Family businesses are on the rise. After growing eight per cent in 2024, they are projected to hit 12 per cent in 2025 and 14 per cent in 2026, according to Deloitte Private’s Defining the Family Business Landscape 2025 report. And increasingly, women are leading the way.
The report found that businesses led by women CEOs outpaced their male counterparts in growth last year, expanding revenues by 10 per cent compared to eight per cent for men. Their forecasts are equally promising – expected to grow 14 per cent in 2025 and 15 per cent in 2026, compared to 12 and 14 per cent, respectively, for male-led firms. The report notes that women-led family firms tend to conduct more frequent risk assessments, invest more heavily in cybersecurity and adopt stronger governance frameworks – factors that may help explain their higher reported growth
Beyond leadership, the family business landscape itself is expanding rapidly. There are currently an estimated 18,087 family businesses worldwide with annual revenue exceeding US$100 million, up from 16,194 in 2020. That figure is expected to climb 22 per cent to nearly 20,000 by 2030. Altogether, family enterprises now make up around one in five large businesses globally.
Family business revenue is rising even faster. Deloitte estimates that global family business revenues will surge by 84 per cent – from US$16 trillion in 2020 to US$29 trillion by 2030, significantly outpacing non-family firms. Currently, family businesses account for 19 per cent of all global business revenue, a share projected to grow to 20 per cent by the end of the decade.
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The wealth generated by these firms is growing too. The average family’s wealth is projected to rise by 23 per cent between 2020 and 2030, reaching US$2.5 billion. The average family principal’s net worth stands at US$1.2 billion, while individual family shareholders hold around US$520 million.
Regionally, Asia Pacific leads the world with 7,595 family businesses, followed by North America with 5,152 and Europe with 4,084. By 2030, Asia Pacific is projected to top 8,000 family-owned enterprises. However, Europe is expected to be the fastest-growing region, helped by its unified market and mature governance frameworks.
Technology adoption is emerging as the sector’s top growth driver. Four in 10 family businesses cited investment in technological innovation – particularly artificial intelligence—as their number-one strategy for growth. Other key priorities include cost optimization, brand strengthening, and talent retention.
However, increased growth means increased challenges, and family businesses are grappling with internal complexities around succession. Many are turning to refined governance structures to ensure they can manage expansion effectively. These include include holding regular family meetings (43 per cent), establishing family boards or councils (41% per cent) and setting ethical guidelines (41 per cent).
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Uncertainty over decision-making authority (37 per cent) and succession planning (36 per cent) still remain significant challenges – reminding families that sustainable growth depends on clarity and continuity as well as innovation and new technologies.
The trajectory is nonetheless unmistakably upward. With expansion in Europe and North America on the horizon – and a rising share of women leaders at the helm – the world’s family businesses appear poised for another decade of robust, resilient growth.
