How does AI adoption differ by company size?
Large firms (250 or more employees) are 1.4 to 3.2 times as likely to use AI as small firms, a gap of 13 to 38 percentage points in 2025 to 2026 official statistics. In the US the gap starts only at about 50 employees: firms with 1 to 49 employees all sit at 21 to 25 percent.
- High confidence
- 4 primary sources
- 2025 to 2026
- Last checked
Every study on one scale
Chart values as text
- Scale: points gap, large against small firms. Shaded range: 13–38 points.
- US Census (2026): about 13 points (36.5% against about 23%)
- ONS, UK (2026): 15–22 points
- Eurostat, EU (2025): 38 points (17% against 55%)
- Statistics Canada (2026): 8 points (100+ against 1 to 4)
Why high confidence: Four official statistics agencies and an OECD random survey all find adoption rising with firm size. The direction is settled; the size of the gap depends on how each survey defines AI, its time window and its size bands.
Sources
| Study | Creator | Year | Sample | Method | Figure | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), employment size class estimates | US Census Bureau | 2026 | About 20,000 responses per two-week period; collection ending 4 October 2026 | Official experimental survey; AI in any business function in the prior two weeks. The 250+ figure is volatile. | 1 to 49 employees 21.5% to 24.8%; 50 to 99: 29.2%; 100 to 249: 36.4%; 250+: 36.5% (36.5% to 44.0% across the last seven rounds) “did this business use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in any of its business functions?” | census.gov ↗ |
| Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 8 October 2026 | Office for National Statistics (UK) | 2026 | UK business survey, wave live 21 September to 4 October 2026 | Official statistics; current use of at least one listed AI technology | 0 to 9 employees 28.7%; 10 to 49: 36.1%; 50 to 99: 45.8%; 250+: 50.9% “Adoption of AI technologies has consistently been higher for larger businesses.” | ons.gov.uk ↗ |
| Use of artificial intelligence in enterprises | Eurostat | 2025 | About 157,000 EU enterprises with 10 or more employees, 2025 | Official statistics; any of seven AI technologies during the year. Firms under 10 are not covered. | 10 to 49 employees 17.0%; 50 to 249: 30.4%; 250+: 55.0%. AI that generates text, speech or code: 7.0% small, 31.7% large “large enterprises used AI more than small and medium enterprises” | ec.europa.eu ↗ |
| Analysis on artificial intelligence use by businesses in Canada, second quarter of 2026 | Statistics Canada | 2026 | 9,251 responding businesses with employees, April to May 2026 | Official survey; AI used to produce goods or deliver services in the past 12 months | 1 to 4 employees 19.9%; 100 or more employees 27.8% “Over 1 in 4 (27.8%) businesses with 100 or more employees reported using AI” | www150.statcan.gc.ca ↗ |
Do firms with 5 employees use AI less than firms with 40?
Barely, in the US. Firms with 1 to 4 employees (23.9%), 5 to 9 (21.5%), 10 to 19 (22.4%) and 20 to 49 (24.8%) all use AI at about the same rate; the step up comes at 50 employees (29.2%) and 100 (36.4%). Within the OECD's seven-country survey, one-person companies use generative AI half as often as firms with 50 to 249 employees (23.6% against 45.8%). Small adopters may use it more intensively: in the UK, 17% of AI-using firms under 10 employees use it extensively, against 9% of firms with 250 or more.
Numbers you may have seen
These figures circulate widely. Here is what the original source says.
- Firms with at least 20 employees are the biggest AI users (US Census). The headline is about a trend from December 2025 to May 2026. In the latest data, firms with 20 to 49 employees (24.8%) sit close to firms with 1 to 4 (23.9%); the step up comes at 50.
- 35% of UK businesses use AI. That covers businesses with 10 or more employees in June 2026. Including the smallest firms, it was 29% in June and 30% in September 2026.
- Large companies are twice as likely to use AI as SMEs. Roughly right but band-dependent. In 2025 to 2026 data the ratio runs from about 1.4 (US, Canada) to 3.2 (EU, 250+ against 10 to 49).
More from Small Teams
- F-2896–99%How much of the economy do small companies make up?
- F-2920–46%What share of small businesses use AI, and for what?
- F-3154–63%What stops small companies from adopting AI?
- F-3265–78%Do small firms that use AI see gains?
- F-3345–52 hHow many hours do small business owners work, and how much goes to admin?
The whole chapter · Chapter poster · All of The AI at Work Fact Book