Southeast Asian leaders confident in APEC growth – survey

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December 7, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Majority of Southeast Asian leaders are optimistic about the economic growth within the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region, but less than half expressed the same sentiment for  the global economy, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte.

The British multinational firm surveyed 1,252 senior APEC business leaders across 18 economies, including the Philippines, in over a dozen industries to gather their insights on the growth of their companies and the global economy.

The respondents included more than 270 leaders in Southeast Asia, according to Deloitte.

Deloitte noted that three-fourths of the surveyed Southeast Asian leaders expressed confidence in the opportunities within the APEC region, while 66 percent were optimistic about the region’s overall economy.

However, only 46 percent of Southeast Asian leaders expressed positive sentiment toward the global economy, the survey showed.

“Leaders across Southeast Asia are confident in their own companies’ performance, see tangible opportunities across the APEC region, yet remain cautious about the broader global outlook,” said Eugene Ho, chief executive officer, Deloitte SEA.

“We see this as a ‘certainty gap’ that leaders must bridge with strategic vision that turns disruption into opportunity,” Ho added.

Ho explained that Southeast Asian business leaders are diversifying their firms’ respective supply chains and delaying major investments to manage business risks amid geopolitical uncertainties. Businesses in the region are using technology as a “key” growth driver, Ho said, since they are now focusing on innovation and sustainability over the long term.

“Beyond immediate concerns, leaders are embedding AI into operational resilience and preparing for mandatory sustainability reporting and sustainable financing,” he said.

“This purposeful agility positions businesses in the region for sustained growth, supported by cooperation within the APEC bloc,” he added.

Businesses in Southeast Asia continue to prioritize growth, but their strategies for achieving this growth are shifting, with a greater emphasis on operational efficiency in the context of innovation-led expansion and new cross-border value opportunities, according to Deloitte.

At present, at least 45 percent of Southeast Asian business leaders surveyed identified technology application as their priority for growth leverage. However, in three years, 47 percent said they will focus on new products and innovation, compared to the 28 percent response today, Deloitte said.

“Geographic expansion is also gaining momentum, with executives expecting more than half of their revenue to come from APEC economies, rising from 17 percent today to 35 percent in three years,” Deloitte said.