AI and GenAI are reshaping budgets faster than most organizations can redesign workflows, with 55% of enterprises expecting to implement GenAI by 2025. At the same time, global management consulting is forecast to grow 4.2% to $339 billion, while IT services spending keeps expanding toward $1.7 trillion in 2024. The result is a consulting market pulled in two directions at once: modernization and governance work, not just strategy decks.
Key Takeaways
- 4.5% global IT services spending growth in 2024 to $1.7 trillion, indicating continued budget expansion that benefits consulting services
- The global cloud application services market is forecast to reach $169 billion in 2024, supporting cloud advisory and migration work by consulting firms
- Gartner forecasts worldwide spending on public cloud services to total $679 billion in 2024, reinforcing consulting opportunities across cloud strategy, migration, and optimization
- 4.2% growth forecast for global management consulting services in 2024 to reach $339 billion, showing stable demand for advisory engagements
- 70% of organizations report using AI in at least one business area in 2024, supporting rising consulting demand for AI strategy and implementation
- 55% of enterprises expect to implement GenAI in their organizations by 2025, indicating demand for GenAI advisory and solution design
- BLS estimates median annual wage for management analysts (often including consulting roles) at $93,000 in 2023, showing a measurable earnings benchmark
- Average management consulting contract values vary; however, the OECD reports professional services expenditures as a share of public procurement that often includes advisory and consulting, with audit findings indicating ongoing reliance—see OECD public procurement data
- IMF estimates global output loss from cybercrime could reach $8 trillion annually by 2023, motivating consulting for cybersecurity risk management and resilience (older estimate retained due to citation longevity)
- GAO found that 53% of major IT programs did not have approved business cases (2023/2024 GAO reporting), driving need for strategy and governance consulting
- McKinsey estimates organizations can improve productivity by 20% by using generative AI for work tasks (2023 estimate), which drives consulting ROI cases
- Average consulting-enabled data quality improvements of 30% are reported in enterprise data programs, supporting data-centric advisory engagements
- Gartner found that by 2024, 80% of enterprises will have used at least one responsible AI practice, creating advisory demand for governance and model risk management
- ISO 27001 certification requires implementation of an information security management system; by 2023 there were over 110,000 ISO/IEC 27001 certificates globally, indicating market growth for security consulting services
- Microsoft Work Trend Index 2024 found 46% of employees report they have access to AI tools at work, signaling expanding tool availability and consulting use for rollout and governance
In 2024, rising IT and management consulting budgets, fueled by AI, GenAI, cloud, and cybersecurity demand, keep advisory spending strong.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size10 stats
01
4.5% global IT services spending growth in 2024 to $1.7 trillion, indicating continued budget expansion that benefits consulting services
02
The global cloud application services market is forecast to reach $169 billion in 2024, supporting cloud advisory and migration work by consulting firms
03
Gartner forecasts worldwide spending on public cloud services to total $679 billion in 2024, reinforcing consulting opportunities across cloud strategy, migration, and optimization
04
Gartner forecasts IT spending to reach $5.3 trillion in 2025, reflecting continuing demand for consulting-led modernization
05
Gartner forecasts worldwide enterprise application software revenue to reach $676 billion in 2024, underpinning consulting demand around enterprise systems
06
UNCTAD reports that global e-commerce reached $26.7 trillion in 2023, increasing consulting demand for digital commerce strategy and operations
07
UK ONS reported employment of 501,000 in 'Management consulting activities' in 2023 (employees/employee jobs), reflecting labor scale
08
2.2% of total OECD procurement expenditures are estimated to be spent on professional services (legal, accounting, consulting-type categories), indicating a material buyer segment for consulting
09
3.1% of US GDP was spent on management and administrative services in 2023, reflecting the economic weight of advisory-type activities
10
The global cybersecurity services market is forecast to reach $236.1 billion in 2030, supporting long-run demand for security consulting and managed advisory
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With global IT services spending projected to grow 4.5% in 2024 to $1.7 trillion and additional public cloud spending reaching $679 billion, the market size picture shows expanding budgets that are steadily widening the opportunity for consulting services.
02 · Category
Industry Trends14 stats
01
4.2% growth forecast for global management consulting services in 2024 to reach $339 billion, showing stable demand for advisory engagements
02
70% of organizations report using AI in at least one business area in 2024, supporting rising consulting demand for AI strategy and implementation
03
55% of enterprises expect to implement GenAI in their organizations by 2025, indicating demand for GenAI advisory and solution design
04
The US management consulting industry employs 1.3 million workers (2024), reflecting the scale of the consulting labor market
05
BLS estimates management analysts productivity is supported by advisory work; management analysts are projected to grow 11% from 2022 to 2032, indicating expanding consulting demand
06
67% of executives expect AI to improve customer experience, reinforcing the consulting pull for CX and personalization programs
07
McKinsey reports that gen AI could add $2.6to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy (2023 estimate), increasing consulting activity to capture value
08
OpenAI estimates token costs and usage; but for consulting demand, Gartner indicates that by 2025, most software development will incorporate AI assistance—implying code modernization advisory demand
09
Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report indicates 74% of breaches involved the human element, increasing demand for change and training consulting
10
World Bank estimates that logistics performance improvements can reduce trade costs by 1% to 3%, driving consulting demand for logistics and supply chain transformation
11
OECD reports that anti-corruption measures are assessed via procurement risk and enforcement, requiring consulting for compliance programs; use OECD public governance indicators for consulting-driven compliance adoption
12
Gartner reports that by 2026, 60% of organizations will use digital assistants for enterprise operations, supporting consulting demand for automation and copilots
13
KPMG 2024 survey reported 56% of organizations are rethinking their operating models to prepare for AI, increasing consulting engagements around org design and process redesign
14
30% of organizations have experienced at least one major operational outage in the past 12 months, supporting resiliency and process-performance consulting
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With global management consulting services forecast to grow 4.2% in 2024 to $339 billion and 70% of organizations already using AI, the Industry Trends picture shows consulting demand increasingly shifting from general advisory to practical AI, GenAI, and automation implementation across operations, CX, and resiliency.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
BLS estimates median annual wage for management analysts (often including consulting roles) at $93,000in 2023, showing a measurable earnings benchmark
02
Average management consulting contract values vary; however, the OECD reports professional services expenditures as a share of public procurement that often includes advisory and consulting, with audit findings indicating ongoing reliance—see OECD public procurement data
03
IMF estimates global output loss from cybercrime could reach $8 trillion annually by 2023, motivating consulting for cybersecurity risk management and resilience (older estimate retained due to citation longevity)
04
Cybersecurity programs are estimated to reduce breach impact by an average of 28%, supporting security consulting spend
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that consulting is financially anchored by measurable benchmarks and large risk-driven budgets, from a $93,000 median annual wage for management analysts in 2023 to cybercrime driven output losses up to $8 trillion and cybersecurity programs cutting breach impact by an average of 28%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics5 stats
01
GAO found that 53% of major IT programs did not have approved business cases (2023/2024 GAO reporting), driving need for strategy and governance consulting
02
McKinsey estimates organizations can improve productivity by 20% by using generative AI for work tasks (2023 estimate), which drives consulting ROI cases
03
Average consulting-enabled data quality improvements of 30% are reported in enterprise data programs, supporting data-centric advisory engagements
04
Organizations report a mean 15% improvement in customer retention following customer-journey transformation initiatives supported by analytics and CX consulting
05
24% of surveyed organizations report improved project delivery predictability (on-time outcomes) after adopting PMO and portfolio governance consulting
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance Metrics in Consulting are increasingly justified by measurable gains, with 53% of major IT programs lacking approved business cases while organizations see outcomes like 30% better data quality, 15% higher customer retention, and 24% improved delivery predictability after governance, analytics, and PMO style advisory.
05 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
Gartner found that by 2024, 80% of enterprises will have used at least one responsible AI practice, creating advisory demand for governance and model risk management
02
ISO 27001 certification requires implementation of an information security management system; by 2023 there were over 110,000 ISO/IEC 27001 certificates globally, indicating market growth for security consulting services
03
Microsoft Work Trend Index 2024 found 46% of employees report they have access to AI tools at work, signaling expanding tool availability and consulting use for rollout and governance
04
AI adoption survey: 35% of companies deployed AI in at least one business function in 2023 (Gartner/CB Insights cited in reputable press), supporting consulting spend on AI solutions
05
39% of enterprises use robotic process automation in at least one department, driving demand for process automation consulting and change management
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption for consulting is accelerating as 46% of employees report access to AI tools at work and 80% of enterprises are expected to have used at least one responsible AI practice by 2024, creating rapid demand for governance, model risk management, and rollout support.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Consulting Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/consulting-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Consulting Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/consulting-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Consulting Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/consulting-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)