while only 20% say that AI contributes to revenue
5 February 2026
PwC Japan Group
The PwC Japan Group (Chairman: Masataka Kubota) today released the results of PwC’s 29th Annual Global CEO Survey Japan edition. This edition focuses on 139 Japanese CEOs among the respondents of the survey published by PwC on 19 January 2026. It examines the current situation of Japanese companies and their future challenges through a comparative analysis with companies around the world. Please visit here (https://www.pwc.com/jp/ja/knowledge/thoughtleadership/ceo-survey.html) for an overall analysis of the survey results.
This survey showed solid economic sentiment among global CEOs, with 61% saying that global economic growth would improve over the next 12 months. The survey covered a wide range of topics, including the current situation of cross-industry competition and the impact of tariffs and AI. This time, among the survey results, analysis was conducted specifically on responses from CEOs of Japanese companies.
The main features are as follows:
- Regarding the question ‘How confident are you about your company’s prospects for revenue growth over the next 12 months?’, Japanese CEOs are ‘Extremely confident/Very confident’ (25%) and ‘Moderately confident’ (58%), which indicates confidence exceeding a certain level in the future performance of their companies.
- Regarding the question ‘In the last five years, has your company begun competing in new sectors or industries in which it hadn’t previously competed?’, 42% of Japanese CEOs answered ‘Yes’. In response to the same question, the proportion of respondents giving the same answer was high globally (42%), as well in the US (52%) and Western Europe (49%), which indicates the increasing complexity of corporate competition on a global scale.
In regard to the results of this survey, Masataka Kubota, Chairman of the PwC Japan Group, stated:
‘The survey findings suggest that amid the accelerating competition with companies in nontraditional sectors and industries, as well as the ongoing evolution of innovative technologies exemplified by generative AI, CEOs are becoming aware of challenges across a wide range of areas, including how to operate their businesses and how to develop talent. Anxiety and concern about an uncertain future are shared by corporate leaders not only in Japan but across the globe. Because of this, we can share a common understanding of what the challenges are and collaborate to resolve them. PwC is dedicated to building trust and solving challenges as a professional services firm that continues to contribute to society, leveraging our global network spanning 136 countries and 137 territories.
Diagram 1: Over 80% see positive signs in their company’s performance
Diagram 2: Fierce competition across industry boundaries
The survey also asked CEOs about their perceptions of the impact of tariffs and the effects of introducing AI, yielding the following results:
- Regarding the question ‘Over the next 12 months, what will be the relative impact of tariffs on your company’s net profit margin?’, 78% of Japanese CEOs answered that ‘Little to no change to profit margin’. Only 17% responded that ‘Decrease’, which is lower than the global figure and those for countries such as the US and China.
- Regarding the effects of introducing AI, 21% responded that ‘Revenue increased’ over the past 12 months. Still, this proportion is lower compared to the global figure (29%). Regarding the reduction in costs through AI, 22% of respondents in Japan, 26% globally and 38% in the US answered that costs had decreased.
About PwC’s 2026 Global CEO Survey
We surveyed 4,454 CEOs in 95 countries and territories from 30 September to 10 November 2025. The global and regional figures in this report are weighted proportionally to country nominal GDP, so CEOs’ views are broadly representative across all major regions. The industry- and country-level figures are based on unweighted data from the full sample of 4,454 CEOs. To learn more about the findings, please visit: http://www.pwc.com/ceosurvey.
About PwC
At PwC, we help clients build trust and reinvent so they can turn complexity into competitive advantage. We’re a tech-forward, people-empowered network with more than 364,000 people in 136 countries and 137 territories. Across audit and assurance, tax and legal, deals and consulting, we help clients build, accelerate, and sustain momentum. Find out more at www.pwc.com.
About the PwC Japan Group
The PwC Japan Group is a collective name for the member firms of the PwC global network in Japan and their affiliates. Each firm within the PwC Japan Group conducts its business as a separate, independent business entity.
In response to our clients’ increasingly complex and diverse corporate management issues, the PwC Japan Group has put in place a system that consolidates our knowledge in the fields of auditing and broader assurance services, consulting, deal advisory, tax and legal services, and encourages organic collaboration among our professionals in each field. As a professional services network with approximately 13,500 certified public accountants, tax accountants, lawyers and other professional staff, we strive to provide services that more accurately address our clients’ needs.