Deloitte Launches Inaugural Family Business Report
Family-owned enterprises are accelerating growth and reshaping ownership structures, even as uncertainty rises. Deloitte Private’s inaugural Family Business Insights Series highlights Singapore’s remarkable momentum – and the strategic shifts defining the next generation of family enterprise leadership.
Family businesses generating at least $100 million now account for 22 percent of all large enterprises worldwide, according to Deloitte Private’s new report, “Defining the Family Business Landscape, 2025″.
Their numbers are projected to rise 22 percent from 2020 to 2030, reaching nearly 20,000 companies globally. Revenue growth is even more striking: family business turnover is expected to surge 84 percent over the decade, far outpacing the 59 percent rise forecast for non-family firms.
Singapore Shows Exceptional Growth Confidence
Singapore’s family businesses stand out for their bullish outlook. More than half – 54 percent – expect revenue expansion exceeding 10 percent in 2025, up sharply from 24 percent the year before. This optimism prevails despite mounting pressures from cyber threats (72 percent), economic volatility (64 percent), and tariffs (63 percent), all cited as significant risks.
Family enterprises continue to demonstrate stability anchored in strong values and long-term vision. Deloitte Southeast Asia’s family enterprise leader, Chee Pei Pei, notes that these firms continue to adapt and innovate, cementing their role as indispensable pillars of both national and regional economies” despite a turbulent global backdrop.
Domestic Market and Efficiency Improvements
In Singapore, growth strategies are pragmatic and performance-driven. The top priorities include expanding domestic market share (43 percent) and boosting profitability through cost optimisation and efficiency gains (40 percent). Investments in Generative AI (38 percent) and strategic partnerships (38 percent) are emerging as key enablers of next-stage competitiveness.
Although most Singapore family businesses continue to generate the bulk of their revenue at home, 27 percent are actively expanding abroad. Of those, an overwhelming 90 percent are targeting markets across Asia Pacific – reinforcing the region’s status as a bright spot amid global uncertainty. Europe (53 percent) and the Middle East (50 percent) follow as secondary destinations.
Great Wealth Transfer Forces Ownership Rethink
Succession planning is becoming urgent as the “great wealth transfer” redraws the ownership map. In Singapore, 28 percent of family businesses plan to bring in external investors or private equity, 24 percent expect greater ownership by non-family managers, 15 percent intend to go public, and 4 percent anticipate a sale.
With most enterprises still led by first- or second-generation families, governance structures are quickly evolving to secure continuity.
Next-Generation Leadership
Adrian Batty, Deloitte Private’s Global Family Enterprise Leader, says the future belongs to firms that “honour their legacy while preparing for what’s next”. Many are strengthening succession pipelines, addressing talent gaps, and empowering younger leaders equipped to drive innovation, expansion, and digital transformation.
Deloitte Private’s landmark study – covering 1,587 companies across 36 countries and supplemented by in-depth interviews with senior executives – offers one of the most comprehensive looks yet at the forces shaping family-owned businesses in the coming decade.
With family enterprises set to expand faster than their non-family peers, the report underscores the sector’s growing significance in global markets.
