Deloitte survey finds 43 percent of firms boosting data governance budgets as leaders lay groundwork to scale AI

Companies are putting fresh money into data management as they push to expand artificial intelligence beyond pilots and into day-to-day operations. Deloitte’s Chief Data Officer Survey 2025 found that 43 percent of organizations increased budgets for data management over the past year.

The message from data leaders is consistent: without trusted, well-governed data, AI systems can amplify errors, weaken compliance efforts, and reduce confidence in results. Deloitte says data governance is increasingly treated as a prerequisite for scaling AI reliably across the enterprise.

Data governance moves up the agenda

The survey shows 73 percent of respondents are investing in data management technologies and data governance, reflecting a shift from experimentation to building durable foundations. At the same time, 51 percent of chief data officers named data governance as a top priority in the last 12 months.

Yet progress is not frictionless, even with rising spending. Deloitte reports that 47 percent of leaders cite competing business priorities as a key factor slowing the full use of data and analytics across their organizations.

More teams, broader spending on data

Deloitte also points to growing organizational capacity, with 54 percent of CDOs reporting team growth in the past 12 months. Looking ahead, 63 percent expect further hiring over the next year as demand rises for engineering, governance, and AI-related skills.

In large organizations, CDOs oversee centralized data teams averaging 76 people, underscoring how the role is evolving toward enterprise-wide strategy. Even so, 48 percent still identify budget and resource constraints as barriers to broader AI deployment.

From foundations to measurable outcomes

More than 60 percent of surveyed CDOs said AI and analytics initiatives delivered concrete business benefits in the past year. About half highlighted process improvements and stronger regulatory compliance as the most visible gains.

In Poland, Deloitte notes a growing focus on measurable impact, moving beyond cleaning up data foundations to demonstrating how data programs support revenue growth and innovation. The company plans to discuss enterprise AI and industrial applications at the European Economic Congress in Katowice on 22–24 April.