What percentage of businesses use AI?

About one in five in official statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau measured 19.8% of firms in May 2026, Eurostat 19.95% of EU enterprises in 2025 and the OECD 20.2% of firms in 2025. The UK is higher, at 30% in the ONS survey for September 2026.

Do large companies use AI more than small businesses?

Yes, by a wide margin. Eurostat found 55.03% of large EU enterprises used AI in 2025 compared with 17% of small ones, and the Census Bureau reports 37% of U.S. firms with 250 or more employees against under 20% of firms with four or fewer.

Which industries use AI the most?

Information and communication leads in every survey: 62.52% of EU enterprises in the sector used AI in 2025 per Eurostat, and 39.7% of U.S. information firms in the Census data. Finance and professional services follow, while agriculture, construction and transport are lowest.

Does AI improve business productivity?

Workers report gains, but measured effects are modest so far. Gallup found 65% of employees in AI-adopting organizations say AI improved their productivity, while executives in an NBER study estimate AI added 0.2% a year to labor productivity growth over the past three years and expect 0.6% a year ahead.

Statistics · 54 sourced figures

AI in Business Statistics 2026

This page collects figures on how businesses use AI and generative AI tools: how many firms use them, how adoption differs by business size and industry, what companies spend, which tasks they apply AI to, what results they report and what holds them back. It draws mainly on official business surveys from the U.S. Census Bureau, Eurostat, the OECD, Statistics Canada and the UK's ONS and DSIT, plus Federal Reserve research, executive and employee surveys, and spending data. Most figures describe 2025 and 2026; a few 2024 and early 2025 points are labeled with their year.

By the TopToolAdvisor research desk · Updated November 5, 2026 · 54 figures from 17 sources

Quick answer

About one in five businesses uses AI in official statistics: 19.8% of U.S. firms in the Census Bureau's May 2026 survey, 19.95% of EU enterprises in 2025 per Eurostat and 20.2% of firms across the OECD. Use rises steeply with size, to 55.03% of large EU enterprises, and is highest in information and finance. Measured productivity gains are still modest: executives in an NBER study credit AI with 0.2% a year of extra labor productivity growth so far.

Key figures

19.8%In the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey period ending May 3, 2026, 19.8% of U.S. firms reported using AI in their business functions.U.S. Census Bureau
19.95%In 2025, 19.95% of EU enterprises with 10 or more employees used at least one AI technology, according to Eurostat.Eurostat
55.03%In 2025, 55.03% of large EU enterprises (250 or more employees) used AI, compared with 30.36% of medium and 17% of small enterprises, per Eurostat.Eurostat
62.52%In 2025, 62.52% of EU enterprises in information and communication used AI, the highest of any sector, followed by professional, scientific and technical services at 40.43%.Eurostat
55.9%In September 2026, 55.9% of U.S. businesses on Ramp's spend platform paid for AI models, subscriptions or APIs, up 12.1 points from a year earlier.Ramp
2%AI spending is concentrated: 2% of firms accounted for over 50% of total AI spending in the 2026 NBER executive survey.National Bureau of Economic Research
65%In early 2026, 65% of U.S. employees in organizations that had implemented AI said it improved their productivity and efficiency, per Gallup.Gallup
50%Half (50%) of UK businesses that adopted AI reported an overall increase in productivity in the 2026 DSIT survey, though gains were mostly described as modest.UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

What the figures show

Official statistics agree that roughly one business in five uses AI. The U.S. Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey put use at 19.8% of firms in early May 2026, Eurostat counted 19.95% of EU enterprises with 10 or more employees in 2025, the OECD reported 20.2% of firms across member countries with data, and Statistics Canada found 19.2% in the second quarter of 2026. The UK runs higher, at 30% in the ONS business survey for September 2026 and 32% in the DSIT AI Adoption Survey. Surveys of large companies and executives report much higher shares, such as 78% of firms in an NBER study, because they cover bigger firms and count any use at all.

Size and industry explain most of the gap. Eurostat found 55.03% of large EU enterprises used AI in 2025 against 17% of small ones, and the OECD reported 52.0% of large firms against 17.4% of small firms. By industry, information and communication leads everywhere: 62.52% of EU enterprises in the sector, 57.3% of ICT firms across the OECD and 39.7% of U.S. information firms in the Census data. Agriculture, construction and transport sit at the bottom.

Spending is growing fast but is concentrated. Ramp's card and bill-pay data show 55.9% of U.S. businesses on its platform paying for AI in September 2026, yet the median paying firm spent only $15.70 per employee per month. Menlo Ventures estimates U.S. enterprises spent $37 billion on generative AI in 2025, and Gartner forecasts worldwide AI spending of $2.7 trillion in 2026, most of it infrastructure. The NBER executive survey found just 2% of firms account for over half of AI spending, and DSIT found 47% of UK businesses that could estimate spend paid nothing in 2025.

Reported results are positive but modest. Gallup found 65% of employees in AI-adopting U.S. organizations say AI improved their productivity, and half of UK adopters in the DSIT survey reported higher productivity. Measured effects are smaller: St. Louis Fed research finds generative AI users save 5.4% of work hours, and executives in the NBER study credit AI with 0.2% a year of extra labor productivity growth so far, though they expect 0.6% a year over the next three years. Lack of expertise is the most common barrier, cited by 70.89% of EU enterprises that considered AI but did not adopt it.

How many businesses use AI

1.19.8%
In the U.S. Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey period ending May 3, 2026, 19.8% of U.S. firms reported using AI in their business functions.
U.S. Census Bureau, Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 2026)
Source quote
As of May 3, 2026, the AI use rates in the Information (39.7%) and Finance and Insurance (33.9%) sectors were both higher than the national rate (19.8%) but neither reported significant shifts since December.
2.19.95%
In 2025, 19.95% of EU enterprises with 10 or more employees used at least one AI technology, according to Eurostat.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Source quote
In 2025, 19.95% of EU enterprises used AI technologies.
3.20.2%
Across OECD countries with data, 20.2% of firms used AI in 2025, up from 8.7% in 2023.
OECD, AI use by individuals surges across the OECD as adoption by firms continues to expand (Jan 2026)
Source quote
In 2025, 20.2% of firms reported using AI, up from 14.2% in 2024 and 8.7% in 2023, meaning adoption has more than doubled over the past two years.
4.19.2%
In the second quarter of 2026, 19.2% of Canadian businesses used AI to produce goods or deliver services over the previous 12 months, triple the 6.1% of two years earlier.
Statistics Canada, Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (Jun 2026)
Source quote
In the second quarter of 2026, 19.2% of businesses reported using AI to produce goods or deliver services over the 12 months preceding the survey.
5.30%
Around 30% of UK businesses used at least one type of AI technology in September 2026, up from 9% when the ONS first asked in September 2023.
Office for National Statistics, Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 8 October 2026 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
Around 3 in 10 (30%) of all businesses reported using at least one type of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in September 2026, with the proportion using AI steadily increasing since the question was introduced in September 2023 (9%)
6.32%
The UK government's 2026 AI Adoption Survey found 32% of UK businesses used at least one AI technology, double the 16% recorded in 2025.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary (2026)
Source quote
UK businesses were using at least one AI technology (32% compared to 16% in 2025).
7.78%
In a November 2025 survey of senior leaders at U.S. firms, an estimated 78% of the labor force worked at firms that had adopted AI and about 54% at firms using large language models, per a Federal Reserve Board note.
Federal Reserve Board, Monitoring AI Adoption in the U.S. Economy (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Additionally, a November iteration of the Survey of Business Uncertainty, which targets senior leaders at U.S. firms, estimates that 78 percent of the labor force works at firms that have adopted AI, and about 54 percent works at firms that use LLMs.
8.78%
In a Summer 2026 survey of nearly 9,000 executives across seven countries including the U.S. and UK, 78% of firms reported using AI.
National Bureau of Economic Research, Firm Data on AI (Working Paper 34836) (Oct 2026)
Source quote
First, 78% of firms use AI, with US firms expecting to spend $2,000 per employee on AI-related expenditures in 2026, implying around $300 billion in aggregate annual firm spending.

Chart

Share of firms using AI across OECD countries

Firms in OECD countries where data are available, 2023 to 2025.

20238.7%
202414.2%
202520.2%

Source: OECD, AI use by individuals surges across the OECD as adoption by firms continues to expand

AI adoption by business size

9.55.03%
In 2025, 55.03% of large EU enterprises (250 or more employees) used AI, compared with 30.36% of medium and 17% of small enterprises, per Eurostat.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Source quote
In 2025, 17% of small enterprises, 30.36% of medium enterprises and 55.03% of large enterprises used AI.
10.52.0%
Across OECD countries in 2025, 52.0% of large firms used AI compared with 17.4% of small firms.
OECD, AI use by individuals surges across the OECD as adoption by firms continues to expand (Jan 2026)
Source quote
Adoption remains highly uneven across firms of different sizes: 52.0% of large firms use AI, compared with 17.4% of small firms.
11.37%
In the U.S., 37% of firms with at least 250 employees reported using AI in their business operations in early 2026, per the Census Bureau.
U.S. Census Bureau, Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 2026)
Source quote
For example, 37% of firms with at least 250 employees reported using AI in their business operations.
12.32%
In the Census survey period ending May 3, 2026, 32% of U.S. firms with 100 to 249 employees used AI.
U.S. Census Bureau, Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 2026)
Source quote
In the data collection period ending May 3, 2026, 32% of firms with 100 to 249 employees said they used AI.
13.Under 20%
Fewer than 20% of U.S. firms with four or fewer employees reported using AI in early 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 2026)
Source quote
Less than 20% of firms with four or fewer employees reported using AI.
14.51%
In September 2026, 51% of UK businesses with 250 or more employees used AI, up 32 percentage points from 19% in September 2023, per the ONS.
Office for National Statistics, Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 8 October 2026 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
for businesses with 250 or more employees, the proportion was 51%, up 32 percentage points from September 2023 (19%).

Chart

EU enterprises using AI by size, 2025

EU enterprises with 10 or more employees, survey in early 2025.

Large (250+ employees)55%
Medium (50 to 249)30.4%
Small (10 to 49)17%

Source: Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises

AI adoption by industry

15.39.7%
In early May 2026, 39.7% of U.S. firms in the information sector and 33.9% in finance and insurance used AI, against a national rate of 19.8%.
U.S. Census Bureau, Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 2026)
Source quote
As of May 3, 2026, the AI use rates in the Information (39.7%) and Finance and Insurance (33.9%) sectors were both higher than the national rate (19.8%) but neither reported significant shifts since December.
16.62.52%
In 2025, 62.52% of EU enterprises in information and communication used AI, the highest of any sector, followed by professional, scientific and technical services at 40.43%.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Source quote
In 2025, the information and communication sector (with 62.52%) and professional, scientific and technical service activities (with 40.43%) stood out with the highest share of enterprises that used AI.
17.57.3%
Across the OECD, 57.3% of ICT firms used AI in 2025, followed by professional and scientific services at 36.8%.
OECD, AI use by individuals surges across the OECD as adoption by firms continues to expand (Jan 2026)
Source quote
In 2025, 57.3% of ICT firms across the OECD used AI, the highest share of any industry, followed by professional and scientific services (36.8%).
18.4.5%
In Canada, AI use in the second quarter of 2026 was lowest in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (4.5%), wholesale trade (7.9%) and construction (9.2%).
Statistics Canada, Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (Jun 2026)
Source quote
In the second quarter of 2026, AI use was least prevalent among businesses in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (4.5%), wholesale trade (7.9%), and construction (9.2%).
19.61%
In the UK's 2026 AI Adoption Survey, 61% of information and communication businesses used AI, along with 45% in real estate.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary (2026)
Source quote
Adoption remained uneven by sector and business size, with higher uptake among larger firms (52%) and knowledge-intensive industries such as: information and communication (61%) real estate (45%) business services and administration (39%)
20.40%
In the New York Fed's 2025 regional survey, 40% of service firms in New York and northern New Jersey used AI, up from 25% a year earlier.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Are Businesses Scaling Back Hiring Due to AI? (Sep 2025)
Source quote
As shown in the chart below, 40 percent of service firms reported using AI this year, up from 25 percent this time last year, and 44 percent expect to use AI over the next six months.
21.42.03%
Denmark had the highest share of enterprises using AI in the EU in 2025 at 42.03%, and Romania the lowest at 5.21%.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Source quote
The highest share was recorded in Denmark (42.03%), followed by Finland (37.82%) and Sweden (35.04%), while the lowest shares were recorded in Romania (5.21%), Poland (8.36%) and Bulgaria (8.55%).

Chart

Canadian businesses using AI, lowest-adoption industries, Q2 2026

Share of Canadian businesses using AI to produce goods or deliver services in the past 12 months; all-industry rate was 19.2%.

Construction9.2%
Wholesale trade7.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting4.5%

Source: Statistics Canada, Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026

Business spending on AI

22.55.9%
In September 2026, 55.9% of U.S. businesses on Ramp's spend platform paid for AI models, subscriptions or APIs, up 12.1 points from a year earlier.
Ramp, Ramp AI Index (Oct 2026)
Source quote
In September 2026, AI adoption reached 55.9% of U.S. businesses on Ramp, up 0.6 percentage points from August and 12.1 points from a year earlier.
23.$15.70
Among Ramp businesses paying for AI in September 2026, the median firm spent $15.70 per employee per month, while the top 1% spent a median of $9,567.53.
Ramp, Ramp AI Index (Oct 2026)
Source quote
Among firms paying for AI, the top 1% spent a median of $9,567.53 per employee per month on AI, compared with $15.70 for the median firm.
24.$2,000
U.S. firms expected to spend $2,000 per employee on AI-related costs in 2026, about $300 billion in total, according to an NBER survey of executives.
National Bureau of Economic Research, Firm Data on AI (Working Paper 34836) (Oct 2026)
Source quote
First, 78% of firms use AI, with US firms expecting to spend $2,000 per employee on AI-related expenditures in 2026, implying around $300 billion in aggregate annual firm spending.
25.2%
AI spending is concentrated: 2% of firms accounted for over 50% of total AI spending in the 2026 NBER executive survey.
National Bureau of Economic Research, Firm Data on AI (Working Paper 34836) (Oct 2026)
Source quote
This AI spending is highly concentrated, with just 2% of firms accounting for over 50% of total spending.
26.$37 billion
U.S. enterprises spent an estimated $37 billion on generative AI in 2025, up from $11.5 billion in 2024, according to Menlo Ventures.
Menlo Ventures, 2025: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise (Dec 2025)
Source quote
Our data indicates companies spent $37 billion on generative AI in 2025
27.76%
In Menlo Ventures' 2025 survey of about 500 U.S. enterprise decision-makers, 76% of enterprise AI solutions were bought rather than built in-house.
Menlo Ventures, 2025: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise (Dec 2025)
Source quote
76% of enterprise AI solutions are purchased rather than built internally
28.$2.7 trillion
Gartner forecasts worldwide AI spending of $2.7 trillion in 2026, a 49.5% increase over 2025, with infrastructure the largest share.
Gartner, Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026 (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Worldwide spending on AI is forecast to total $2.7 trillion in 2026, a 49.5% increase year-over-year, according to Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.
29.117%
Gartner expects spending on generative AI models to grow 117% in 2026.
Gartner, Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026 (Sep 2026)
Source quote
As a result, the 2026 growth rate for generative AI models has increased from 110% growth in the previous forecast to 117% growth in the current forecast.
30.47%
Of UK businesses able to estimate their AI spending, 47% reported no AI expenditure in 2025, reflecting wide use of free tools and AI built into existing software.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary (2026)
Source quote
Expenditure on AI remained relatively modest for many businesses, with 47% of those able to estimate expenditure reporting no expenditure in 2025.
31.46%
In the New York Fed's 2025 survey, 46% of AI-using manufacturers in the region paid for AI tools, up from 7% a year earlier.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Are Businesses Scaling Back Hiring Due to AI? (Sep 2025)
Source quote
about half of service firms that use AI report using paid tools, up 16 percentage points from this time last year, as did 46 percent of manufacturing firms, up a whopping 39 percentage points from last year when only 7 percent were using paid services.
32.$285.9 billion
U.S. private investment in AI companies reached $285.9 billion in 2025, more than 23 times the $12.4 billion invested in China, per the Stanford AI Index.
Stanford HAI, The 2026 AI Index Report (Apr 2026)
Source quote
U.S. private AI investment reached $285.9 billion in 2025, more than 23 times the $12.4 billion invested in China

What businesses use AI for

33.70%
Generative AI was used in at least one business function at 70% of surveyed organizations in 2025, according to the Stanford AI Index.
Stanford HAI, The 2026 AI Index Report: Economy (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Generative AI is now used in at least one business function at 70% of organizations, and China and Europe posted the highest year-over-year increases.
34.36.6%
Among Canadian businesses using AI in 2026, the most common applications were data analytics (36.6%), text analytics (34.5%) and virtual agents or chatbots (28.2%).
Statistics Canada, Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (Jun 2026)
Source quote
Among businesses that reported using AI over the last 12 months (19.2%), the most commonly used applications were data analytics (36.6%), followed by text analytics (34.5%) and virtual agents or chat bots (28.2%).
35.35.04%
Among large EU enterprises in 2025, text mining was the most used AI technology at 35.04%, followed by tools that generate written or spoken language or code at 31.68%.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Source quote
in particular large enterprises, where AI technologies performing analysis of written language (text mining) were the most used technologies with 35.04%, followed by AI technologies generating written or spoken language or programming codes (31.68%).
36.58.82%
Among EU enterprises using AI in 2025, 58.82% in accommodation and 48.18% in retail used it mainly for marketing or sales.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Source quote
Enterprises mainly used AI software or systems for marketing or sales in the accommodation sector (58.82%) and in the retail trade sector (48.18%)
37.81%
Among UK businesses using or planning to use AI in 2026, 81% applied it to administration, 71% to marketing and 66% to IT functions.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary (2026)
Source quote
AI became more embedded in day-to-day operations, most commonly in: administration (81% of those using or planning to use AI ) marketing (71%) IT functions (66%)
38.46%
In 2025, 46% of business leaders worldwide said their organization used AI agents to fully automate workstreams or business processes, per Microsoft's Work Trend Index.
Microsoft, The 2025 Annual Work Trend Index: The Frontier Firm is born (Apr 2025)
Source quote
46% of leaders say their organization is using agents to fully automate workstreams or business processes
39.$4B
Coding was the largest generative AI use case by U.S. enterprise spend in 2025 at $4 billion, according to Menlo Ventures.
Menlo Ventures, 2025: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise (Dec 2025)
Source quote
with $4B in enterprise spend
40.50 to 60%
Between 50% and 60% of AI-using service and manufacturing firms in the New York Fed's 2025 survey used AI for marketing and advertising.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Are Businesses Scaling Back Hiring Due to AI? (Sep 2025)
Source quote
Over half of service firms and more than 40 percent of manufacturers that use AI use it to search for information, while 50 to 60 percent of both types of firms use AI for marketing and advertising.

Chart

Most common AI applications among Canadian AI users, Q2 2026

Share of Canadian businesses that used AI in the past 12 months, second quarter of 2026.

Data analytics36.6%
Text analytics34.5%
Virtual agents or chatbots28.2%

Source: Statistics Canada, Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026

Productivity and workforce results

41.65%
In early 2026, 65% of U.S. employees in organizations that had implemented AI said it improved their productivity and efficiency, per Gallup.
Gallup, Rising AI Adoption Spurs Workforce Changes (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Within organizations implementing AI, 65% of employees say artificial intelligence has improved their productivity and efficiency, regardless of how often they personally use AI.
42.28%
In Gallup's February 2026 survey of 23,717 U.S. employees, 28% used AI at work a few times a week or more and 13% daily.
Gallup, Rising AI Adoption Spurs Workforce Changes (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Frequent AI use is also increasing, with 13% of employees now saying they use AI daily and 28% reporting they use it a few times a week or more.
43.5.4%
Generative AI users in the U.S. saved time equal to 5.4% of their work hours, about 2.2 hours in a 40-hour week, in research highlighted by the St. Louis Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Generative AI, Productivity and the Future of Work (Oct 2025)
Source quote
generative AI users reported saving time amounting to 5.4% of their work hours, or roughly 2.2 hours per week in a 40-hour work week.
44.1.1%
St. Louis Fed researchers estimate generative AI represented a potential 1.1% increase in U.S. productivity by the second half of 2024 relative to 2022.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Generative AI, Productivity and the Future of Work (Oct 2025)
Source quote
Plugging these findings into an economic model, Bick and his co-authors estimated that generative AI use represented a potential 1.1% increase in U.S. productivity by the second half of 2024 relative to 2022, which was before ChatGPT and other generative AI tools became widely available.
45.0.2%
Executives in a 2026 NBER survey said AI raised annual labor productivity growth by 0.2% over the past three years and expect a 0.6% annual boost over the next three.
National Bureau of Economic Research, Firm Data on AI (Working Paper 34836) (Oct 2026)
Source quote
Fourth, executives report AI adoption has raised annual labor productivity growth by 0.2% over the last 3 years, a modest impact, but expect a substantially larger 0.6% per annum boost over the next 3 years.
46.50%
Half (50%) of UK businesses that adopted AI reported an overall increase in productivity in the 2026 DSIT survey, though gains were mostly described as modest.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary (2026)
Source quote
Half of adopters (50%) reported an overall increase in productivity, although these gains were generally described as modest.
47.41%
Work-related generative AI use reached about 41% of U.S. workers as of November 2025 in the Real-Time Population Survey, per a Federal Reserve Board note.
Federal Reserve Board, Monitoring AI Adoption in the U.S. Economy (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Work-related Generative AI adoption reported by individuals in the Real-Time Population Survey stands at about 41 percent as of November, with the strongest growth occurring in the most recent quarter.
48.23%
Employees in AI-adopting U.S. organizations were more likely than others to report workforce reductions (23% vs. 16%) and also hiring (34% vs. 28%) in early 2026, per Gallup.
Gallup, Rising AI Adoption Spurs Workforce Changes (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Compared with employees in organizations that have not implemented AI, they more often say that their organization is hiring new people and expanding the size of its workforce (34% vs. 28%) or letting people go and reducing the size of its workforce (23% vs. 16%).
49.38%
Of UK businesses with 10 or more employees using AI in September 2026, 38% said administrative and clerical roles were the most affected.
Office for National Statistics, Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 8 October 2026 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
Of businesses with 10 or more employees that reported using AI technologies in September 2026, 38% reported that administrative and clerical roles were the most affected

Barriers and plans

50.70.89%
Among EU enterprises that considered AI but did not use it in 2025, 70.89% cited a lack of relevant expertise, the most common reason.
Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025)
Source quote
In 2025, among EU enterprises who had ever considered using AI technologies, the most common reason for not using AI technologies was the lack of relevant expertise (70.89%), followed by lack of clarity about the legal consequences (52.52%), and concerns regarding violation of data protection and privacy (48.83%).
51.40.0%
In the second quarter of 2026, 40.0% of Canadian businesses said AI was not relevant to their business.
Statistics Canada, Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (Jun 2026)
Source quote
Meanwhile, 2 in 5 (40.0%) businesses indicated the use of AI is not relevant to the business.
52.13.4%
Cybersecurity or privacy concerns limited AI use for 13.4% of Canadian businesses in 2026, ahead of cost at 10.6%.
Statistics Canada, Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (Jun 2026)
Source quote
More than 1 in 10 businesses (13.4%) reported cybersecurity or privacy concerns to be a barrier that limits the use of AI , with the second leading barrier being cost (10.6%).
53.67%
Limited AI skills, expertise or knowledge affected 67% of UK businesses that had adopted AI and 78% of those planning to, per DSIT's 2026 survey.
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary (2026)
Source quote
Limited AI skills, expertise or knowledge affected 67% of businesses that had adopted AI , and 78% of those planning to adopt it.
54.82%
In Microsoft's 2025 Work Trend Index, 82% of leaders expected to use digital labor such as AI agents to expand their workforce within 12 to 18 months.
Microsoft, The 2025 Annual Work Trend Index: The Frontier Firm is born (Apr 2025)
Source quote
82% of leaders expect to use digital labor to expand their workforce in the next 12 to 18 months.

Chart

Top reasons EU enterprises did not use AI, 2025

EU enterprises that had considered using AI but did not use it, 2025.

Lack of relevant expertise70.9%
Unclear legal consequences52.5%
Data protection and privacy concerns48.8%

Source: Eurostat, Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises

Common questions

What percentage of businesses use AI?: About one in five in official statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau measured 19.8% of firms in May 2026, Eurostat 19.95% of EU enterprises in 2025 and the OECD 20.2% of firms in 2025. The UK is higher, at 30% in the ONS survey for September 2026.
Do large companies use AI more than small businesses?: Yes, by a wide margin. Eurostat found 55.03% of large EU enterprises used AI in 2025 compared with 17% of small ones, and the Census Bureau reports 37% of U.S. firms with 250 or more employees against under 20% of firms with four or fewer.
Which industries use AI the most?: Information and communication leads in every survey: 62.52% of EU enterprises in the sector used AI in 2025 per Eurostat, and 39.7% of U.S. information firms in the Census data. Finance and professional services follow, while agriculture, construction and transport are lowest.
How much do businesses spend on AI tools?: Most spend little. Ramp found the median U.S. business paying for AI spent $15.70 per employee per month in September 2026, and DSIT found 47% of UK businesses that could estimate spending paid nothing in 2025. Spending is concentrated: an NBER survey found 2% of firms account for over half of the total.
Does AI improve business productivity?: Workers report gains, but measured effects are modest so far. Gallup found 65% of employees in AI-adopting organizations say AI improved their productivity, while executives in an NBER study estimate AI added 0.2% a year to labor productivity growth over the past three years and expect 0.6% a year ahead.

How we picked these figures

We chose figures from official business surveys (U.S. Census Bureau, Eurostat, OECD, Statistics Canada, ONS, UK DSIT), Federal Reserve research, academic working papers, and surveys or transaction data published by the organizations that collected them. Each figure links to its source and quotes the sentence that contains it. Adoption rates are not directly comparable: surveys differ in country, minimum firm size (Eurostat counts firms with 10 or more employees, the Census Bureau includes the smallest firms), question wording, time window and whether results are weighted by firms or by employment. Ramp data cover only businesses on its platform, Menlo Ventures and Microsoft figures come from surveys of larger organizations, and productivity figures are mostly self-reported. Gartner figures are forecasts. Each quote is copied from the original publisher and fetched again by a script to confirm it still appears there. See the methodology.

Sources

Eurostat. Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises (Dec 2025).
Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Are Businesses Scaling Back Hiring Due to AI? (Sep 2025).
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Generative AI, Productivity and the Future of Work (Oct 2025).
Federal Reserve Board. Monitoring AI Adoption in the U.S. Economy (Apr 2026).
Gallup. Rising AI Adoption Spurs Workforce Changes (Apr 2026).
Gartner. Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026 (Sep 2026).
Menlo Ventures. 2025: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise (Dec 2025).
Microsoft. The 2025 Annual Work Trend Index: The Frontier Firm is born (Apr 2025).
National Bureau of Economic Research. Firm Data on AI (Working Paper 34836) (Oct 2026).
OECD. AI use by individuals surges across the OECD as adoption by firms continues to expand (Jan 2026).
Office for National Statistics. Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 8 October 2026 (Oct 2026).
Ramp. Ramp AI Index (Oct 2026).
Stanford HAI. The 2026 AI Index Report (Apr 2026).
Stanford HAI. The 2026 AI Index Report: Economy (Apr 2026).
Statistics Canada. Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 (Jun 2026).
U.S. Census Bureau. Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 2026).
UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. AI adoption survey report 2026: executive summary (2026).

How to cite

You can link to the whole page or to any single figure. When you quote a number, please credit the organization that first published it.

TopToolAdvisor. (2026, November 5). AI in Business Statistics 2026. https://toptooladvisor.com/ai-in-business-statistics

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Questions or corrections: editorial@toptooladvisor.com. Next review due January 4, 2027.