Business insights and impact on the UK economy - January 2026

12th January 2026

Approximately a quarter (25%) of businesses reported that they are currently using some form of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in late December 2025, up 15 percentage points since the question was first introduced in late September 2023. For businesses with 250 employees or more, the proportion was higher at 44%.

When asked in late December 2025, around one in seven (15%) businesses reported they were planning to adopt some form of AI technology within the next three months; this is up 2 percentage points from late September 2025 and is the largest proportion reported since the question was introduced in late September 2023.

In late December 2025, 4% of businesses that currently use some form of AI technology reported that their overall workforce headcount had decreased as a result of using those technologies; 5% of businesses that were planning to adopt AI technology within the next three months reported that they expect headcount to decrease as a result.

Almost a quarter (23%) of businesses reported in late December 2025 that they were concerned about the impact climate change may have on their business; down 2 percentage points from late September 2025 and the lowest proportion recorded since the question was introduced in September 2022.

More than a quarter (27%) of businesses reported in late December 2025 that they currently have no debt obligations, which is broadly stable with late September 2025; of those that do have debt obligations, 3% reported they have low or no confidence that they will meet their debt obligations and 58% reported they have high or moderate confidence.

Approximately one in seven (14%) trading businesses reported they had no cash reserves in late December 2025; this is down 3 percentage points from late September 2025, which was the highest proportion reported since the question was introduced in late June 2020.

Read the full ONS report HERE