The State of Data
The State of Data report provides a vital pulse check on the UK’s data industry
Drawing on the perspectives of UK data professionals across different sectors, it reveals a landscape that is maturing, but still uneven in its progress.
Signs of progress: Adoption, usage and mindset
At headline level, the results are promising:
- 74% of organisations now report adopting AI, up from 66% in 2024.
- 67% say their organisation's data usage has improved year-on-year.
- New strategies like product ownership of AI use cases, MLOps, and data contracts are beginning to appear in everyday operations, signalling real shifts in capability.
But these advances aren’t universal, and they’re not necessarily coming from new tools or hires. The report shows that progress is being driven by foundational work: clarity in data definitions, stronger alignment between teams, and a mindset shift from firefighting to strategic enablement.
Challenges are evolving, not disappearing
While fear and uncertainty were once dominant blockers, 2025’s respondents cite more tangible (but equally tough) challenges:
- Data quality (28%) remains the top barrier to AI implementation.
- A lack of in-house AI skills (21%) continues to slow momentum.
- Stakeholder expectation management (16%) is still one of the top three blockers, showing that misalignment and hype are still costing progress.
These are real, solvable problems, but they require deeper operational change, not just executive ambition.
What else is shifting in 2025?
Hybrid working remains a priority:
63% of professionals say they would consider leaving a role if hybrid flexibility was reduced, proving that location policies still play a key role in talent retention.
Governance is being redefined:
Far from a box-ticking compliance function, governance is increasingly viewed as the enabler of scale. Terms like
data contracts,
model risk governance and
AI product ownership now form part of the modern data vocabulary, a shift from last year’s more tactical focus.
Leadership is under scrutiny:
Poor management, not salary or workload, is the number one reason data professionals are leaving their roles. This trend spans all levels and specialisms, highlighting the need for leadership that understands the evolving needs of technical talent.
What’s Next?
The data sector is not slowing down, but it is becoming more discerning.
Adoption is no longer the primary goal. Teams are focused on scalability, accountability, and value creation with a sharper eye on how to make AI and data work in the real world.
In this blog series, we’ll explore the report’s key themes across usage, AI maturity, engineering enablement, governance, and the talent landscape.
Navigate to the full State of Data 2025 Report to dive into the full dataset, commentary and actionable insights.
