Digital Market Business Survey: Second Half of 2025 (Numeum)

Summary

• The survey covered more than 300 digital companies and more than 100 user companies between October and November 2025.p.4
• Digital activity growth fell from 3.5% in 2024 to 2% in 2025.p.6
• Software publishers and cloud platforms were the only segment in growth at 8.2%, while ESN are forecast down 1.8% and technology consulting down 2.5%.p.5
• 79% of ESN and ICT firms and 71% of publishers and cloud platforms name clients' general economic situation as the main brake on growth.p.6
• 25% of service providers report a rising order book in H2 2025, against 20% in H1 2025, while those with a falling order book fell to 38% from 48%.p.7
• Nearly two thirds of IT directors saw their IT budgets rise in 2025, with 52% citing inflation and higher software and cloud costs.p.8
• 51% of service companies now develop generative AI projects for clients, up from 29% at the end of 2023.p.10

Key insights

1. 57% of IT directors must make choices on other budget items to cope with rising software and platform costs.p.8
2. 44% of IT directors ask for more offshore and nearshore services to lower costs.p.8
3. 27% of digital companies increased their hiring volumes in H2 2025 compared with H2 2024.p.9
4. 60% of service companies favour upskilling and internal mobility over external hiring.p.9
5. The industrial sector grew 1.2% in 2025, while the services sector, led by cloud, grew 5.7%.p.5
6. 26% of digital companies expected decreasing or stable activity in H2 2025, against 27% reporting decline in H1 2025.p.6