YouGov Debuts Business Sentiment Tracker

YouGov has launched a quarterly Business Sentiment Tracker, based on responses from more than 2,000 British business decision makers concerning their confidence, their major concerns, and their adoption of technology, along with broader business dynamics.

The first tracker ran as an online survey between January 1st and March 31st 2026, and will be used as a baseline against which to measure future quarters. The figures have been weighted to represent British businesses by size, region and industry. Specific topics discussed include macro-economic outlook, 12-month business plans, company culture, risks and challenges, AI adoption and innovation, and ESG commitments.

Results suggest British businesses are confident in their own prospects, but their optimism doesn't extend to the wider economy. Those in larger businesses (250+ employees) score 52.9 points for economic outlook, but those in SMEs (under 250 employees) are far less optimistic, with a score of 37.4. When asked about their own fortunes / prospects in the next 12 months, SMEs score 64.7 and larger businesses 80.7.

IT and telecoms companies are among the most positive about the future, while legal firms and the hospitality and leisure sector are among the least positive, both concerning the general economic outlook and their own individual prospects. Overall, businesses are more likely to expect a rise in revenue (46%) than a decline (25%).

Already this year the company has announced the launch of BrandIndex Voices, an AI-powered qual tool which collects and analyses consumer conversations on a quant scale to reveal why brand perceptions change; and a conversational interface for its flagship audience intelligence platform Profiles.

Pictured is CEO and founder Stephan Shakespeare. Web site: www.yougov.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.