Significant regional differences also exist. Business leaders’ perspectives on whether specific skills within a region will grow or decline in importance over the next five years may be shaped by a variety of factors. These include external influences such as current labour supply, governmental and regulatory frameworks, and available infrastructure, as well as internal considerations like investment strategies and customer requirements. Nevertheless, several significant differences stand out. Figure 17 illustrates the proportion of organizations in various regions that view certain skills as essential for their employees. Overall, AI and technological literacy are regarded as more fundamentally important than areas like programming, which sees less enthusiasm. Northern America leads in prioritizing AI and big data, with 60% of executives considering these skills vital for their workforce. Similar levels of importance are noted in South-Eastern Asia, Southern Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the widespread relevance of this technology. Meanwhile, Eastern Asia places greater emphasis than average on design and UX.1.3 Regional trends Skill importance in 2025, by region FIGURE 17 Executives worldwide also differ in how they see the importance of skills changing over the next five years. Figure 18 shows the net difference between organizations expecting skills to increase or decrease from 2025 to 2030. AI skills continue to lead globally; every region reports high expectations for the growing value of these skills and highlights the urgent need to develop them in line with business needs. South-Eastern Asia is especially strong when it comes to networking and cybersecurity skills, with Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa following close behind. Additionally, Sub- Saharan Africa expects to see the largest increase in importance for programming skills. Except for Eastern Asia, where a minor decline in programming’s significance is anticipated, all regions anticipate an increase in the importance placed on digital skills. Worldwide, organizations are advancing comprehensive digital transformation strategies, Source: World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey 2025.Share (%) of organizations that consider skills to be core skills for their workers. Share of organizations 0% 100%Central Asia Easter n Asia Europe Latin America and the Caribbean Middle East and Northern Africa Norther n America South-Easter n Asia Souther n Asia Sub-Saharan AfricaAI and big data ProgrammingDesign and user experienceNetworks and cybersecurityTechnological literacy New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth 27

New Economy Skills 2025